DAVE.  All right.

BOLLINGER. [Outside to the left.] Good-evening, Katie.

KATE.  Good-evening, Colonel.

BOLLINGER.  Rain seems to let up.  Where’s pa? [Appears window.

JOE. [Looking up from the basin.] Hello, Tom.

BOLLINGER.  Evening, Joe—­Mrs. Vernon—­Hello, Lizbeth.

LIZBETH. [Again in the rocker.] Hello, Colonel.

BOLLINGER.  Jis’ through?

JOE.  Been puttin’ in a little overtime.

BOLLINGER.  Reckon you’ll have another job.

JOE.  How’s that?

BOLLINGER.  Louisiana stage bust a tire on the near fore-wheel to-night.

JOE.  That’s so?  Look out—­jus’ a minute. [BOLLINGER steps aside; JOE throws water out of the window.] There, ma—­don’t say I lost it now. [Throws soap back into dish-pan.] How’d she come to do that?

BOLLINGER.  Too big a load, I guess—­then the rain’s cut up the road so, and she were stuck in a rut, an’ all of ’em pryin’ at her with fence-rails.

JOE.  Somethin’ had to come.

BOLLINGER.  Ye-ep.

MRS. VERNON. [Sits at table and fans.] Won’t you come in?

BOLLINGER.  No, thank you.  Too hot.  Down to Louisiana on business—­sweat clean through two paper collars.  This’n’s getting mealy. [He wipes his neck.

JOE.  ’J-ever see such weather. [Punches LIZBETH to get out of rocker; sits in her place. LIZBETH goes to the melodeon stool.

BOLLINGER.  Not since I was born.  I hope the blamed rain’s over.  All passenger trains holdin’ down to eight mile an hour ’tween St. Charles and Jonesburg on the Wabash on ’count of the wash-outs.

JOE.  Why don’t they ballast that air track?

BOLLINGER.  Too stingy, I reckon.  Say, Joe, if you git through the convention, and they send you up to Jeff City, you’ll have to jump on the corporations.

JOE.  Well, how do things look for the convention?

BOLLINGER.  Well, down Louisiana way looks about six and half a dozen.  You wouldn’t have any trouble at all, if we could get Radburn out o’ the race.

JOE.  Well, I ain’t got no right to ask him to do that.

KATE. [From the doorway.] Do you mean, Colonel, that Mr. Radburn’s following will be a serious opposition to father’s nomination?

BOLLINGER.  Well, it looks that way, Kate.

KATE.  Is there a chance of Mr. Radburn’s getting the nomination?

BOLLINGER.  Yes, I should say it was a stand-off atween him an’ the
Guv’nor, but I’m a-rootin’ for your pa.

MRS. VERNON.  Well, I can’t see what right Jim Radburn has got to be as strong with the Democracy as Joe Vernon. [Crosses to dish-pan.

JOE.  You can’t say nothin’ against Jim, ma.

MRS. VERNON.  I ain’t.  I’m just askin’.

BOLLINGER.  Well, you see Jim’s bein’ sheriff four terms, an’ never shootin’ anybody—­