apartments. There’s a brand-new vacancy. See—right over there, the fifth floor. It’s bright and cheerful—I used to go up there sometimes—it’s a sublet, furnished, everything in cheerful colors. I’ll speak to Mr. Schlogger, no, no, to
Mrs
. Schlogger, she makes better terms. Him, bein’ paralyzed, he’s got to accept ’em, y’know.
MISS GLUCK : I think—[
She sobs
.]—Missus Schlogger don’t like me.
BODEY: That’s—
impossible , Sophie. I think she just had a little misunderstanding with your— [
She stops herself
.]
MISS GLUCK : Meine Mutter, ja
—
BODEY : Sophie, speak of the Schloggers, she’s wheeling that old
Halunke
out on their fire escape.
[
The Schloggers are heard from offstage
.]
MR. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: I didn’t say
out
in the sun.
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: You said out, so you’re out.
BODEY [
shouting out the window
]: Oh, my
Gott
, Missus Schlogger, a stranger that didn’t know you would think you meant to push him offa the landin’. Haul him back in, you better. Watch his cane, he’s about to hit you with it. Amazin’ the strength he’s still got in his good arm.
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: Now you want back in?
[
Helena rises to watch this episode on the fire escape
.]
MR. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: Not in the kitchen with you.
HELENA [
to herself but rather loudly
]: Schloggers, so those are Schloggers.
BODEY [
to Miss Gluck
]: She’s got him back in. I’m gonna speak to her right now. —HEY MISSUS SCHLOGGER, YOU KNOW MISS GLUCK? AW, SURE YOU REMEMBER SOPHIE UPSTAIRS IN 4-F? SHE LOST HER MOTHER LAST SUNDAY. Sophie, come here, stick your head out, Sophie. NOW YOU REMEMBER HER, DON’T YOU?
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE:
Ja, ja
.
BODEY:
JA, JA
, SURE YOU REMEMBER! MRS. SCHLOGGER, POOR SOPHIE CANT LIVE ALONE IN 4-F WHERE SHE LOST HER MOTHER. SHE NEEDS A NEW APARTMENT THAT’S BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL TO GET HER OUT OF DEPRESSION. HOW ABOUT THE VACANCY ON THE FIFTH FLOOR FORSOPHIE. WE GOT TO LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER IN TIMES OF SORROW.
VERSTEHEN SIE?
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: I don’t know.
BODEY: GIVE SOPHIE THAT VACANCY UP THERE. THEN TERMS I’LL DISCUSS WITH YOU. [
She draws Miss Gluck back from the window
.] Sophie, I think that done it, and that apartment on five is bright and cheerful like here. And you’re not gonna be lonely. We got three chairs at this table, and we can work out an arrangement so you can eat here with us, more economical that way. It’s no good cooking for one, cookin’ and eatin’ alone is—lonely after—
[
Helena resumes her seat as Bodey and Miss Gluck return to the kitchenette
.]
HELENA [
with obscure meaning
]: Yes— [
She draws a long breath and calls out
.] Dorothea, can’t you locate your checkbook in there?
[
Dorothea returns from the bedroom wearing a girlish summer print dress and looking quite pretty
.]
DOROTHEA: I was just slipping into a dress. Now, then, here it is, my checkbook.
HELENA: Good. Where did you buy that new dress?
DOROTHEA: Why, at Scruggs-Vandervoort .
HELENA: Let me remove the price tag. [
As she removes the tag, she looks at it and assumes an amused and slightly superior air
.] Oh, my dear. I must teach you where to find the best values in clothes. In La Due there is a little French boutique, not expensive but excellent taste. I think a woman looks bestwhen she dresses without the illusion she’s still a girl in her teens. Don’t you?
DOROTHEA [
stung
]: —My half will be—how much did you say?
HELENA: To be exact, $82.50.
DOROTHEA: My goodness, that will take a good bite out of my savings. Helena, I thought you mentioned a lower amount. Didn’t you say it would be seventy?
HELENA: Yes, I’d forgotten—utilities , dear. Now, we don’t want to move into a place with the phone turned off, the lights off. Utilities must be
on
, wouldn’t you say?
