The Man Who Had All the Luck by Arthur Miller

. . It really doesn’t matter so much.
    DAVID [ she growing taller upon his guilt. ]: Gosh, Hess . . . there never was a girl like you. [ He goes to her and kisses her. ] I swear there never was.
    HESTER: Don’t ever try for anything I want, if it worries you too much to get it, Davey.
    DAVID [ he kisses her cheek. With swift resolution ]: You go home and go to bed. I’ll find out what’s the matter. I’ll do it! You go.
    HESTER: All right, Davey, ’cause J.B. was telling Mr. Dibble such great things about you. . . . He’s got a marvelous thing to tell you in the morning.
    DAVID: What?
    HESTER: I can’t tell you till you finish . . .
    DAVID: Please, Hess, what’d he say?
    HESTER: No, fix it first. [ Pause. ] J.B. wants to tell you himself. He made me promise. Goodnight.
    DAVID: Goodnight, Hess.
    HESTER [ going and waving ]: And don’t worry . . . about anything, okay?
    DAVID: . . . I won’t.
    He watches her go, then turns to the car, goes and stands over it, tapping his nose with his finger thoughtfully. Then lightly punching his fist into his palm in the heartbeat rhythm, faster, then faster . . . then . . . bursting out in loud whisper.
    God damn!
    The sound of a man walking into the shop rather slowly from offstage right is heard. DAVID turns toward the sound and stands still watching. GUSTAV EBERSON enters. He is a strong man, his suit is pressed but too small for him. He wears a white shirt. A plain brown overcoat. He is smiling warmly, but with the self-effacing manner of an intruder. DAVID says nothing as he approaches.
    GUS [ a slight German accent ]: Excuse me, are you Mr. Beeves?
    DAVID: Yeh. [ Slight pause. ]
    GUS: My name is Eberson . . . Gus Eberson . . . [ With an apologetic nod and smile. ] Are you very busy? I could of course come back. Four o’clock in the morning is not the best time to visit.
    DAVID: I’m busy . . . but what can I do for you?
    GUS: I moved into town last night. And I couldn’t wait to see my first morning. I noticed your light. I thought we ought to know each other.
    DAVID [ taken ]: I’m glad to know you. I was almost hoping you were a hold-up man and you’d knock me unconscious.
    GUS: I didn’t mean to walk in so invisibly; I am opening a repair garage on the other end of the avenue.
    DAVID: Repair garage? You mean to repair cars?
    GUS [ earnestly, worriedly ]: I want to assure you, Mr. Beeves, that if I didn’t think there is plenty of business here for both of us I would never set up a place in this town.
    DAVID [ a faint tightness cramps his voice ]: Oh, there’s plenty of business for two here. Plenty! Where is your shop?
    GUS: Over there on Poplar Street, right next to the grocery store. DAVID: Oh, that place. Gosh, nobody’s been in that building for years. We used to say it was haunted.
    GUS: Maybe it is! [ Laughs lightly at himself .] I have very little machinery. As a matter of fact . . . [ Quite happily. ] . . . I have very little money too. So possibly I will not be troubling you very long.
    DAVID [ with emphatic assurance ]: Oh, you’ll make out all right. [ Vaguely indicates the shop. ] There’s nothing to it. You come from around here?
    GUS: No, I was with the Ford’s Company, the River Rouge plant for several years. This last year and four months I was by the Hudson Motor people.
    DAVID [ breathlessly ]: Well . . . I guess you oughta know your stuff.
    GUS [ sensing . . . extra hearty, therefore ]: What is there to know? You are probably much better than I am!
    DAVID: No, that’s all right, I just meant . . .
    GUS: I am not in the world to become rich. I was doing very well in Detroit.
    DAVID: Then why’d you come here?
    GUS: It is my nature. I cannot get used, I shall run, run, run, I shall work, work, work, all the time rushing. To tell you the truth, I was five years with Ford’s and not one good friend did I have. Here, I hope, it will be more conducive to such