June Moon

epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Drifting over to Lucille. What time is it? Paul Going right on. It’s going to be another “Paprika.” Lucille Reaching for the dress that Eileen has brought along. Want me to do that? Eileen I’ll go crazy, waiting around here! Paul You can’t stop him. If I team up with this new fella you’ll hear some hits. Lucille Handing over the paper to Eileen. Did you see this? Myra Vale’s announced her engagement. Eileen Who to, for God’s sake? Lucille Nobody we know. Eileen Reading. No. And nobody that knows her, you can bet on that. Lucille Paul was trying to tell me he got her her first job; introduced her to Dillingham. Eileen Oh, sure. He introduced Rogers to Peet, didn’t he? Lucille Indicating the dress. This isn’t going to last much longer. Eileen I know it. Lucille Why don’t you look around Monday? See what you can find. Maybe I will. I’m lazy, I guess. Eileen I’ve just been putting it off. Lucille I’d never be too lazy to shop, if I had anything to shop with. Paul You wait till this number gets over. Lucille Quite pleasantly. By that time I’ll only want a shawl. Paul Finally flaring up. There’s nothing helps a man like being married to a woman that always encourages you and looks on the bright side. I’m going to write an article for the American Magazine, saying I attribute my success to my wife. Eileen Why don’t you try writing articles? They might be pretty near as good as your tunes. Paul You don’t have to worry about my tunes. Anyhow, I was talking to Lucille. Eileen It’s time you did something more for Lucille besides talk to her! Paul If I was in your place, I’d keep pretty still in this house. That is, unless I was paying board. Eileen It’s a good battle, by this time. Don’t you dare say I’m dependent on you, because I’m not! Paul Only for your meals and a place to sleep! Eileen You wouldn’t even have a job if it wasn’t for me! Do you think Hart is keeping you on the staff because you wrote a hit three years ago? Lucille Now! Eileen Well, make him lay off me, if he knows what’s good for him. If he keeps riding me, he’ll be looking for a new job! Paul Swell chance of them letting me out when I’ve got a number like “Montana.” I’d run right to Harms with it. Eileen Harms wouldn’t let you in their elevator! Paul As he goes proudly into the next room. I was in it this afternoon! Eileen A long, long sigh. Is Hart going to phone or isn’t he? It gets me crazy, this waiting. Lucille I wouldn’t mind waiting if there was something to wait for. I nearly go out of my mind, just sitting. You hear women brag about the nice, cozy evenings they spend at home with their husband. They’re not married to a piano tuner with ten thumbs. Eileen Hoping against hope. Maybe he didn’t get back from Philadelphia. He might still be over there. Lucille What time was he going to call up? Eileen Six o’clock. He said he’d call me the minute he got in. Maybe the train was late. Lucille They aren’t late very often, from Philadelphia. Eileen It’s the only evening we’ll have for three weeks, with him going away again tomorrow. Restlessly pacing. If he was going to be late you’d think he’d try to reach me. Lucille Of course, you know him better than I do, but when a man’s really crazy about a girl, he calls her up, I don’t care what he’s doing. It’s only when he begins cooling off that he finds excuses, like being in Philadelphia. Eileen But he was in Philadelphia. Lucille I know, but they’ve got phones there now, too. Eileen If you think he’s cooling off you’re crazy! He’s insanely jealous. When I told him I was thinking of going out with Bert Livingston he was sore as hell. He said, “All right, go ahead and go out with him.” I asked him if he meant it, and he said, “Sure! Go out with the whole Lambs Club!” He’s insanely jealous and tries to hide it. Lucille I’d go out with the janitor if he asked me. God, I’m sick of this place! Eileen Why don’t you go to a picture? Lucille They charge admission. A little sardonic laugh. Remember the way I used to figure when Paul first came along? I thought marrying a songwriter meant going to all the first nights, meeting everybody that was worthwhile, going down to Palm Beach⁠— Eileen You would, too, if Paul was any good. Lucille I wonder what it’d be like if we’d stayed in Stroudsburg. I’d probably be married to Will Broderick, and we’d have a car⁠— Eileen To drive over to Scranton in. Lucille A sigh. I suppose I ought to get consolation out of one thing. I never expect a phone call or a mash note or an invitation or even a half pound box of candy. Whatever happens is velvet. Eileen You’re a fool if you keep it up. You ought to break away while there’s still time. Lucille That’s an easy thing to say. I haven’t got any grounds, in the first place. Eileen You wouldn’t need grounds. Just get him up in court and let the judge look at him. Lucille And even if I did get free, where am I? I’m not young any more. No man under sixty would look at me. Eileen Well, men over sixty are more liable to have money than boy scouts. Lucille I don’t like old men. Eileen Who does? Just the same, they’ve got their good points. They sleep eighteen hours a day. And they’re like little kids-they believe everything you tell them. Lucille I never could fool anybody. That’s why I’ve been afraid to try anything, with Paul. He knows when I’m lying to him, every time. Eileen Him! He isn’t even listening to you! You could have callers right in this room and he wouldn’t hear them come in⁠—not with all those