Yo’ reckon—!
LUCY BELLE
He’d kill me—sho’ as yo’ bawn! Yo’ see—yo’ see, his time was’n’ up fo’ mos’ anoder yeah. Him a’ me ain’ nevah had no luck an’ I did’n’t calc’late he’d git out befo’. I—I was gwine ter git ready an’ move in ’bout six mon’s. Den I was gwine ter writ ter de Warden—or de keeper—or somebody like dat an’ git dem ter tell him whar I move ter. (Moving about agitatedly.) Ef he only knowed what I been up agin! I—I promised him I would’n’ look at anabody else while he was gone. Ef I’d—a had any kin’a-luck nuffin’ ’ud make me break it. I loves Sam. I loves him bettah den anathin’ in de worl’. He knows I does. (A moment’s pause. Her eyes rove space.) Las’ wintah I could’n’ git nuffin’ much ter do—dat is nuffin’ dat pay me much money—an’ I had trouble rentin’ dat room—. (She pauses for a moment, and drops her eyes, then goes on slowly.) Chick Avery comes ’roun’—yo’ know—an’ I let’s him stay yere—(She pauses again, and then points at the baby.) Dat’s his chile.
AUNT REBECCA (in heartfelt sympathy)
Yo’ po’, po’ honey!
LUCY BELLE
W’en me an’ Sam fust met up he says, “Lucy Belle, I don’ care nuffin’ at all ’bout w’at yo’ done fo’ I knowed yo’. Dat’s all pas’ an’ gone an’ somefin’ we ain’ gwine ter boder our haids ’bout.” (She stares into space with tragic eyes.) But—but he tol’ me onct dat ef I evah had anathin’ ter do wid anoder niggah he’d kill me.
AUNT REBECCA
He ain’ gwine ter do nuffin’ like dat! Don’ yo’ worry!
LUCY BELLE (with a faint, wistful smile)