_Butler_. Gow an with ye! _Jack_. Won't you give me a chance? _Butler_. Where's your shovel? _Jack_. Why--I haven't a shovel. _Butler_. Well, what d'ya mean to use? Your hands? _Jack_. I thought you might lend me-- _Butler_. Lend you! And me standin' out in the snow to watch ye return it, hey? _Jack_ (_humbly_). I won't steal anything. I'm trying honestly to earn the price of a shovel. _Butler_. If ye didn't spend your money in drink, ye might have the price. _Jack_. I haven't had anything to drink--nor anything to eat either. _Butler_. Well, we ain't runnin' no breadline 'ere. Get along with ye! _(Slams door.)_ _Jack (stands shaking his head meditatively)_ Gee! This is a cold world! _Shoveller_. Say, young fellow! I'll tell ye what to do. _Jack_. What's that? _Shoveller_. Come back in August. Ye'll find it warmer. _Jack (wanders off muttering to himself)._ I've got to get a shovel! _Bill (appears at window Right)_. Say, Peggy! _(The Play-play vanishes.)_ _Peggy_. What is it, dear? _Bill_. Can I have my paper soldiers? _Peggy_. Yes, dear. _(Hurries to get them.)_ Now be quiet, Bill. I'm busy now. _Bill_. Where is Will? _Peggy_. Washing the dishes. _Bill_. Can't I help him? _Peggy_. No, dear--we've got to talk about this play we're writing. Here are the soldiers. _Bill_. All right. _(Exit Right.)_ _Peggy (goes to entrance Left where dishes are heard rattling)_. How are you making out? _Will (off Left)_. What do you think of my opening scenes? _Peggy_. Why, I think they could be better. You see, Will, you don't really know anything about snow-shovellers or butlers. _Will_ (_appears in doorway Left, wiping a dish_). I've got a real character for the next scene at least. I used Bill! _Peggy_. For heaven's sake! _Will_. As a street-gamin. _Peggy_. But Bill's not like a street-gamin. Such a child is full of slang. _Will_. I thought of what Bill might have been if he'd been turned out to shift for himself. I imagined the soul of a street-gamin in the body of our Bill. _Peggy_. That sounds rather terrible. (_A pause_.) By the way, Will! That love-interest you said was to come! Where is it? _Will_. I've hardly got into the act yet. _Peggy_. Well, you'd better get into your love-interest! _Will_. The next scene is to be another dropcurtain. A restaurant. I'm using that one down our street. Read it. (_He disappears Left. The Play-play begins to appear_.) _Peggy_ (_reads_). Scene shows a cheap restaurant on Third Avenue. Piles of shredded wheat and charlotte russe in the windows. Night scene, snow on ground. (_Full light on the Play-play_.) _Bill_ (_wanders on Right, stops and gazes into window_). Gee, but that's great lookin' shredded wheat! _Jack_ (_enters Left, dejected-looking, and joins Bill_). You hungry, too, kid? _Bill._ I could eat the whole hay-stack at one meal. (_Moves along to another part of the window._) Holy smoke, if they'd turn me loose in them charlotte-russes!