Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 73

MRS. LEZINSKY. You make presents, eh, Solly? Are you a rabbi or a poor blind tailor--yes?

LEZINSKY [_bursts out_]. She makes a mock at me--this shameless one!

MRS. LEZINSKY. No, no, Solly--

LEZINSKY [_scathingly_]. Gietel!... [_His eyes never leave her face._]

MRS. LEZINSKY [_in a hushed voice_]. Why do you look at me like that, Solly?

LEZINSKY. Blind as I am, I see too much, Gietel.

MRS. LEZINSKY. Listen, Solly--I tell you now--

LEZINSKY [_silences her with a wave of his hand._] What I get I give--[_He takes the five-dollar bill from his pocket, smooths it out and adds it to the roll._] I give my money. I give my eyes ... and this woman--she sells me for a baby-carriage.

MRS. LEZINSKY. No, no, Solly, you shouldn't say such things before you know--

LEZINSKY. Silence, woman! How should I not know? It is here in my hand--the five-dollar bill--here in my hand. I have counted the money.

Thirty-seven dollars we had. I have given him back his five and thirty-seven dollars remain. How is that, Gietel? What is the answer to that?... She cheats the customer and she cheats me.... Rather should I take my children by the hand and beg my bread from door to door.

MRS. LEZINSKY. Solly--Solly--I tell you--the baby-carriage--

LEZINSKY. Out of my sight, woman; I forbid you to come into this shop again.

MRS. LEZINSKY. O, Solly _leben_, that couldn't be--

LEZINSKY. The mother of my children--she sins--for a baby-carriage.

MRS. LEZINSKY. Listen, Solly--I didn't mean to keep that money. As there's a G.o.d of Israel I didn't mean to keep it. I should use it--just this afternoon--to buy the baby-carriage--and when the customers pay us--put the money back before he misses it.

LEZINSKY. Meshugge! So much money isn't coming to us. And why should you use Mr. Rosenbloom's money? Why shouldn't you take it from the money you had?

MRS. LEZINSKY. How could I use that money? Don't you pay the rent this afternoon to the agent? And they shut off the gas when we don't settle: by five o'clock they shut it off. And Mrs. Rooney moves away--[_Breaks into sobbing._] and so--I thought I lose the baby-carriage.

LEZINSKY. Gietel--Gietel--you are a----. I can't speak the word, Gietel--It sticks in my throat.

MRS. LEZINSKY. No, no, Solly, you shouldn't speak that word. If I took it to keep it maybe. But--no. I couldn't do such a thing. Not for a million baby-carriages could I do such a thing. Not for anything could I keep what is not my own--I tell you, Solly.... [_Pleadingly._] But just to keep it for a few hours, maybe? Why should a man with so much money miss a little for a few hours? Then Mr. Rosenbloom--he comes back in. I change my mind, but the door opens and it is too late already. Solly leben, did I keep it back--the five dollars? I ask you, Solly? Didn't I give it all into your hand? I ask you that, Solly?

LEZINSKY. Woe is me!--The mother of my children--and she takes what is not her own!

MRS. LEZINSKY. So much money and not one dollar to pay Mrs. Rooney for the baby-carriage! You see, Solly--always fine-dressed people around--the mamas and the little children all dressed fine--with white socks and white shoes. And our David--and our Julius--and our Benny, even--what _must_ they wear? Old clothes! Yes. And to save the money they should wear black stockings--and old shoes. Never no pretty things!

And it's all the time work--work--work and we never have nothing--no new clothes--no pretty things--[_She breaks down completely._]

LEZINSKY. So our children grow up with the fear of G.o.d in their hearts--

MRS. LEZINSKY. What should little children know of all this pious business when they must play alone on the stoop with Izzi Klein together. For why? The Cohen children shouldn't play with our David and Julius and Benny. They make a snout at them. The Cohens dress them up stylish and they should play with Gentile children. They push my Benny in the stomach when he eats an ice-cream cone, and they say--regular--to my David and Julius: "Sheeny"--the same as if they wasn't Jewish, too.... Just for once I wanted something lovely and stylish--like other people have.... Then she asks--only five dollars for the baby-carriage--and--[_Choking back a sob._] Mrs. Cohen--now, Mrs.

Cohen--she gets it. She gets it and I must want--and want. First David--then Julius--then comes Benny--and now the little sister--and never once a baby-carriage! [_Sobs._]

LEZINSKY. We should raise our children to be pious.

