Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents Claudia. Claudia, based on the play and novels by Rose Franken. Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. Relax, and while you're listening, refresh yourself. Have a Coke. And now, Claudia. You know, this is the first time it hasn't seen the same coming up. It seems different to you. Because this time the house is ours, really ours. I'd like to point out that yesterday we owned the house. Today we only own part of one. Doesn't it make you nervous what we're doing today? Makes me feel just like I did when Bluff had an infected foot. A little surgery never hurt a good foot or a good house. Now that you've started to have it torn down, it doesn't seem so much like a little. Sounds a lot more like a lot. No, nothing to it. Nothing that costs $2,365.18 is nothing. Actually, that's a very low estimate. We can keep it down to that price, we won't have to mortgage the house. Is that good? Very. That makes me feel a lot better. That's just how I want you to feel, better. There's only one thing I don't understand, David. What's that? If Mr. Paradiso is so sure that he knows how much everything's going to cost, why do you call it an estimate? Because he isn't held to it. He isn't? But that isn't fair. It wouldn't be fair, really, to do it any other way. But, David, do you mean we don't know how much these repairs are going to cost us? That's right. If all Mr. Paradiso has to do is what we've decided to do under the estimate, the estimate is about all we'll have to pay. Well, that settles that. We're not going to do another thing. What a girl. Still looking for barter. When I buy something, I ask for the price before I ask them to send it. Well, you can't quite do that with an old house. It's like cutting open a sick man. You're never sure what you're going to find when you look inside. What do you think you're going to find inside an old safety pin? We really can't be sure what we're going to find. That's what makes it so interesting. Interesting? I never knew you were so cold-blooded. It's more than likely that some of the timbers are erotic. Erotic? And we're never exactly sure just how the construction was originally designed. Well, how could it be built wrong? It's lasted almost 200 years. I didn't say it would be wrong. I meant that if the construction is of a certain type, the job is going to cost a lot more than if it's of another type. Well, that's awful. Isn't there anything we can do? Do about what? To have it be like the estimate no matter what. My, but you were stingy. But you said you didn't want a mortgage. Darling, we're trying to adapt this house so we can use it. I think it was wonderful the way it was. We don't want the new part to seem just like an afterthought. It's got to be done in the same spirit. As Professor Higginbotham used to say, in the modernizing of an ancient edifice, the new portions must be joined in spirit and structure. Professor Higginbotham was an old butcher, I bet. I think we were meant to cut the house open in the first place. But you wanted to. I know, but I didn't think... Oh, poor old house. David, we've gotten to know it so well. I think it can feel. Doesn't it look wonderful? You can't see the work from here. It's all on the other side. Oh, David, it is a beautiful house. It has real dignity. It looks as though the first new builder was really proud of what he was doing. Now you're really beginning to catch on. Catch on to what? What a good house we've gotten. How careful we've got to be when we try to match it with a new wing. This is Mr. Paradiso. Mr. Paradiso, we're here. Hello, Nottons. You're going to be looking over my shoulder while I make the incision? Why does everybody have to talk like this is an operation? Have you started yet? I've started all right, and I feel as though I'm already finished. Hello, Mrs. Nottons. Hello, Mr. Paradiso. This is very hard work. I bet it is. It's a tough job, Mrs. Notton. Lots of angles. Oh, I know. You mean the way the roof is, the way it's one side longer than the other. I don't think he means that angle, Claudia. I wish I did. Well, we'll work this thing around until it makes sense. Have you really started working, Mr. Paradiso? Started working. Mrs. Notton, this is the middle of the afternoon to us. At 11 o'clock? We've been on the job since 7 this morning. Got five men here. Can't you hear them? I hear them. Sounds like an army. There's only five men, but they know what they're doing. I thought you were going to have eight or nine. Same thing. I'm giving them a hand myself. Can't see a thing from this side of the house. Everything looks so nice and healthy and peaceful. You should see the other side. Ever see any pictures of Berlin or that place in England? What was it? Coventry. Yeah, yeah. Don't tell me anymore. Or Stalingrad. That's the way the other side of your house looks. I don't know why we couldn't have been happy just to have things the way they were. It was a beautiful house, and it was good for almost 200 years. No, no, don't worry. We'll get it all back together again. I could do it blindfolded. And not have anything left over? That part's up to the architect. What's the matter with you this morning? Nothing to matter with me. Last time we talked, an architect was just about important enough to carry his builder's hat for him. Yeah, but this house you bought acts like a dame. She's trying to get me into trouble. Trouble? David, if you two have hurt that house, Jared Tucker and I will never forgive you. It's none of his business. What sort of trouble? Well, you were right about the wall we're putting in the bays. I was afraid we wouldn't find it as simple as you hoped. It still isn't as bad as you think, but I think I can like it. Got a better idea? In the right spirit? I think I've got a lot of something. Come on around. I'll let you take a look. Come on, Claudia. You can see for yourself your poor old house isn't crying. Tears are no tears. I couldn't stand looking at it. Maybe later when it's put together a little. Later when it's put together a little? Ha ha. As if she didn't know it won't be together for months. Mr. Norton, I sure got a kick out of your wife. Don't let her fool you, Mr. Paradisa. She's not fooling. Well, let's go and see how bad this is going to be. Well, I tell you, Mr. Norton, with a good bill, these things aren't serious. Now you take those old fogies around. Goodbye. Hey there, you. Don't run away. Why, hello, Mr. Tucker. You can't run away from Jerry Tucker like that. Hey, you. Oh, they won't listen. Good morning, Mr. Tucker. Howdy, Miss Norton. Got no time for Plyton's remanners this morning. Excuse me, please. Got to catch them two vandals before they rip down