June Moon

epub:type="z3998:persona">Maxie How about throwing a cordon around the building? He goes into Hart’s office. Paul Maxie’ll bring him. Fred Trying his voice. “June Moon”⁠—Suddenly sees Edna again. All right, Eddie, we’re going to sing it now. Edna All right, dear. I can wait happy now. She goes. The Window Cleaner climbs through the window again. Fred Hey! You can’t work here now! Window Cleaner What? Maxie comes back, bringing Hart.. Maxie Here we are! Hart All right⁠—let’s have it. What’s the name of this song? Benny bounds on, following Hart. Benny Are you ready, Boss? Hart What? Benny For “Tokyo!” Maxie Listen, Joe⁠—these boys have been waiting since two o’clock. Hart All right, all right. Let’s have it. What’s the name of it? Fred “June Moon.” Benny Bitingly. Great idea! Goldie enters. Goldie Pardon me, Mr. Hart. Mr. Wayburn’s on the wire. Hart Can’t talk to him now. Go ahead, boys! What’s this song called? Goldie He wants to know if he can use the “Java” number tonight. It’s a benefit. Hart Who for? Him? Goldie I think he said the Widows of Long Island Commuters. Hart Oh, sure. Tell him he can have it if he pays for it. Goldie Yes, sir! Goes. Hart That’s a great number, “Java.” Great number. Benny Yes, sir. Hart Very much the big man. Do you boys want a sure-fire idea? Paul Yes. Benny Yes. Fred Yes, sir. Window Cleaner Just one of the boys. Yeah! Hart Write a war song. Just have it ready⁠—in case. Fred Is there going to be a war? Hart Taking them all in. I won’t say yes and I won’t say no. But in this little swing around the West I had a chance to sort of feel out the common people. Grows very confidential. I’ll tell you something. I’m not a bit comfortable about the Mexican situation. Window Cleaner Me neither. Hart It’s a dangerous situation. I don’t like it. I don’t like it a bit. A long, low whistle from Benny. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if something happened and happened soon. And when it does, the first fellow in the field is going to clean up. You boys want to watch the papers⁠—be ready for an emergency. Not only war, but these aeroplane flights all over the place⁠—television⁠—all the big inventions. A man named Brainard comes in⁠—just a stranger. What is it? Brainard Have you seen a couple of men? Hart What? Brainard Have you seen a couple of men? There’s two of them. Hart What men? Brainard From our office. One of them’s had his appendix out. Hart What office? Where are you from? Brainard Devlin, Devlin, Stewart and Devlin. Maxie How did Stewart crash in? Marry one of the Devlin girls? Brainard No. Only one of the Devlins has got a daughter. She’s Mrs. Carl Bishop, the architect. Hart For God’s sake! Get out of here, will you? Brainard But I got to find them. Hart Well, they’re not here. What would they be doing here? Brainard This is their day in this building. Hart We’re busy now. Come in tomorrow. Brainard They won’t be here tomorrow. Hart Listen to me; I don’t know who you are or where you’re from⁠— Goldie enters. Goldie Beg pardon, Mr. Hart! Hart Now what? Goldie George Gershwin’s out there. Hart George Gershwin! Goldie Yes, sir. Hart My God! He hurries out. Fred Who is it? Window Cleaner George Gershwin. He also hurries out. Brainard Yeah! Brainard, after a second’s hesitation, also goes, hurrying a little. Benny is next to go. Paul To Fred. Did you ever see him? Fred No. Paul He stole my rhapsody. He and Fred go. Maxie runs a careless scale; gets up from the piano. Goldie Aren’t you going out to see him? Maxie Make him come to me. Goes off the other way. Eileen and Lucille come on⁠—Eileen leads the way and seems thoroughly at home. Eileen Where’s everybody? Lucille Hello, Goldie. Goldie Good afternoon, Mrs. Sears. Eileen To Goldie. I see you’ve moved the piano. Goldie With vast impertinence. Not me! She goes; the women are alone. Lucille Well, here we are! Why don’t you go in and say hello to Hart? Eileen I’d rather run into him accidentally. It looks better. Lucille You’re not as sure of him as you let on. Eileen Yes, I am! Why shouldn’t I be? Lucille Well, the way he went away, in the first place. And he didn’t exactly keep the wires hot while he was gone. Eileen He wrote to me, every place he went. Lucille Yah, if you call picture postcards writing. Eileen He was busy most of the time. It was a business trip. Lucille He certainly sent you a beautiful view of the Detroit Athletic Club. Eileen glares at her. And that new waterworks in Cleveland. A man that didn’t care about you would have sent a picture of the old waterworks. He’s kind of a Latin type. Hot-blooded. Eileen You can say all you want to. Just the same, when he finds I’ve been going out with Stevens he’s going to be insanely jealous. You watch him. Lucille Well, maybe. But he didn’t even wire you for a date tonight. It’s the first time he hasn’t done that. Eileen He’s taking it for granted. That’s even better. Any prospective reply is cut short by the return of Benny.. Benny Hello, there! Lucille Hello! Benny George Gershwin’s outside. Lucille Yeah? Benny Don’t you want to meet him? Lucille It’s too late now. Benny No⁠—he’s still there. Lucille Yah, but I’m not. Benny I was telling him about my new number⁠—“Hello, Tokyo!” He said it was a great idea. But I forgot⁠—you ain’t heard it. He dashes for the piano. Lucille It’s all right. I’ll take Gershwin’s word. Benny He said it would make the nuckelus of a great musical show. It’s about a fella that falls in love with a pitcher of a Japanese princess, and he calls her up on the long distance phone. Lucille Is she sitting home? Benny Yah. Why? Lucille I just wondered if things were the same over there. Benny Thinking hard. Of course in a musical show he and she have got to get together.