SIMMS But Brother Mayor, I said it, an' I'll say it agin, tain't right-- CLARKE (turns angrily) I God, Clarke [Hand written correction: Simms], Ah don't keer whut you say. 'Taint worth uh hill uh beans nohow. Jim is gointer be 'rested for hittin' Dave an' takin' his turkey, an' if he's found guilty he's goin' way from here. Tain't no use uh you swellin' up neither. (to Lum) Go get him, Lum, an' lock 'im in my barn an' put dat turkey under arrest too. I God, de law is gointer be law in my town. (Exit Lum with an important air.) WALTER Where de trial gointer be, Brother Clarke, in de hall? CLARKE Nope, it's too little. It'll hafta be in de Baptist Church. Ah reckon dat's de bigges' place in town. Three o'clock Monday evening. Now, y'all git on off my porch tuh fuss. Lige, outen dat lamp for Lum. (The stage goes black. The crowd is dispersing slowly. Angry voices are heard. The curtain is descending slowly. Off-stage right the voice of Lum is heard calling Daisy.) LUM Oh Daisy! Daisy! DAISY (at a distance) What you want, Lum? LUM Tell yo' mama to put on de hot water kittle. I'll be round there before long. _CURTAIN_ ACT II Scene I SETTING: Village street scene. Huge oak tree upstage center. A house or two on backdrop. When curtain goes up Sister Lucy Taylor is seen standing under the tree trying to read a notice posted on the tree. She is painfully spelling it out. Enter Sister Thomas--a younger woman (in her thirties) at left. SISTER THOMAS Evenin', Sis Taylor. SISTER TAYLOR Evenin'. (returns to the notice) SISTER THOMAS Whut you doin'? Readin' dat notice Joe Clarke put up 'bout de meetin'? (approaches tree) SISTER TAYLOR Is dat whut it says? I ain't much on readin' since I had my teeth pulled out. You know if you pull out dem eye teeth you ruins yo' eye sight. (turns back to notice) Whut it say? SISTER THOMAS (Reading notice) The trial of Jim Weston for assault and battery on Dave Carter wid a dangerous weapon will be held at Macedonia Baptist Church on Monday November 10, at three o'clock. All are welcome--by order of J. Clarke, Mayor of Eatonville, Fla. (turning to Sister Taylor) Hit's makin' on to three now. SISTER TAYLOR You mean its right _now_. (looks up at sun to tell time) Lemme go git ready to be at de trial--cause I'm sho going to be there and I ain't goin' to bite my tongue neither. SISTER THOMAS I done went and crapped a mess of collard greens for supper--I better go put em on--cause Lawd knows when we goin' to git outa there--and my husband is one of them dats gointer eat don't keer whut happen. I bet if Judgment day was to happen tomorrow, he'd speck I orter fix him a bucket to carry long. (She moves to exit right) SISTER TAYLOR All men favors they guts, chile. But whut you think of all dis mess they got going on round here? SISTER THOMAS I just think its a sin and a shame before de livin justice de way dese Baptis' niggers is runnin' round here carryin' on.