DOROTHEA: —Yes . —Of course, I don’t think I’ll be dependent on my savings much longer, and a duplex on Westmoreland Place— [
She writes
Mrs
. Schlogger, she makes better terms. Him, bein’ paralyzed, he’s got to accept ’em, y’know.
MISS GLUCK : I think—[
She sobs
.]—Missus Schlogger don’t like me.
BODEY: That’s—
impossible , Sophie. I think she just had a little misunderstanding with your— [
She stops herself
.]
MISS GLUCK : Meine Mutter, ja
—
BODEY : Sophie, speak of the Schloggers, she’s wheeling that old
Halunke
out on their fire escape.
[
The Schloggers are heard from offstage
.]
MR. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: I didn’t say
out
in the sun.
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: You said out, so you’re out.
BODEY [
shouting out the window
]: Oh, my
Gott
, Missus Schlogger, a stranger that didn’t know you would think you meant to push him offa the landin’. Haul him back in, you better. Watch his cane, he’s about to hit you with it. Amazin’ the strength he’s still got in his good arm.
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: Now you want back in?
[
Helena rises to watch this episode on the fire escape
.]
MR. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: Not in the kitchen with you.
HELENA [
to herself but rather loudly
]: Schloggers, so those are Schloggers.
BODEY [
to Miss Gluck
]: She’s got him back in. I’m gonna speak to her right now. —HEY MISSUS SCHLOGGER, YOU KNOW MISS GLUCK? AW, SURE YOU REMEMBER SOPHIE UPSTAIRS IN 4-F? SHE LOST HER MOTHER LAST SUNDAY. Sophie, come here, stick your head out, Sophie. NOW YOU REMEMBER HER, DON’T YOU?
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE:
Ja, ja
.
BODEY:
JA, JA
, SURE YOU REMEMBER! MRS. SCHLOGGER, POOR SOPHIE CANT LIVE ALONE IN 4-F WHERE SHE LOST HER MOTHER. SHE NEEDS A NEW APARTMENT THAT’S BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL TO GET HER OUT OF DEPRESSION. HOW ABOUT THE VACANCY ON THE FIFTH FLOOR FORSOPHIE. WE GOT TO LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER IN TIMES OF SORROW.
VERSTEHEN SIE?
MRS. SCHLOGGER’S VOICE: I don’t know.
BODEY: GIVE SOPHIE THAT VACANCY UP THERE. THEN TERMS I’LL DISCUSS WITH YOU. [
She draws Miss Gluck back from the window
.] Sophie, I think that done it, and that apartment on five is bright and cheerful like here. And you’re not gonna be lonely. We got three chairs at this table, and we can work out an arrangement so you can eat here with us, more economical that way. It’s no good cooking for one, cookin’ and eatin’ alone is—lonely after—
[
Helena resumes her seat as Bodey and Miss Gluck return to the kitchenette
.]
HELENA [
with obscure meaning
]: Yes— [
She draws a long breath and calls out
.] Dorothea, can’t you locate your checkbook in there?
[
Dorothea returns from the bedroom wearing a girlish summer print dress and looking quite pretty
.]
DOROTHEA: I was just slipping into a dress. Now, then, here it is, my checkbook.
HELENA: Good. Where did you buy that new dress?
DOROTHEA: Why, at Scruggs-Vandervoort .
HELENA: Let me remove the price tag. [
As she removes the tag, she looks at it and assumes an amused and slightly superior air
.] Oh, my dear. I must teach you where to find the best values in clothes. In La Due there is a little French boutique, not expensive but excellent taste. I think a woman looks bestwhen she dresses without the illusion she’s still a girl in her teens. Don’t you?
DOROTHEA [
stung
]: —My half will be—how much did you say?
HELENA: To be exact, $82.50.
DOROTHEA: My goodness, that will take a good bite out of my savings. Helena, I thought you mentioned a lower amount. Didn’t you say it would be seventy?
HELENA: Yes, I’d forgotten—utilities , dear. Now, we don’t want to move into a place with the phone turned off, the lights off. Utilities must be
on
, wouldn’t you say?
DOROTHEA: —Yes . —Of course, I don’t think I’ll be dependent on my savings much longer, and a duplex on Westmoreland Place— [
She writes
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