Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Illustrated) (459 page)
Read Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Illustrated) Online
Authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald
NEWS OF PARIS--FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
PAT AT THE FAIR REUNION AT THE FAIR
RAGS MARTIN-JONES AND THE PR-NCE OF W-LES
SENTIMENT — AND THE USE OF ROUGE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DIAMOND AS BIG AS THE RITZ
THE MYSTERY OF THE RAYMOND MORTGAGE
THE PIERIAN SPRINGS AND THE LAST STRAW
THE ROOM WITH THE GREEN BLINDS
The Plays and Screenplays
THE GIRL FROM LAZY J
In 1911 when Fitzgerald was only fourteen, he joined The Elizabethan Dramatic Club of St. Paul, a group of about forty youngsters. The group was named after its founder Elizabeth Magoffin, who had just turned twenty. She preserved a number of manuscripts, including her transcriptions of her friend Scott’s first four attempts at writing for the theatre. These are the first four plays in this section, which represent Fitzgerald’s earliest surviving works.
The Girl from Lazy J
is brief and flawed in many ways, but each succeeding play demonstrates the young playwright’s swift development. The club produced one of his plays each summer from 1911 to 1914. A year after her death in 1951, Princeton University Library purchased the manuscripts, but they remained until 1978.
Fitzgerald in 1915, a year after joining the St. Paul theatre group
CONTENTS
CAST OF CHARACTERS
MR. GEORGE KENDALL,
owner of the
“Diamond O” Ranch
— Ed. Power
MRS. KENDALL,
his wife
— M. Armstrong
JACK DARCY,
his nephew from Frisco
... — S. Fitzgerald
LETICIA LARNED,
a cowgirl
— D. Greene
TONY GONZOLES,
a Mexican cowpuncher..
— R. Washington
SCENE:
Living room of a Ranch in Texas
TIME:
11:45 to 12:15 at night
DESCRIPTION OF FURNISHINGS
Interior of rancher’s shack. Lights dim.
Some candles. Rustic furniture and hangings — elk horns, Mexican baskets, blankets, etc. — Two chairs, a table, and a lounge.
Door at L. Cabinet at R. Window at C.
Properties of Characters:
Jack Darcy — Girl’s picture.
Leticia Larned — Mask; rope; revolver.
Mr. Kendall — Note; revolver.
Mrs. Kendall — Telegram.
Tony Gonzoles — Shotgun; rope; packet of letters.
THE GIRL FROM LAZY J
(Curtain rises, showing Jack in chair, whistling.)
JACK: Accepted, accepted, by jingo, by the prettiest girl this side of the Mississippi. (
looks at -picture
.) Look at her. She’s a daisy. But I wonder what Mother will say. And say, I can just see Father’s face when he hears of it. But why should they care? Lord knows she’s a fine girl and I’m willing to give up Yale for Leticia. Why, put her in a decent dress and she’d be the belle of the country. My, I’m tired, but I know I can’t sleep thinking of this. If Mother says no, I’ll be all broken up. (
Noise outside.
Rises.)
What’s that? A row I guess. Probably Uncle’s after one of the men.
(Yawns, calls.)
Tony, Tony! I wonder where that lazy greaser is.
(Enter Mr. Kendall, kicking Tony before him.)
KENDALL: YOU will try to whip those horses, hey, you measly Mexican scoundrel? Didn’t I tell you, Tony, that the next time you laid a hand to them I’d skin you? I ought by rights to put a bullet through your low down yellow hide. Now git, before I let daylight through you. Wait a minute.
(To Jack.)
Did you want him for anything?
JACK:
(TO Tony.)
Tell José he can turn in now. It’s almost twelve.
(Exit Tony.)
KENDALL: What do you think, Jack. I just went out to the stable and found him beating Dolly. I think I taught him a lesson. He won’t be licking my horses in a hurry again.
JACK: I don’t like the looks of that fellow and you’d better be careful with these Mexicans, Uncle. They’d as soon knife a man as they would a dog and Tony’s no exception to the general rule.
KENDALL: Huh! They’re only good for beating horses. They haven’t got enough grit to tackle a white man. But that fellow’s been acting queerly for some time with the horses and I think I’ll discharge him tomorrow. Jim and José can do the work, if you and I do a little extra.
JACK: Sure. By the way, I’ve seen him hanging around at the Lazy J. Maybe he’s got some business with Mrs. Larned.
KENDALL: Oh you young scamp! What have you been doing at the Lazy J? Stuck on Leticia, hey? And say, I’ve got a note here that I received this afternoon. I don’t know whether to take it as a joke or not.
JACK: Let’s see it.
(Reads.)
“Mr. Kendall, I warn you that on the night of August 12 I will relieve you of the five thousand dollars that you received last week in payment for the yearling steers.
Yours very sincerely — D. S. H.” Well of all things! I think I’ll keep this for a curiosity.
KENDALL: Well, what do you think I ought to do about it? Just let it go?
JACK: DO about it? There’s nothing to be done.
KENDALL: But look. It says on the night of the twelfth and this is the twelfth.
JACK:
(Looks at paper.)
So it does.
KENDALL: You don’t really think he’ll come?
JACK: Not exactly. But you want me to sit up and await developments.
KENDALL: Well I allow I’d sleep a bit easier if you did.
JACK: All right, Uncle.
(Looks at watch.)
Why it’s a quarter to twelve now. This may be only a joke but we might as well be on the safe side. Is the money in this cabinet?
KENDALL: Yes, and you’ll find some cigarettes on the shelf and there’s magazines so you can make yourself comfortable. And by the way, we might as well not say anything about it to Mrs. Kendall.
JACK: Very well. Good night.
KENDALL: Good night. And if you feel sleepy, don’t hesitate to take a nap.
(Exit.)
(Enter Mrs. Kendall. Sees Jack.)
MRS. KENDALL: HOW soon are you going to bed, Jack?
JACK: Just a little while, Auntie.
MRS. KENDALL:
(She begins to lock the windows.)
Hello! Someone has been tampering with this catch. It won’t lock. Well I don’t suppose it makes any difference.
JACK: Auntie, I’ve got something to tell you.
