The Girl with the Green Eyes Part 12

MRS. LOPP. [_With rather subdued voice._] Thank you! We've come to do Europe and the Holy Land in five weeks for $400--but I don't know, seems as if I'm getting awful tired--after jes' sevin days.

CARRIE. [_Affectionately._] Now, mommer, don't give up; it's because you haven't got over being seasick yet; that's all!

JINNY. [_Helplessly._] Oh, yes, you'll find it much less tiring in a few days, I'm sure.

MRS. LOPP. Still Rome does seem a powerful way from _home_! How'll we ask for the pictures?

CARRIE. Why, mommer! "Tableaux!" "Tableaux!" I should think you'd 'a'

learned that from our church entertainments! Good-by; thank you ever so much.

MRS. LOPP. You haven't lost _your party_, too, have you?

JINNY. [_Smiling._] I hope not! He _promised_ to come back!!

MRS. LOPP. Oh! pleased to have met you--Good-by!

[_They start off Left._

JINNY. No, not that way--back the way you came.

MRS. LOPP. Oh, thank you!

[_She drops her black silk bag; out of it drop crackers, an account book, a thimble, a thread-and-needle case, a bottle of pepsin tablets, etc. They all stoop to pick the collection up, JINNY helping._

JINNY. [_Handing._] I'm sure you'll want these!

MRS. LOPP. Yes, indeed; don't you find them coupon meals very dissatisfactory?

CARRIE. Thank you ever so much again. Come on, mommer!

[_MRS. LOPP and CARRIE go out Left._

[_JINNY looks at her watch and goes back to her letter._

[_MRS. CULLINGHAM enters Left._

MRS. CULLINGHAM. [_Screams._] Jinny!

JINNY. [_Jumps up._] Mrs. Cullingham! [_They embrace._] Did Jack find you?

MRS. CULLINGHAM. No, we haven't seen him! Ruth and Peter are dawdling along, each on their own; I like to shoot through a gallery. There's no use spending so much time; when it's over you've mixed everything all up just the same!

JINNY. [_Laughing._] Well, I've this minute read a letter from Geoffrey saying you were over here. And Jack, who thought he got a glimpse of you a little while ago, went straight off to try and find you.

MRS. CULLINGHAM. What fun it is to see you--and how _happy_ you look!

JINNY. I couldn't _look_ as happy as I _feel_!

MRS. CULLINGHAM. [_Glancing at the statue._] Who's your friend? Nice gent, isn't he?

[_Laughing._

JINNY. Mr. Apollo! Would you like to meet him?

MRS. CULLINGHAM. [_Hesitates._] Er--no--I don't think! You must draw the line somewhere! He wouldn't do a thing to Corbett, would he?

JINNY. Who was Corbett?

MRS. CULLINGHAM. He was a prize fighter, and _is_--but that's another story-- Do you mean to say you've never heard of him?

JINNY. Oh, the name sounds familiar. But this, you know, is Apollo.

MRS. CULLINGHAM. No, I don't know; was he a champion?

JINNY. No, he was a Greek G.o.d!

MRS. CULLINGHAM. Oh, was he? Well, I wouldn't have cared about being in the tailoring business in those days, would you? Let's sit down. [_They sit on bench Right._] Of course you know we wouldn't accept a thing like that in Peoria, where I come from, as a gift! No, indeed! If the King of Italy sent it over to our Mayor, he'd return it C.O.D.

JINNY. Sounds like Boston and the Macmonnies Bacchante!

MRS. CULLINGHAM. Oh, my dear, _worse_ than that! It reminds me of a man at home who kept an underclothing store in our princ.i.p.al street and had a plaster cast of this gent's brother, I should think, in his window to show a suit of Jaegers on,--you know, a "combination"! And our Town Committee of Thirteen for the moral improvement of Peoria made the man take it out of his window and hang the suit up empty!

JINNY. Poor man!

MRS. CULLINGHAM. You ought to see our Park!--you know we've got a perfectly beautiful park,--and all the _men_ statues wear Prince Alberts, and stand like this-- [_She poses with lifted arm at right angle to body._] --as if they were saying, "This way out" or "To the monkey cage and zoo."

JINNY. [_Laughing._] But the women statues?

MRS. CULLINGHAM. My dear! They only have heads and hands; all the rest's just clumps of drapery--we only have "Americans" and "Libertys," anyway.

They apply the Chinese emigration law to all Venuses and _sich ladies_!

[_They both laugh._

JINNY. Where did you say Peter and Ruth were?

MRS. CULLINGHAM. Well, I left Peter--who isn't at all well; I hoped this trip would help his indigestion, but it seems to have made it worse!--I left him--er--in a room with a lot of _broken-up Venuses_--I thought it was all right; he was eating candy, and there wasn't a whole woman among 'em!

JINNY. [_Slight strain in her voice._] How did you happen to bring over Ruth Chester?

MRS. CULLINGHAM. Well, you know I always liked her. She never snubbed me in her life--I don't think any one you've introduced me to has been quite so nice to Peter and me as Mrs. Chester and her daughter.

JINNY. O they _are_ real people!

MRS. CULLINGHAM. Ruth is terribly depressed over something. She's thin as a rail and the family are worried. She says there's nothing worrying her, and the doctors can't find anything the matter with her,--so Mrs.

Chester asked me if I wouldn't take her abroad. They thought the voyage and change might do her good, and I seem to have a more cheery influence over her than most people. So here we are! [_As PETER enters Left, eating._] Here's Peter! How do you think the darling looks?

PETER. How do you do, Mrs. Austin?