FRITZI. [_Sits down beside the table._] Blacky was a nice cat; she purred just like a steam-engine.
KARL. Mama told you not to bring her in.
FRITZI. Papa said I could.
[_There is the sound of footfalls._ BAUER _and his wife come in and close the door behind them_.
MRS. BAUER. [_Putting the dinner on the table._] Come, children. [_To_ BAUER.] Sit down, Fritz.
[_She serves the dinner._ KARL _pulls_ FRITZI _out of his father"s chair and pushes him into his own; then he takes his place next to his mother_.
MRS. BAUER. [_To_ BAUER, _who sits looking at his food_.] Eat somethin", Friedrich. [_She sits down._
BAUER. I can"t eat nothin". I"m full up to here.
[_He touches his throat._
MRS. BAUER. If you haven"t done nothin" wrong, why do you let it worry you so?
[_Children are absorbed in eating._
FRITZI. [_Suddenly._] Gee, didn"t Blacky like liver!
[MRS. BAUER _and_ KARL _look at him warningly_.
MRS. BAUER. [_Fiercely._] You eat your dinner.
BAUER. [_Affectionately, laying his hand on_ FRITZI"S _arm_.] Fritzi.
FRITZI. [_Points toward the inner room._] I"m going to have a gun, too, when I"m a man.
[BAUER _follows_ FRITZI"S _gesture and falls to musing. There is a look of brooding misery on his face._ KARL _nudges_ FRITZI _warningly and watches his father furtively_. BAUER _sits motionless, staring straight ahead of him_.
MRS. BAUER. [_To_ BAUER.] Now drink your coffee.
BAUER. Don"t you see, Miene, don"t you see?... Nothing makes it right now; no one believes me--no one believes--no one.
MRS. BAUER. What do you care, if you didn"t do it?
BAUER. I care like h.e.l.l.
MRS. BAUER. [_With a searching took at her husband._] Fritzi, when you go on like this, people won"t believe you didn"t do it. You ought to act like you don"t care.... [_She fixes him with a beseeching glance._] If you _didn"t_ do it.
[BAUER _looks at his wife as though a hidden meaning to her words had suddenly bitten into his mind_.
BAUER. [_As though to himself._] A man can"t stand that. I"ve gone hungry ... I"ve been in the hospital ... I"ve worked when I couldn"t stand up hardly....
MRS. BAUER. [_Coaxingly._] Drink your coffee, drink it now, Fritz, while it"s hot.
[_He tries to swallow a little coffee and then puts down the cup._
BAUER. I"ve never asked favors of no man.
MRS. BAUER. Well, an" if you did ...
BAUER. I"ve always kept my good name ...
MRS. BAUER. If a man hasn"t done nothin" wrong it don"t matter. Just go ahead like always--if----
BAUER. [_Muttering._] If--if----
MRS. BAUER. [_To the boys._] Get your caps now, it"s time to go to school.
[KARL _gets up, pa.s.ses behind his father and beckons to_ FRITZI _to follow him_.
FRITZI. [_Keeping his seat._] Do we have to go to school?
BAUER. [_Suddenly alert._] Why, what"s the matter?
FRITZI. The boys----
MRS. BAUER. [_Breaking in._] Fritzi!
[_The boys go into the inner room._ BAUER _collapses again_.
MRS. BAUER. [_Looking at him strangely._] Fritzi--if you didn"t----
BAUER. I can"t prove nothing--and no one believes me. [_A pause. She is silent under his gaze._] No one! [_He waits for her to speak. She sits with averted face. He sinks into a dull misery. The expression in his eyes changes from beseeching to despair as her silence continues, and he cries out hoa.r.s.ely._] No one! Even if you kill a cat--what"s a cat against a man"s life!
MRS. BAUER. [_Tensely, her eyes fastened on his._] But you _didn"t_ kill it?
[_A pause._
MRS. BAUER. [_In a low, appealing voice._] Did you? Fritz? Did you?
[BAUER _gets up slowly. He stands very still and stares at his wife._
KARL"S VOICE. Mama, Fritzi"s fooling with papa"s gun.
[_Both children rush into the room._
KARL. You oughta lock it up.
MRS. BAUER. [_To_ FRITZI.] Bad boy! [_To_ KARL.] Fritzi wants to kill himself--that"s what. Go on to school.
[_Boys run past area._
VOICES. Who killed the cat! Who killed the cat!