Fugitive Kind by Tennessee Williams

Author:Tennessee Williams [Williams; Tennessee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8112-2591-5
Publisher: New Directions
Published: 2001-09-07T04:00:00+00:00

TERRY: Good business tonight.

GLORY: When it drops below thirty business always picks up. Those fellows live in boxes along the river. [She stoops to pick up the papers.]

TERRY:Here—let me do that.

[Their shoulders touch—involuntarily they rise and face each other.]

TERRY [hoarsely after a pause]: What is it between you and me?

GLORY [defensively]: Nothing that I know of.

TERRY: I seen it a while ago when you was looking at me.

GLORY: You mean when you spouted that screwy stuff about snow? Sure. I thought how funny you were!

TERRY: It wasn’t just then. It was now when I touched your hand, and it was a while ago when I had my hands on your shoulders.

GLORY: Some people’s nerve is surprising!

TERRY: I felt it before then, too. I felt it the first night I come in here when you give me that four bits and I let you keep my rod. You could have turned me over to cops that night. It might have been worth your while. But you didn’t!

GLORY: No, I didn’t. Maybe that was my mistake!

TERRY: You know it wasn’t. It was because—

GLORY: Because what?

TERRY: You felt something between me and you the same as I felt.

GLORY: You ain’t half conceited, are you?

TERRY: That ain’t conceit. I don’t flatter myself that I’m a knockout with all the dames.

GLORY: I must say that’s modest of you.

TERRY: Why don’t you lay off the hard talk? You ain’t like that underneath. You’re quiet underneath.

GLORY: Quiet!?

TERRY [his voice trembling slightly]: Yes, you’re quiet underneath. You’re quiet. I need that. I’ve never been quiet inside. I’ve been crazy, wild. I’ve done things without stopping to think, like I was driven by something, everything splitting and crashing around me like trees in a storm. I’ll tell you the truth. I was scared. That’s why I ducked for the stairs just now when that wagon went by. I was scared—

GLORY: You think you’re telling me something?

TERRY: No. You already knew it.

GLORY: From the minute you showed me that yellow-back bill.

TERRY: But that didn’t make no difference.

GLORY: What?

TERRY: You wanted me just the same.

GLORY: Wanted you!?

TERRY: You did. You’re lonesome like me.

GLORY: Lonesome? I get around all right!

TERRY: That don’t keep you from being lonesome. You ain’t met the guy you could care for. Not till—

GLORY: Haven’t I? That’s all you know. I happen to be going steady right now.

TERRY: Steady?

GLORY: Yes—steady!

TERRY [after pause]: I’d like to meet him.

GLORY: He calls for me every night at a quarter of twelve—right here.

TERRY: Good—I’ll take a look at him.

GLORY [sarcastically]: To see if you approve?

TERRY: Yes.

GLORY: Maybe he wouldn’t approve of you.

TERRY: I’m damned sure of that.

GLORY [with a flare of anger]: You should be. If he known that I was associating with—

TERRY: The criminal class?

GLORY: I want you to get this straight. There’s nothing personal between you and me. There ain’t gonna be. And the sooner you get out of here the better I’ll like it. Yes, I’ve got your number. You’re a crook. I oughta turn you over to the police, and why I don’t, I don’t know! But it ain’t because I’m stuck on you.

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