Huh uh. One of us has got to go look fo’ dat money. LUCY One of us has got to take back de guitar. MADISON I’m goin’ fo’ de money. LUCY Den I’ll take dis. [_She takes up the guitar and she and MADISON go toward door at back. Then she halts._] Oh, Madison, you can do bofe. One of us has got to stay wif Uncle Williams. But take back de guitar first. MADISON All right. I’ll go. An’ I ain’t played on dis heah but twice. [_He takes the guitar from her._] LUCY Go now. Can you fin’ youah way to his porch in de dahk? MADISON Will we find de money? Dat’s de p’oblem I wants de answeh fo’. [_LUCY opens door at back to go out. MADISON is at her side. Both start back. WILLIAMS stands before them in the open doorway._] LUCY [_Haltingly, after a pause._] How—you like—de stove? WILLIAMS [_Entering more vigorously than before._] Well’m, befo’ we goes any furder we betteh come neareh de real p’int an’ question. I didn’ come fo’ no stove dis night. [_MADISON shrinks back into the shadows._] LUCY [_Slowly._] Yo’—don’—wan’— WILLIAMS No’m. To be sho’, I might tek de stove one er dese days, but dat ain’ my erran’ now. Hit’s dis; does you know when we mek de bargum about you buyin’ dis heah house? LUCY Twelve yeah ago. WILLIAMS Gal, you dreamin’! ’Tweren’t but las’ year. ’Twere de fus’ er Octobah las’ year an’ I say I gives you de refusals fer one yeah. ’Membeh dat? LUCY Yassuh. WILLIAMS So fur so good. Now does you know what day de month dis is? LUCY Fus’ er Octobah. WILLIAMS Dat’s true as preachin’. Well’m, time’s up. LUCY What you mean? WILLIAMS I’m er man er my wuhd. Pay me de money an’ tek de house. LUCY Termorrer— WILLIAMS No. Termorrer won’ do. LUCY Why you push me so? Oh, please spar’ me an’ wait—wait anutheh day. WILLIAMS No, I’m er business man. I kin sell de house fer mo’ money termorrer but I hold’s to my wuhd ter sell it to you. I holds to it an’ loses money, but it falls due dis day an’ night an’ I won’ stretch it one jump er my hea’t. LUCY You know—de bank—ain’t open— WILLIAMS Sign de check fer hit. You kin do dat, cain’t you? LUCY I—s’pose—I—kin. WILLIAMS Den up an’ do hit. Heah’s er check, all wrote out but de signin’. [_She takes the check he produces._] An’ heah’s one er dese fountum pins. [_She takes the pen._] Octobeh fus’—pay to Zek’l Williams—eight hunderd dollahs. Des write “Lucy Sparrow.” [_She mechanically turns to do so._] Looks easy, sho’. But de law allows hit; dis writin’ out money. [_He pauses, then adds impressively._] Dat is, _ef_ you got de money in de bank. Co’se ef de money ain’ dah an’ you writes de check fer hit de law puts you in State prism. [_She stops and stares at him._] [_The pen falls from her hand and the check flutters to the floor._] What de matteh? You wants de house, don’ you? [_LUCY’S head sinks._] An’ you got de money, ain’ you? MADISON Dat’s de question. [_He comes forward out of the shadow._] WILLIAMS