Anna Martnez

Flora Owens

ACT 1

1. Young man, this is my house. Is there something you want?

2. This is a busy day for us. We have no time to loaf.
3. Yes. You better run along now.
4. Has Helen Potts taken in another tramp?
5. I bet hed like to. Have you called Alan this morning?
6. Tell him theyre expecting a big crowd at the park this evening, so hed
better use his fathers influence at the City Hall to reserve table. Oh, and
tell him to get one down by the river, close to a Dutch oven.
7. Alan is the kind of man who doesnt mind if a womans bossy.
8. That train just goes as far as Tulsa.
9. Things like that dont happen in dime stores. Millie, would you take the
milk inside?
10. Did you and Alan have a food time on your date last night?
11. Whatd you do?
12. Then whatd you do?
13. Madge, does Alan ever- make love?
14. Do you let him kiss you?
15. Does he ever want to go beyond kissing?
16. Im your mother, for heavens sake! These things have to be talked
about. Does he?
17. Does Alan get mad if you-wont?
18. He doesnt

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Flora Owens

19. Do you like it when he kisses you?

20. You dont sound very enthusiastic.
21. No, you dont have to pass out. Here. Hold this dress up in front of you.
Itd be awfully nice to be married to Alan. Youd live in comfort for the rest
of your life, and be invited by all his friends to parties in their homes and
at the country club.
22. Youll get over those feelings in time. Alan will be going back to school in
a few weeks. You better get busy.
23. A pretty girl doesnt have long- just a few years. Then shes the equal of
kings and she can walk out of a shanty like this and live in a palace with
a doting husband wholl spend his life making her happy.
24. Because once, once she was young and pretty.
25. And next summer youll be nineteen, and then twenty, and then twentyone, and then the yearsll start going by so fast youll lose count of them.
First thing you know, youll be forty, still selling candy at the dime store.
26. Madge, that was mean.
27. Girls, dont fight.
28. Oh, girls!
29. Girls! What will the neighbors say!
30. You called her worse names!
31. Poor Millie!
32. A girl like Millie can need confidence in other ways.
33. What a question!
34. Well- pretty things-like flowers and sunsets and rubies- and pretty girls,
too- theyre like billboards telling us life is good.
35. Madge!
36. Dont talk so selfish!
37. Sit down, Rosemary.
38. No mail today. Its Labor Day.

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Flora Owens

39. What about Howard?

40. Helen Potts is having her leaves burned. Smells kind of good, doesnt it?
41. Just another no-good Helen Potts took in.
42. Get away from there, Millie.
43. Swimmings different!
44. Look at him showing off.
45. Madge, will you try this dress on now, dear.
46. Hoooo!
47. Poor Helen! She told me somethimes she has to get up three times a
night to take her mother to the bathroom.
48. None of em take her. Shes too mean.
49. See if Madge is decent. Good morning, Alan!
50. Helen Potts, I wish youd stop takin!g in all sorts of riff-raff.
51. College- and he begs for breakfast!
52. Alan, why dont you go up and see Madge?Just call from the bottom of
the stairs.
53. I hadnt thought much about it.
54. What did you feed him?
55. You went to all that trouble?
56. Helen, come on. Sit down.
57. Sit down, Helen.
58. Bride and groom! Look, everybody! Bride and groom! How does it feel,
Madge? I mean the dress.
59. Filthy?
60. Millie, give me that book!
61. Oh, dear! Whats a person to believe?

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Flora Owens

62. Where Millie comes by her tastes, Ill never know.

63. Helen!
64. Stay here! He must have had a gun! Your mothers old. She has to go
soon anyway!
65. What is it , Helen?
66. Youre the limit! Come on, Madge, lets finish that dress.
67. Be here for lunch today, Rosemary?
68. Wholl fix lunch? Ive got a million things to do.
69. No, but it might kill the rest of us.
70. The worst I can remember.
71. Yes, Madge has been working downtown this summer- just to keep busy.
Why, when did he
72. Fraternity brother! Really? Any friend of Alans is a friend of ours.
73. Thats right, but
74. Alan!
75. How did a boy like him get into college?
76. But how did the other boys feel about him?
77. Is he wild?
78. Does he drink?
79. I wouldnt want anything to happen to Millie.
80. Maybe I do. Come on, Helen. Oh,dear, why cant things be simple?
81. Madge! Come on inside now.