[_There is the sound of trundling wheels. Mrs. Lezinsky looks out.

The carriage is gone from the window._]

MRS. LEZINSKY [_as the door opens and Mrs. Rooney appears wheeling the carriage in, low voices_]. Mrs. Rooney, Solly; she comes now to say good-by. [_Mops her eyes, trys to put on a casual look._]

MRS. ROONEY. Now there you are, Mrs. Lezinsky, blanket and all.

[_Lezinsky works feverishly without lifting his eyes._]

MRS. LEZINSKY [_low appealing voice_]. You should look at it once, Solly. [_Lezinsky stops for a moment and lets his eyes rest on the baby-carriage._] Ain't it a beautiful, stylish baby-carriage, Solly?

MRS. ROONEY. There it is now and I'll be running on for Mrs. Klein's Anna's keeping Eileen and I have her to dress before her pa comes home.

He's getting off earlier for the moving.

MRS. LEZINSKY. The little Eileen! Why didn't you bring her along with you, Mrs. Rooney?

MRS. ROONEY. She went to sleep on me or I would that.

MRS. LEZINSKY [_her eyes on her husband's face in mute appeal_]. O, Mrs.

Rooney--so little business and so much expense--and my Solly has an operation for his sick eyes soon--it breaks my heart--but--Mrs. Cohen [_Shaking voice._] _she_ gets this lovely baby carriage.

MRS. ROONEY [_taking in the situation_]. Mrs. Cohen--_she_ gets it! Does she now? Not if my name's Rooney does Mrs. Cohen get it and she only after offering to raise me a dollar to make sure of the baby-carriage, knowing your sore need of the same. Am I a lady or not, Mr. Lezinsky?

'Tis that I want to know. "I'll give you six dollars for it," says she to me. Says I to her: "Mrs. Cohen--when I spoke to you of that baby-carriage," says I, "it clean slipped me mind that I promised the same to Mrs. Lezinsky. I promised it to Mrs. Lezinsky long ago," says I--and so I did, though I forget to make mention of it to you at the time, Mrs. Lezinsky. So here it is and here it stays or my name's not Rooney.

MRS. LEZINSKY. But so much money we haven't got now--not even for the operation, Mrs. Rooney.... [_Soft pleading undertone to her husband._]

Only five dollars, Solly!... [_Sinking her voice still lower._]

Anyhow--I don't deserve no baby-carriage--maybe--[_Lezinsky makes no sign._]

MRS. LEZINSKY. If we could possibly pay for that baby-carriage we keep it, Mrs. Rooney--[_Turns back to her husband, voice shakes._] for our Benny and the little sister--yes, Solly? [_She waits and watches him with mute appeal, then, forcing herself to speak casually._] But it couldn't be done, Mrs. Rooney--[_Bravely._] Solly should have every dollar for that operation.

MRS. ROONEY. There now--no more about it! 'Tis your own from this day out.... You can take your own time to be paying for it.... I'll be wanting some work done anyhow--when the cold weather sets in.

MRS. LEZINSKY [_between tears and laughter_]. Solly!... Ain't it wonderful? Mrs. Rooney--she trusts us--for this beautiful baby-carriage!... O, Mrs. Rooney!

MRS. ROONEY. 'Tis little enough to be doing for my G.o.dchild that could be was she born a Catholic now.

MRS. LEZINSKY. O, Mrs. Rooney, dear Mrs. Rooney! Solly, Solly, we should have a baby-carriage at last! At last we should have a baby-carriage. O, Solly, Solly, what a mitzvah! Yes, Solly? [_As Mrs. Rooney starts to leave._] But your blanket--Mrs. Rooney--

MRS. ROONEY. I'll be throwing that in--for good luck.

MRS. LEZINSKY. It breaks my heart you move away, Mrs. Rooney.

MRS. ROONEY. See you soon. [_Opens the door; looks up the street as she stands in the doorway._] Here's the kids coming.

MRS. LEZINSKY. My David and Julius and Benny, they could die for joy to wheel their little sister in this baby-carriage.

MRS. ROONEY. Well, good luck--the both of you--and good-by! [_With a sense of pride in the greater prosperity which the new address means to her._] Three thousand and thirty-seven Jerome Avenue--don't forget!