Free The Iceman Cometh by Harold Bloom, Eugene O’Neill Page B

on my cousin’s place in Joisey. I couldn’t sleep a wink. Dey give me de heebie-jeebies.
    With deeper disgust .
    Jees, can yuh picture a good barkeep like Chuck diggin’ spuds? And imagine a whore hustlin’ de cows home! For Christ sake! Ain’t dat a sweet picture!
    MARGIE
    Rebukingly .
    Yuh oughtn’t to call Cora dat, Rocky. She’s a good kid. She may be
    a tart, but—
    ROCKY
    Considerately .
    Sure, dat’s all I meant, a tart.
    PEARL
    Giggling .
    But he’s right about de damned cows, Margie. Jees, I bet Cora don’t know which end of de cow has de horns! I’m goin’ to ask her.
    There is the noise of a door opening in the hall and the sound of a man ’s and woman’s arguing voices .
    ROCKY
    Here’s your chance. Dat’s dem two nuts now. CORA and chuck look in from the hallway and then come in . cora is a thin peroxide blonde, a few years older than pearl andmargie, dressed in similar style, her round face showing more of the wear and tear of her trade than theirs, but still with traces of a doll-like prettiness . chuck is a tough, thick-necked, barrel-chested Italian-American, with a fat, amiable, swarthy face. He has on a straw hat with a vivid band, a loudsuit, tie and shirt, and yellow shoes. His eyes are clear and he looks healthy and strong as an ox .
    CORA
    Gaily .
    Hello, bums.
    She looks around .
    Jees, de Morgue on a rainy Sunday night!
    She waves to larry— affectionately .
    Hello, Old Wise Guy! Ain’t you croaked yet?
    LARRY
    Grins .
    Not yet, Cora. It’ damned tiring, this waiting for the end.
    cora Aw, gwan, you’ll never die! Yuh’ll have to hire someone to croak yuh wid an axe.
    HOPE
    Cocks one sleepy eye at her — irritably .
    You dumb hookers, cut the loud noise! This ain’t a cat-house!
    CORA
    Teasingly .
    My, Harry! Such language!
    HOPE
    Closes his eyes — to himself with a gratified chuckle .
    Bejees, I’ll bet Bessie’s turning over in her grave!
    CORA sits down between MARGIE and PEARL . CHUCK takes an empty chair from HOPE’s table and puts it by hers and sits down . A LARRY’s table , PARRITT is glaring resentfully toward the girls .
    PARRITT
    If I’d known this dump was a hooker hangout, I’d never have come here.
    LARRY
    Watching him .
    You seem down on the ladies.
    PARRITT
    Vindictively .
    I hate every bitch that ever lived! They’re all alike!
    Catching himself guiltily .
    You can understand how I feel, can’t you, when it was getting mixed up with a tart that made me have that fight with Mother?
    Then with a resentful sneer .
    But what the hell does it matter to you? You’re in the grandstand.
    You’re through with life.
    LARRY
    Sharply .
    I’m glad you remember it. I don’t want to know a damned thing about your business.
    He closes his eyes and settles on his chair as if preparing for sleep . PARRITT stares at him sneeringly. Then he looks away and his expression becomes furtive and frightened .
    CORA
    Who’s de guy wid Larry?
    ROCKY
    A tightwad. To hell wid him.
    PEARL
    Say, Cora, wise me up. Which end of a cow is de horns on?
    CORA
    Embarrassed .
    Aw, don’t bring dat up. I’m sick of hearin’ about dat farm.
    ROCKY
    You got nuttin’ on us!
    CORA
    Ignoring this .
    Me and dis overgrown tramp has been scrappin’ about it. He says Joisey’s de best place, and I says Long Island because we’ll be near Coney. And I tells him, How do I know yuh’re off of periodicals for life? I don’t give a damn how drunk yuh get, the way we are, but I don’t wanta be married to no soak.
    CHUCK
    And I tells her I’m off de stuff for life. Den she beefs we won’t be married a month before I’ll trow it in her face she was a tart. “Jees, Baby,” I tells her. “Why should I? What de hell yuh tink I tink I’m marryin’, a voigin? Why should I kick as long as yuh lay off it and don’t do no cheatin’ wid de iceman or nobody?
    He gives her a rough hug .
    Dat’s on de level, Baby.
    He kisses her .
    CORA
    Kissing him .
    Aw, yuh big tramp!
    ROCKY
    Shakes his head