LAURA.  Why not?

JIM. [Embarrassed.] Well, ye see, there are three kids and they’re all growing up, all of them in school, and the missis, she’s just about forgot show business and she’s playing a star part in the kitchen, juggling dishes and doing flip-flaps with pancakes; and we figgered that as we’d always gone along kinder clean-like, it wouldn’t be good for the kids to take a job comin’ from Brockton because you—­you—­well—­you—­

LAURA.  I know. [Rises; sits on left arm of chair.] You thought it wasn’t decent.  Is that it?

JIM.  Oh, not exactly, only—­well, you see I’m gettin’ along pretty [Rises; crosses to LAURA.] good now.  I got a little one-night-stand theatre out in Ohio—­manager of it, too.  The town is called Gallipolis. [With a smile.

LAURA.  Gallipolis?

JIM.  Oh, that ain’t a disease.  It is the name of a town.  Maybe you don’t know much about Gallipolis, or where it is.

LAURA.  No.

JIM.  Well, it looks just like it sounds.  We got a little house, and the old lady is happy, and I feel so good that I can even stand her cookin’.  Of course we ain’t makin’ much money, but I guess I’m gettin’ a little old-fashioned around theatres anyway.  The fellows from newspapers and colleges have got it on me.  Last time I asked a man for a job he asked me what I knew about the Greek drama, and when I told him I didn’t know the Greeks had a theatre in New York he slipped me a laugh and told me to come in again on some rainy Tuesday.  Then Gallipolis showed on the map, and I beat it for the West. [JIM notices by this time the pain he has caused LAURA, and is embarrassed.] Sorry if I hurt ye—­didn’t mean to; and now that yer goin’ to be Mrs. Brockton, well, I take back all I said, and, while I don’t think I want to change my position, I wouldn’t turn it down for—­for that other reason, that’s all.

LAURA. [With a tone of defiance in her voice.] But, Mr. Weston, I’m not going to be Mrs. Brockton.

JIM.  No? [Crosses left a little.

LAURA.  No.

JIM.  Oh—­oh—­

LAURA.  I’m going to marry another man, and a good man.

JIM.  The hell you are!

[LAURA rises and puts hand on JIM’S shoulder.

LAURA.  And it’s going to be altogether different.  I know what you meant when you said about the missis and the kids, and that’s what I want—­just a little home, just a little peace, just a little comfort, and—­and the man has come who’s going to give it to me.  You don’t want me to say any more, do you?

[Crosses to door, opens it, and looks out; closes it and crosses to JIM.

JIM. [Emphatically, and with a tone of hearty approval.] No, I don’t, and now I’m just going to put my mit out and shake yours and be real glad.  I want to tell ye it’s the only way to go along.  I ain’t never been a rival to Rockefeller, nor I ain’t never made Morgan jealous, but since the day my old woman took her make-up off for the last time, and walked out of that stage-door to give me a little help and bring my kids into the world, I knew that was the way to go along; and if you’re goin’ to take that road, by Jiminy, I’m glad of it, for you sure do deserve it.  I wish yer luck.