Come up an’ grab me. LUCY BELLE Gawd sakes--! SLIM Wan’ ter know right off whar yo’ is. LUCY BELLE Yo’ did’n’ tell him--? SLIM W’at de hell yo’ take me fo’? LUCY BELLE W’at did yo’ do? SLIM Tol’ him I did’n’ know nuffin’ ’bout yo’. LUCY BELLE (_gratefully_) Yo’ did, Slim--yo’ did--? SLIM W’at yo’ think I is--some kin’-a fool dat has ter be tol’ w’at ter say? LUCY BELLE No, no, Slim. But I thought maybe yo’ might-a been scar’t--an’ say somefin’ fo’ yo’ think. SLIM (_with a sneer_) Take somebody mo’ den him ter scare me. LUCY BELLE W’at did he do? SLIM Say he gwine ter fin’ yo’--he don’ care how long it takes. LUCY BELLE (_with a cry of anguish and indignation_) He bettah lay off me--! SLIM Say he gwine ter bus’ hell out-a yo’ ef yo’ don’ come back ter him. LUCY BELLE He ain’ gwine ter do nuffin’--! SLIM Picks up a fence rail an’ comes at me--kase I would’n’ tell him whar yo’ is--! LUCY BELLE Oh, mah Gawd! Hit yo’--? SLIM (_with contempt_) Been in de undertaker’s now ef he had. LUCY BELLE Did yo’ bus’ him--? SLIM I picks up a brick an’ dares him ter come at me. Mink Hall an’ some of mah oder buddies comes ’long right den an’ he beats it. (_With a laugh._) Mink makes a grab fo’ him an’ he jumps th’u’ a stable window. LUCY BELLE Ain’ seen or heard-a him fo’ so long--I been hopin’ dat he gone away fo’ good. SLIM Been follerin’ de races--norf an’ souf--fo’ de las’ yeah--so he say--an’ jes’ got in town yisterday. LUCY BELLE I knows he ain’ been ’roun’ Wash’nin’. (_Twining and intertwining her fingers, and her gaze roving abstractedly about._) I don’ care. He ain’ gwine ter do nuffin’. Me an’ Sam’ll be livin’ in Baltimo’ soon--maybe dis time nex’ monf-- SLIM Watch yo’se’f--. LUCY BELLE I sho’ is gwine ter! SLIM Don’ go travelin’ roun’ at night by yo’se’f. LUCY BELLE (_shaking her head_) Don’ yo’ worry--I ain’ gwine ter take no chances. (_A sudden look of apprehension coming into her face._) He gwine ter beat it right ovah ter Carter Street-- SLIM Nobody ovah dere know whar yo’ livin’. LUCY BELLE Nobody--nobody ’cept--(_She breaks off and stares fixedly before her._) SLIM Who--? LUCY BELLE Lizzie Gibbs. (_Aunt Rebecca enters, Left, and closes the door carefully after her._) AUNT REBECCA (_discovering Slim_) H’yo’, Slim. SLIM (_shortly_) ’Lo Aun’ Becky. AUNT REBECCA How is yo’? SLIM Fine an’ dandy. AUNT REBECCA (_to Lucy Belle_) Done put dem chillen ter bed fo’ yo’. LUCY BELLE (_gratefully, as she goes to her_) Thank yo’, Aun’ Becky,--sartainly mighty good-a yo’. AUNT REBECCA Dat’s all right. Israel ’sleep already-- LUCY BELLE Bof so tired dey could’n’ hardly stan’ up. (_Aunt Rebecca moves toward the door, Back._) LUCY BELLE Yo’ ain’ gwine--? AUNT REBECCA Mus’, chile. Jes’ drap in on mah way ter de sto’. Oughter been on mah way long fo’ dis. LUCY BELLE W’en I see yo’ agin? AUNT REBECCA May drap in later on dis evenin’. LUCY BELLE Do, honey, please--!