that old house. Where are they going? They went around the other side where they're doing repairs. Repairs? What repairs does that house need? I want to know. You whippersnappers, you vandals. But that's Mr. Norton. Don't you think I know that? Fooled me completely. Did that husband of yours completely bamboozle me? Made the biggest mistake of my life, but it ain't all my fault, neither. Blame my sister for it, too. Busybody, mental, old woman, serious. I don't think you mean any of that, do you, Mr. Tucker? Why, if it wasn't for Delilah, I'd let Mrs. Reed buy this house in the first place. Wouldn't have to sit here, sit here, sit here, and watch somebody tear it all to pieces. We're not tearing it all to pieces. Oh, ye ain't, ain't ye? Seven-thirty this mornin', I seen that truck drive up in that car with men into it. And I says to Delilah, we'd better watch out. There's some fellas tryin' to monkey business at that saltbox. And as good neighbors, we ought to watch out for the young folks and see nothing's done that shouldn't ought to be. That was very sweet of you, Mr. Tucker. And sure enough, when I come over here, they're a-hammerin' and a-sawin' and a-sawin' and a-sawin' and a-rippin' and a-cuttin' and... When tellin' to stop, some young whippersnapper told me, don't mind if I watch, provided they keep my opinions to myself. But if I was like all the other old folkies in Eastbrook, I ought to know this ain't my land. I ought to clear off, he says. Oh, Mr. Crikey's Lord never should have said anything like that, Mr. Tucker. Well, don't mind what he said, it's what he's doin'. He's rippin' down that nice house that was good enough for the Tuckers since 1760. Probably puttin' up one of them new gym cracks that ain't good enough to last more than a single generation. Oh, Mr. Tucker, now that isn't what we're doing at all. Oh, it isn't, eh? No, I mean, we're trying to preserve the original just the way it was, only we're trying to add just a little more room. Room? There's plenty of room for the two of us again today. There's gonna be more than two of us. You see, we're gonna have a baby. Yeah, what? What do you know? And besides, you're really being so careful in what you do to that house. We're not gonna do anything that might touch the spirit of the house, Mr. Tucker. We're gonna take the same pride in doing our work that the man who built it took when he did it. Eh, are you doin' a lot? No, we're just building a little extension. An extension? Well, ain't that a lot? Well, there are other extensions on it, aren't there? Well, that over there'd be the kitchen. That was an extension my great-aunt's father-in-law built that for my great-great-grandfather in 1846. Really? And you never even noticed it. A little surgery never hurt a good house. What's that? That's what my husband said. He said, a little surgery never hurt a good house. He means you've got to be just as careful as a surgeon is when you do something to a house like this. Well, I guess there's something to that. You've got to be very patient and find just the way to do it that's like the house was before. Well, how'd you do that? Can't do it till you cut the house open and see. That's all they're doing this morning. Just like surging. It's funny the newfangled things folks are thinking of today. Don't you think that your great-aunt's grandfather... Father-in-law. Father-in-law was doing the same thing when he built the kitchen extension. Well, maybe he was. Don't know if he had enough sense. Little surgery never hurt a good house. I'll half tell that to Delilah. Well, what else you folks do? Well, let's see. There's the extension and... Oh, yes, we're going to put in a heating system and then we're going to put in a big bay window and one wall of the dining room. So people can look in? So we can look out where we can sit and look out at the farm. The farm, eh? Well, that ought to be kind of pretty. It's a beautiful farm, Mr. Tucker. That's funny. I never thought of doing that myself. But then I never been much of a surgeon, you know. Well, it's nice to look out at a piece of land as pretty as that and know it's all yours. But this isn't all ours. It ain't? Nope. We can see the walnut tree from the window and we gave it back to you. Remember? Walnut tree? Say that's the right pretty tree, you know. It certainly is. Say, listen, Miss Naughton, I've been thinking, but don't say nothing to Delilah. I promise. It's right and able of you to give us back that there tree. Yeah. But I don't know if Delilah and I ought to accept it. Don't tell Delilah I said so. But you better take that tree back, you know. Mr. Tucker, that's the nicest thing anybody ever did. No, it ain't nice at all. It's practical. You know, walnuts are fine against the bronchitis and warts and you can't tell when to come in handy for a couple of good house surgeons. Well, I better be going. Tell Mr. Naughton hello, will you? I will, Mr. Tucker. I certainly will. You will what? I will tell you, David. Hey, what's the matter? You look awfully blue. Blue. Nothing so colorful. I'm just a little depressed. What's the matter? Oh, I'm afraid you're right. We should have looked for the price tag. It's going to cost just about twice what we'd hoped to do the job. That means a mortgage skimping. We might not even have all the money we need. David, get your mortgage and please be happy. We didn't have to look for the price tag. You were right. Is that really the way you feel? You want to fight it out too? Of course, David. But there's nothing to fight about. We've just got the most wonderful bargain. Bargain? Where? Darling, it may have cost us a mortgage and extension and skimping, but Mr. Tucker just came by and he gave us back the walnut tree. Darling, it's ours and for nothing. As a gift. These programs star Catherine Bard as Claudia and Paul Crabtree as David. And the entire production is supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. Every mother likes her youngsters to have a good time, so she wants to encourage party giving. But she wants at the same time to discourage extravagance. There's a happy way to combine hospitality and economy, and that's to serve ice cold Coca-Cola. Nothing pleases young people more. Yet Coke is still only five cents, just what it was back in 1886. And today, as always, it's the delicious drink you think of when you want the pause that refreshes. Every day, Monday through Friday, Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. So listen again Monday at the same time. And now this is Joe King saying au revoir. And remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be, when you think of refreshment, think of Coca-Cola. Or ice cold Coca-Cola makes any pause, the pause that refreshes. Oh,
