It could be most anybody. Things is lookin' pretty poor over at Strombergers. The rain's comin' right down into his sittin' room,--Well, good evenin'. A man's got to have his joke. MRS. FIELITZ But who's goin' to drink my hot toddy now? FIELITZ You stay right where you are! LANGHEINRICH Can't be done. I gotta be goin'. [_He puts an arm around LEONTINE, who frees herself carelessly and with a contemptuous expression._]--If mother don't hear my hammerin' downstairs she'll be swimmin' away in tears an' the bed with her when I gets home. LEONTINE That's nothin' but jealousy, mama. MRS. FIELITZ Maybe it is, an' maybe she's got reason. You go on up to your work.--How is the Missis? LANGHEINRICH Pretty low. What c'n you expect? LEONTINE You'll be drivin' me to work till I gets consumption. MRS. FIELITZ If you get consumption, it won't be your dress-makin' that's the cause of it. You act as much like a ninny as if you was a man. LANGHEINRICH [_Putting his arms around MRS. FIELITZ._] Come now, young woman, don't be so cross! Young people wants to have their fling--that's all. An' they'll have it, if it's only with Constable Schulze. [_Exit._ MRS. FIELITZ Now what's the meanin' o' that? RAUCHHAUPT Wait there a minute an' I'll join you. [_He gets up and motions to GUSTAV, who lifts the iron cross again._ MRS. FIELITZ Why d'you go an' run off all of a sudden? RAUCHHAUPT I gotta go an' get rid o' some work. [_Exit with GUSTAV. MRS. FIELITZ What's the trouble with you an' Langheinrich again? You act like a fool--that's what you do! LEONTINE There ain't no trouble. I want him to leave me alone. MRS. FIELITZ He'll be willin' to do that all right! If you're goin' to turn up your nose an' wriggle around that way, you won't have to take much trouble to get rid o' him. He don't need nothin' like that! LEONTINE But he's a married man. MRS. FIELITZ So he is. Let him be. You got no sense 'cause you was born a fool. You got a baby and no husband; Adelaide's got a husband an' no baby. [_LEONTINE goes slowly out._ MRS. FIELITZ If she'd only go an' take advantage o' her chances. There ain't no tellin' how soon Langheinrich'll be a widower. FIELITZ I don't know's I like to see the way Constable Schulze runs after that girl. MRS. FIELITZ [_Sententiously._] You can't run your head through no stone walls. [_She sits down, takes out a little notebook and turns its leaves._] You got a office. All right. Why shouldn't you have? Things is _as_ they is. But havin' a office you got to look out all around. You just let Constable Schulze alone! Did you read the letter from Schmarowski? FIELITZ Aw, yes, sure. I got enough o' him all right. I wish somebody'd given me the money--half the money--that feller's had the use of. But no: nobody never paid no attention to me. Nobody sent me to no school o' architecture. MRS. FIELITZ I'd like to know what you got against Schmarowski! You're pickin' at him all the time.