Set down! And eat yer breakfast,—Mister Murderer! (He sits. Elly leans over the table.) Eat a plenty. Drink—here’s coffee. Salt pork, gravy, potaters—eat ’em! Enjoy yerself!

Elly

[Pg 19]

[Pg 19]

Butch (half rising)

Butch

Whut’re you meanin’! I hadn’t oughta done it? Whut’d you want me to do ... let him git away with it, let that dirty little coward sneak off to Tulsy and sick the officers onto me like bloodhounds ’n do nuthin’ about it? That ain’t my way! If some one does me dirt he gets his, you c’n count on it! I ain’t no Christian: I’m a man!

Elly (with infinite scorn)

Elly

You—

Butch

Butch

I’m a man. Let up!

Elly (goes away from him. Bitterly....)

Elly

You’re lower’n I thought you wuz. I never thought t’ be livin’ with a murderer. (He comes toward her.) Oh, I ain’t so good. I know. You don’t have t’ tell me. But I never thought t’ come t’ this. I thought I knowed w’at I uz gettin’ into when I went away with you. I knowed you uz a bootlegger. I didn’t keer. It’s clean. It’s right. But killin’ ... I stop at killin’! Why’d you go and do it? Why did you? Now they’ll come and take you. They’ll take you away from me!

Butch

Butch

Christ’s sake, shet up! They’d a-took me away fer bootleggin’.

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