Anna Martnez

Flora Owens

ACT 2

82. Now I tell myself Ive got two beautiful daughters.

83. Doesnt Millie look pretty, Madge?
84. Madge!
85. Run over and show Hellen Potts how nice you look.
86. Whatever possessed me to let Helen Potts ask that young hoodlum to
take Millie on the picnic?
87. If theres any drinking tonight, you put a stop to it.
88. If the boys feel they have to have a few drinks, theres nothing you can
do about it, but you can keep Millie from taking any.
89. You better be getting dressed. And dont spend the whole evening
admiring yourself in the mirror.
90. You shouldnt object to being kidded if its well meant.
91. Madge! You puzzle me.
92. Hello, Rosemary.
93. Foods good at the hotel, isnt it?
94. What times Howard coming by?
95. Youll have to see.
96. Madge?
97. Yes, Im sorry to say.
98. The young man over at Helens turned out to be a friend of Alans.
99. Helen, have you gone to the trouble of baking another cake?
1- Helen Potts!
2- Such as what?
3- You should have thought of it earlier.

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Flora Owens

4- Hello, Howard.
5- How are things over in Cherryvale. Howard?
6- When business is good, is good for everyone.
7- At five-thirty. Youve asked me a dozen times. Alans brought both cars!
8- Come sit down, Alan.
9- Is hea careful driver, Alan?
10- Madge, you should be getting dressed.
11- No. I made you that dress to save for dances this fall.
12- Is your mother taken care of, Helen?
13- Then lets start packing the baskets.
14- Madge! Are you still here?
15- Its about time.
16- Come on, Helen. Alan, well need a man to help us chip the ice and put
the baskets in the car.
17- No, thank you. Alan wont mind.
18- Millie, show the youngg man your drawings.
19- Who fed whiskey to my Millie?
20- My Millie is too young to be drinking whiskey!
21- I want it understood by everyone that theres to be no more drinking on
this picnic.
22- Millie will come with us, Alan.
23- Madge, why did you wear your new dress?
24- Go upstairs and change, this minute. I mean it! You come later with
Rosemary and Howard!
25- Millie, darling, are you feeling better?

Anna Martnez

Flora Owens

ACT 3
1- Were you awake when Madge got in?
2- Did she say anything to you this morning?
3- Dear God! I couldnt get two words out of her last night, she was crying
so hard. No shes got the door locked.
4- You dont know aything, Millie Owens. And if anyone says anything to
you, you just Have you been smoking?
5- The next time you take in tramps, Helen Potts, Ill thank you to keep
them on your own side of the yard.
6- Of course shes all right. She got out of the car and left that hoodlum
alone. Thats what she did.
7- He said hed be over this morning.
8- I know where he should be!
9- Howard?Why,no, Rosemary!
10- Were busy, Rosemary.
11- Shes been running around like a chhicken with its head off all morning.
Somethings up! You keep watch for Alan.
12- Alan, I didnt know you were here!
13- Youre getting a wonderful girl, Howard Bevans!
14- Girl, are you wearing something old?
15- Madge, you give Rosemary something to borrow. Itll mean good luck for
you. Go on, Madge! Rosemary, Madge has something for you to borrow!
16- Madge, what happened last night? You havent told me a word.
17- Oh, dear! Ive been saying food-bye to her all morning.
18- Im coming. Im coming.
19- Madge!
20- Take your hands off him, this minute!

Anna Martnez

Flora Owens

21- Young man, if you dont leave here this second, Im going to call the
police and have you put where you belong.
22- Madge!
23- Madge, I want you inside the house this minute.
24- Madge! Are you out of your senses?
25- Young man, youd better get on that train as fast as you can.
26- Get up, girl.
27- Hush,girl. Hush. The neighbors are on their porches, watching.
28- Madge, believe me, thats for the best.
29- Alan, come to dinner tonight. Im having sweet-potato pie and all the
things you like.
30- Gone?
31- Youll be back before you go to school, wont you?
32- Christmas! Alan, go inside and say good-bye to Madge.
33- See her one more time, Alan!
34- Alan!
35- You better get ready for school, Millie.
36- You- you liked the young man, didnt you, Helen? Admit it.
37- Hmm.
38- Did it?
39- Mind your business and go to school.
40- Allan will be back, dont you think so, Helen?
41- I hope so.
42- Madge!
43- As I live and breathe!

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Flora Owens

44- Now look, Madge, Alans coming back Christmas. Hell take you to the
dance at the club. Ill make another new dress for you, and
45- Madge! Listen to what Ive got to say
46- Hes no good. Hell never be able to support you. When he does have a
job, hell spend all his money on booze. After a while, therell be other
women.
47- Madge, now listen to me. I cant let you
48- MadgeMadge
49- Helen, could I stop her?
50- Shes so young. There are so many things I meant to tell her, and never
got around to it.