Last scene in arsenic (Abby’s lines)

Teddy: Bully! Bully! I’ll bring down my equipment.

(Abby and Martha enter the scene)

Teddy: CHARGE!

(The Aunts are at the foot of the stairs)

Mortimer: This is Lieutenant Rooney.

Abby: How do you do, Lieutenant? My, you don’t look like the fussbudget the policemen say you are.

Mortimer: And you haven’t met Mr. Witherspoon. He’s the Superintendent if Happy Dale.

Abby: Oh, Mr. Witherspoon - how do you do?

Mortimer: Aunties - the police want Teddy to go there, today.

Abby: Oh - no!

Rooney: I’m sorry, Mrs. Brewster, but it has to be done. The papers are all signed and he’s going along with the Superintendent.

Abby: We won’t permit it. We’ll promise to take the bugle away from him.

Rooney: I’m sorry ladies, but the law’s the law! He’s committed himself and he’s going!

Abby: Well, if he goes, we’re going too.

Rooney: It ain’t only his bugle blowing and the neighbors all afraid of him, but things would just get worse. Sooner or later we’d put to the trouble of digging up your cellular.

Abby: Our cellular?

Rooney: Yeah. - Your nephew’s been telling around that there are thirteen bodies in the cellar.

Abby: But there are thirteen bodies in our cellar.

Martha: If that’s why you think Teddy has to go away — you come down to the cellar with us and we’ll prove it to you

Abby: There’s one — Mr. Spenalzo — who doesn’t belong here and who will have to leave — but the other twelve are our gentlemen.

Rooney: That’s right

Abby: Oh, you wouldn’t have to dig here. The graves are all marked. We put flowers on them every Sunday.

Witherspoon: Well, I —

Abby: (To Rooney) You come along with us, and we’ll show you the graves.

Martha: Oh, if we can go with Teddy, we’ll sign the papers. Where are they?

Abby: Yes, where are they?

Klein: He’s coming around, Lieutenant.

Abby: Good morning, Mr. Klein.

Mortimer: And you here, Aunt Abby.

Abby: (signing papers) I’m really looking forward to going - the neighborhood here has changed so.

Mortimer: Just come right over, Doctor. At one time last night, I thought the Doctor was going to operate on me. Just come right over,

Abby: Just sign right here, Doctor. Were you leaving, Doctor?

Witherspoon: When do you think you’ll be ready to start?

Abby: Well, Mr. Witherspoon, why don’t you go upstairs and tell Teddy just what he can take along?

Mortimer: I’ll show you.

Abby: No, Mortimer, you stay here. We want to talk to you. Yes, Mr. Witherspoon, just upstairs and turn to the left.

Martha: Well, Mortimer, now that we’re moving, this house really is yours.

Abby: Yes dear, we want you to live here now.

Elaine: It’s nothing of the kind - we’re going to be married right away.

Abby: Mortimer - Mortimer, we’re really very worried about something

Martha: Oh, yes, we’re very happy about the whole thing. That’s just it - we don’t want anything to go wrong.

Abby: Will they investigate those signatures?

Martha: It’s not his signature, dear, it’s yours.

Abby: You see, you signed as next of kin.

Martha: Well, dear, it’s something we never wanted to tell you. But now you’re a man - and it’s something Elaine should know too. You seem dear - you’re not really a Brewster.

Abby: Your mother came to us as a cook - and you were born about three months afterward. But she was such a sweet woman - and such a good cook we didn’t want to lose her - so brother married her.

Martha: Now, don’t feel badly about it, dear.

Abby: And Elaine, it won’t make any difference to you?

Mortimer:Yes, I need some coffee - I’ve had quite a night.

Abby: In that case I should think you’d want to get to bed.

Rooney: Yeah - he’s going back to Indiana. There’s some people there want to take care of him for the rest of his life. Come on.

Abby: Well, Jonathan, it’s nice to know you have some place to go.

Martha: We’re leaving too.

Abby: Yes, we’re going to Happy Dale

Jonathan: I have a suggestion to make. Why don’t you turn this property over to the church?

Abby: Well, we never thought of that.

Martha: Jonathan always was a mean boy. Never could stand to see anyone get ahead of him.

Abby: I wish we could show him he isn’t so smart! Mr. Witherspoon? Does your family live with you at Happy Dale?

Witherspoon: I have no family.

Abby: Oh —

Witherspoon: I’m afraid you don’t quite understand. As head of the institution, I have to keep quite aloof.

Abby: That must make it very lonely for you.

Witherspoon: It does. But my duty is my duty.

Abby: Well Martha — If Mr. Witherspoon won’t join us for breakfast, I think at least we should offer him a glass of elderberry wine.

Witherspoon: Why, yes . . . Of course, at Happy Dale our relationship will be more formal - but here - You don’t see much elderberry wine nowadays - I thought I’d had my last glass of it

Abby: Oh, no —