Anna Christie Page #2

You know, Marthy, my Anna...|What you think she look like, Marthy?

- I don't know.|- I bet you she's a fine, good, strong girl.

Pretty like everything because,|you know, live on the farm...

...they make them that way.

And I bet you someday she marry...

...good, steady land fella here in East.

Have little house all her own.

Have kids!

Then I'm old grandfather, by golly.

By Jiminy Cricket,|we gotta celebrate that.

- Come on, Larry. Give us a drink, there.|- Wait.

You're soused to the ears,|that's what you are.

- Oh, you bet, you celebrate...|- I know, I know, but go on...

...put some food in you and sober up.

Here, you old fool. You don't know|when your kid's coming here, do you?

- Oh, well...|- Well...

...you wanna be sober|when she does get here, don't you?

- Oh, by golly, that's so, Marthy.|- Well, then...

...go throw a beef stew in you and...|Go on, around the corner.

I do that, Marthy.|I been coming right back.

Oh, well, that's that.

Give me a whiskey.|Ginger ale on the side.

And don't be stingy, baby.

- Well, shall I serve it in a pail?|- Well, that suits me down to the ground.

Gee, I needed that bad, all right, all right.

Oh, sure. You look all in.|Have you been on a bat?

No. Traveling.

Day and a half on a train.

Had to sit up all night|in a dirty coach too.

I thought I'd never get here.

- Where'd you come from?|- St. Paul, out in Minnesota.

Minnesota?

Then you're the...?

All the way from Minnesota, sure.

Say, what are you laughing at? Me?

Oh, no. Sure, kid. No, l...|I was thinking of something else.

Well, I wouldn't blame you, at that.

I guess I do look rotten.

I'm just out of the hospital two weeks.

I'm gonna have another drink.

What do you say?|Will you have something on me?

Sure thing. Thanks. Larry?

Larry!

Little service here, please.

- Same for me.|- Oh, same here.

Sit over here. Let's be friends, yeah?

I'm a dead stranger|in this burg, you know.

- Skoal. Here's how, huh?|- Here's luck.

Let you smoke in here, won't they?

Sure, but throw it away|if you hear someone coming.

Well, ain't they fussy in this dump.

Is there anything wrong with me?

You're sure looking hard enough.

I ain't gotta look very hard.|I got your number...

...the minute you come in the room.

Is that so?

Well, I got yours too, without no trouble.

You're me, 40 years from now.|That's you.

Is that so? Well, I wanna|tell you straight, kiddo...

...that Marthy Owens never...

Oh, let's cut out the scrapping.

I don't want no hard feelings|with no one.

- Come on, let's shake and be friends.|- Sure.

I ain't looking for trouble either.

Let's have another, huh?

Say, don't you think you'd better|go kind of easy on that stuff?

Well, I guess you're right.

I gotta meet someone too. My old man.

I ain't seen him since I was a kid.|Don't even know what he looks like.

I just got a letter now and then.

This was always the only address|he gave me to write him back.

He used to be a sailor. He's a janitor|of some building here.

- A janitor?|- Sure.

And I was thinking, seeing he ain't|done a thing for me in my life...

...he might be willing to stake me with|a room and eats until I could rest up.

But I ain't expecting much from him.

Give you a kick when you're down,|that's what all men do.

And I don't suppose he'll turn out|no better than the rest.

Do you hang around this dump much?

Oh, off and on.

Why, maybe you know him, my old man.

Well, it... It isn't old Chris, is it?

- Who, old Chris?|- Yeah, Chris Christopherson.

- That's his full name.|- That's him.

Anna Christopherson is my real name...

...only out there, I call myself|Anna Christie.

- So you know him, huh?|- Oh, I've seen him around here for years.

What kind is he?

Well, he's as fine an old guy|as ever walked on two feet...

...and that goes.

Well, I'm glad to hear that.

Why, you think he'll stake me|to the rest cure I'm after, then?

Surest thing you know. Where'd you|get the idea that he was a janitor?

Well, he wrote me he was himself.

He's lying.

He's a captain on a barge.

A barge? What kind of a barge?

Well, coal, mostly.

A coal barge?

Well, well. If that ain't a swell job...

...to find your long-lost old man|working at.

Oh, gee.

Well, that puts the kibosh|on his giving me a rest.

Why? Couldn't you live on it too?

Who, me? On a dirty coal barge?

Well, what do you think I am?

Well, what do you know about a barge?

Bet you ain't never seen a barge.

That's what comes of him bringing|you up inland where you'd be safe.

Say, his bringing me up,|is that what he tells people?

Well, I sure like his nerve.

Why, he let them cousins keep me on the|farm and work me to death like a dog.

Well, you didn't fall|for that farm life, did you?

I should say not.|I had to slave for all of them.

Was all right till my mother died...

...but I was only a poor relation,|you know...

...and they treated me worse|than they dared treat a hired girl.

Oh, what a life on that farm|out in Minnesota.

With them Swedes, woman-hungry.

One night I was alone in the house|and one of the sons came back.

After that, I hated them,|so I'd kill them all if I stayed...

...so I ran away. St. Paul.

Yeah, I overheard Chris saying as how|you was in St. Paul.

- Working, he said.|- Oh, that's no lie.

I went there to work, but I was still a kid.

It's all men's fault,|giving you the wrong start.

I'm just out of the hospital two weeks.

The judge gave all of us girls 30 days.

Well, the others didn't seem to mind|being in the cooler much.

But I couldn't stand it. I went nuts.

I never could stand|being caged up nowhere.

I got good and sick, and they had|to send me to the hospital.

And it was nice there.

I was sorry to leave it, honest.

If my old man doesn't help me...

...it's men again.

Men all the time.

Oh, how I hate them,|every mother's son of them. Don't you?

Well, there's good ones|and there's bad ones, you know.

Now, your old man, old Chris.

Oh, he's a good one, honest.

Well, he'll have to show me.

Wait till he finds out.

Well, you know,|he's kind of simple.

He's got nutty notions.|You know, he thinks that...

He thinks you're working|as a nurse girl in St. Paul.

You know, he thinks that... He means all|right, honest. He thinks the world of you.

Honest, he does.

Quit your kidding.

Well, as soon as I get rested up...

...l'll clear out and get back|to the old job in St. Paul.

Come board the ship

Long time I wait for you

- What's up?|- That's him.

- Who?|- Your old man.

Golly, Larry. That grub, it taste good.

- Is Marthy in back?|- Sure, and another tramp with her.

That's him, you see.|He's coming in here.

Now, brace up.

Oh, hello, old Chris.

Say, listen, I'm gonna blow down to the|barge and pack my duds and beat it.

She's in there. Your Anna.

Yeah, she's just come.

She's waiting for you.

And you treat her right.

She's been sick.

Well...

So long.

Well, so long, kid. I gotta beat it.

I'll see you later.

Anna.

Hello, Father.

She told me it was you.

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