The Second-Story Man | Page 6

Oh, spare me!
JIM. I told you it wouldn't be a pretty story. Do you think maybe you wouldn't take to drink if you saw a sight like that? [Sinking back.] Since then I've looked for work, but I haven't cared much. Only sometimes I've thought I'd like to meet that young lawyer . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. [Starting up.] Oh!
JIM. Yes, it all began with him. But I don't know . . . they'd only jug me. Anyway, tonight I was sitting in a saloon with two fellows that I had met. One of them was a second-story man . . . a fellow that climbs up porches and fire- escapes. And I heard him telling about a haul he'd made, and I said to myself: "There's a job for me . . . I'll be a second-story man." And I tried it . . . but you see I didn't do very well. I'm not good for much, I guess, any more.
AUSTIN. [Enters left, revolver in hand; stands watching, unobserved.] Good heavens!
MRS. AUSTIN. You can't tell. You may have better success than you look for.
JIM. No . . . there's nothing can help me. I'm for the scrap heap.
MRS. AUSTIN. [Eagerly.] Wait and see. You are a man . . . you can be helped yet . . .
AUSTIN. [Coming forward.] What does this mean?
JIM. [Starts wildly and reaches for revolver.] Ha!
AUSTIN. [Raising weapon.] Holdup your hands!
MRS. AUSTIN. [Rushing forward.] No. Stop!
AUSTIN. What do you mean?
MRS. AUSTIN. I say stop! I promised him his freedom!
AUSTIN. My dear . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. Give me the weapon.
AUSTIN. Why . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. Give it to me. [Takes revolver.] Now sit down.
JIM. [Has been staring wildly at AUSTIN.] My God, it's the lawyer fellow!
MRS. AUSTIN. Yes, it is he.
AUSTIN. What does all this mean?
MRS. AUSTIN. Look at this man!
AUSTIN. [Staring.] Why?
MRS. AUSTIN. Don't you know him?
AUSTIN. No.
MRS. AUSTIN. Look carefully. [Turns up light.] Have you never seen him before?
AUSTIN. Never that I can recall. What is his name?
MRS. AUSTIN. I don't know. [To JIM.] What is it?
JIM. Humph! [Hesitating.] He could find out, anyway. Jim Faraday.
AUSTIN. Faraday . . . it sounds familiar.
JIM. [Grimly.] You've served the trick on a good many, I guess.
AUSTIN. [To Mrs. AUSTIN.] What does he mean?
JIM. Don't you remember the Sisters' Hospital? The fellow that had his eye burned out in the big explosion?
AUSTIN. [Startled.] Oh!
JIM. [Sneeringly.] Ah, yes!
AUSTIN. You are the man?
JIM. I'm the man.
MRS. AUSTIN. Harvey, you took this man some paper to sign.
AUSTIN. Yes . . . I remember.
MRS. AUSTIN. Did you tell him what was in it?
AUSTIN. [Hesitates.] Why . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. Answer me, please.
AUSTIN. Why, my dear . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. Did you tell him what was in it?
AUSTIN. But, my dear, it wasn't my business to tell him.
MRS. AUSTIN. Oh!
AUSTIN. I was representing the company.
MRS. AUSTIN, I see.
AUSTIN. It was his place to see what was in it.
MRS. AUSTIN. Harvey! This man with one eye burned out, and not yet over the accident?
AUSTIN. My dear, you don't understand . . .
JIM. [Wildly.] You didn't leave me to find out for myself. You lied to me!
MRS. AUSTIN. At least you permitted him to be misled. You did not tell him the honest truth about the paper, and what would be the effect if he signed it.
AUSTIN. My dear, you do not understand. I could not have done that. I was the representative of the interests of the company.
MRS. AUSTIN. And that is the sort of work you do for them?
AUSTIN. That is the sort of work that has to be done. I cannot help it, much as I would like to . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. [Wildly.] You have done that sort of thing before. And you will do it again!
AUSTIN. My dear . . .
MRS. AUSTIN. And you take money for it! You bring that money home to me! And you never told me how you got it! You make me sharer in your guilt!
AUSTIN. Helen!
MRS. AUSTIN. This was how you earned your promotion! This was what you came to me and boasted about! This was what we married on. This money . . . blood money . . . that you get for cheating this helpless laborer out of his rights . . . out of everything he had in the world!
AUSTIN. My dear, you are out of your mind. You do not understand business.
MRS. AUSTIN. I understand it all . . . a child could understand! It is only you . . . the rising young lawyer . . . that doesn't understand! Harvey, Harvey! Do you know what you have done to this man . . . what you and I together have done to him? We have wrecked his life! We have driven him to hell! We have