(ButchandElly,followed byJoe,run in from the right.)
(ButchandElly,followed byJoe,run in from the right.)
Elly(in horror)
Shuruff! Shuruff! You’ve killed him! You’ve killed him! (She looks off, left.) Oh, the girl—she’s drownin’! Quick, save her—you got to—go an’ save her, she’s drownin’! (Butchthrows off his coat.)
Butch(muttering)
Christ! (He dashes off, left.)
Elly(with a moan)
Oh, w’at’ve you done, w’at’ve you done! (With bitter scorn.) You don’t know! You think you’ve upheld the law, you think you’ve done yer duty! Well, you ain’t! You’ve killed an innocent boy that wouldn’t hurt a fly—that’s w’at you’ve done! (She looks left.) Oh, hurry! hurry! She’s goin’ down! Hurry an’ git her!
Sheriff
Go help him, Plank. Go help him. Joe, go drag in the boat. Hurry up! (PlankandJoehurry out.)
Elly
Mebbe she ain’t drownded. Mebbe she ain’t—the pore thing— (She sinks down wearily. To theSheriff.) Why’d you stand thar? Why don’t you do sump’n? (With infinite scorn, infinite weariness.) Look at him. He’s the law. He’s done his duty. He’s got his man. He’ll git a reward.
Sheriff
Shet up!
Elly
You cain’t shet me up. I’m a fool not to a-told you before. I’m a fool too—like yerself—like Butch—like the whole damn world! Ibeena fool. But I won’t be now. I’ll tell you now—now it’s too late—I’ll tell you sump’n ’at’ll make yer ears burn, ’at’ll make you sick inside like sump’n eatin’ on yer heart! Listen t’ me—you! You’re bright, you’re smart, you’re a keen-smellin’ dog of the law, you’re thelaw! You pertect the weak, you hang the criminals.You shoot down, you murder innocent people—that’s w’at you do!(With a sob.) It uz Butch, it uz Butch killed Jim Dory....
Sheriff
Whut’s this!
Elly
Butch, I tell you! This boy ain’t his brother. He never saw him before. He’s jist a boy, jist a young boy—picknickin’—in the woods—
Sheriff
Good God! Is this the truth you’re tellin’ me?
Elly
It’s the truth—
Sheriff
Godamighty!
(Butchcomes in dripping, carryingBetty.He puts her down gently.)
(Butchcomes in dripping, carryingBetty.He puts her down gently.)
Butch
Drownded—
(PlankandJoecome in carryingLloyd.They put him down.)
(PlankandJoecome in carryingLloyd.They put him down.)
Plank
You got him, Shuruff—
Joe
He’s dead.
(TheSheriffstaggers a little, his hand before his eyes.Ellycomes down, bends tearfully over the bodies. Then she stands erect, wheels and faces theSheriff.)
(TheSheriffstaggers a little, his hand before his eyes.Ellycomes down, bends tearfully over the bodies. Then she stands erect, wheels and faces theSheriff.)
Elly
Ask him!
Sheriff
Oh—
Elly
Ask him, Shuruff! Ask him who killed Jim Dory! ’N’ if he lies!—
Sheriff(toButch)
She says you done it.
Butch
She told on me?
Sheriff
She says you done it.
Butch
(He looks atElly.She does not flinch. He looks back at theSheriff.Speaks slowly.) I killed him.
Sheriff
Christamighty! You killed Jim Dory? You killed this boy too, then!Youdone it! ’Twuzn’tme!
Butch(as if dazed)
I killed her, too. She drownded herself. I tried t’ save her.
Sheriff(horrified)
How could you do it! Two men—an’ this pore innocent little girl! God! Why’d you do it? Whut made you?
Butch
I don’t know. You’re the law.Youtell me! Tell me why I done it!
(The picnic party rushes in from the right. They stop. They are silent, awed.)
(The picnic party rushes in from the right. They stop. They are silent, awed.)
Miss Meredith
What’s the matter? I heard shots! (She catches sight of the bodies.) Oh! What is it? Lloyd and Betty! Good heavens!
Sheriff
Dead, Miss.
Miss Meredith
Oh, my poor little children! My poor little ones! (ToButch,gratefully, noticing his wet clothes.) Oh, you tried to save them! God will reward you! (Butchturns away.) Poor little Betty— Lloyd was good to her. Oh, why’d they go on the lake! Why’d they do it? I told them not to. (She turns away, sobbing.)
Elly(slowly)
It’s alwys the way. Peoplewillgo on the lake. Young people. Cain’t keep ’em off. ’N’ they’s alwys accidents. Sometimes it’s the lake, sometimes it’s the woods—boats leak, guns go off, people air keerless, they’s wild animals—sump’n happens, sump’n alwys happens. It cain’t be helped.—
Curtain