Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents, Claudia. Music Claudia, based on the famous 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. Music And now, Claudia. Music Oh David, I'm sorry. What are you apologizing for? Telephone rang. Everything was so quiet. Well, answer it. Get it over with. I think I went to all the trouble of making not a sound for a half an hour and that telephone had to ring. Modern civilization. Get rid of it, David. Then you can work undisturbed again. Are you feeling all right? Yes, fine. Why? No reason much. Hello? Hello? Hello? What's the matter? They hung up. I heard a little click. They hung up. Whoever called probably realized it was the wrong number. How could they realize it before they phoned out? It's queer. What do you suppose happened? How do I know what happened? Well, you're always saying you're so smart. Thirty-four. I bet you I know what happened, David. Well, don't you want to know what happened? Thirty-six. I do not. Well, I'll tell you anyway. I bet you that whoever it was who called was interrupted. And then rather than waste the money telling me they were interrupted and would call later, they just hung up. Oh, what a brilliant analysis. You must be absolutely exhausted. Oh, you're so sweet when you want to get rid of me. Thirty-six. Well, don't you think that's what happened? Yes, I think that's what happened. Well, it happens to me sometimes, so I think it happens to other people sometimes. I just hope they don't call back and disturb you again. I knew it was too good to be true. One half hour of perfect, beautiful, transcending silence. It couldn't last. It lasted till the phone rang. And it will last again. Till the phone rings. Times thirty-two. Goodbye. Goodbye. Have a nice trip. Oh, it's so quiet. What a bore. Read your book. I've been reading it for half an hour. I guess I'll read the paper for a change. David, are you going to have to work at night the rest of our life? I'll have to work the rest of this night if you don't shut up. I didn't say a word. Except how quiet it was. That was the crack that crumbles a mountain. Oh, poof. You're so stuffy when you're being an architect. I'm glad I don't work in the same office with you. I are squared. All right. Stuffy, I will be quiet. Excuse me. What did you say? Nothing. The paper rustled. I thought it would disturb you. Will you look at this sale? What a gorgeous milk pail for practically nothing. Say, David, just a second. Disturb yourself and look at this milk pail. Beautiful. The cheapest thing. I don't know how they can afford to put a milk pail out at half price. I wish the telephone would ring again. Who do you suppose it was who rang it? I am not interested. It makes me nervous not knowing. Is that all you're doing? Just sitting there drawing little lines? You look as if you were playing tic-tac-toe. Well, I am not playing tic-tac-toe with myself. I am designing a hospital garage. Looks like tic-tac-toe, all those little boxes. I thought you were figuring and adding. David, I don't see why you have to have such quiet just drawing little lines. If you were dividing or multiplying, I could understand. But, heavens, anybody can draw little lines and talk at the same time. Go away. You don't have to wiggle your nostrils at me. I'm going. I certainly don't like to talk to people who don't want to listen to me. Goodbye. Goodbye. Have a nice trip. How are you? Don't shout so loud, Mama. David's working. Come on out in the hall. Tell me what you're doing. I'm being quiet. And for her, it's a full-time job. Isn't it time you went to bed? No, David's not through working. That poor man, he works all day and he works all night. Maybe he'd be through a lot sooner if you kept a little quieter. I have been as quiet as a broken record. Mama, listen, there's the most terrific sale in Westbrook tomorrow. All sorts of household and farm goods. How'd you like to go? Oh, yes, dear, I wouldn't mind. We'll save a fortune. At least a dollar. I'll get David to leave the car. Do that. I will. I'm going to bed. Why don't you tell David it's late and it's time he goes to bed? Well, you know how he is when he has work to do. Yes, I know, but enough's enough. You tell him, Mama. No, thank you. I'm not married to him. I am. That's why I don't dare open my mouth. That I find difficult to believe. Good night, dear. Sweet dreams, Mama. Well, what did Mama have to say? You were eavesdropping. I didn't drop a single eave or I'd have known what Mama had to say. She didn't have anything to say. I suppose all women talk when they have nothing to say. Well, if you have nothing pleasanter to say, you'd better go back to work. But Mama thinks you should go to bed instead. And you? Me too. I mean, I too. Then why don't you? David, are you taking the car into New York tomorrow? I was planning to. Roger wants to drive out to Long Island. Oh. You really think he does? Why? You want to use the car? Well, I'd certainly love to. It's quite important, too. Of course I wouldn't want to interfere with your work, but it's quite important. What is it? Well, I just found out in this newspaper. Listen, I showed you the milk pail. I want to go to Westbrook and buy a lot of other stuff, too. What is going on in Westbrook? I told you a big sale. You told me nothing of the sort. You just don't listen to what I have to say half the time. That's the whole thing. There is a big cut-rate sale in Westbrook, and I want to go and save us some money. Haven't you learned, Claudia, that you never save any money that way? David, you just don't know how to add. If you buy something for $3 that was $5, you save $2. But if you don't need it in the first place, you've thrown away $3. But we need a new milk pail. Well, buy it in Eastbrook. It's cheaper. It's on sale. Now, get back to work. Don't talk so much. You never get the best quality goods at a cut-rate sale. Why not? They weren't always cut-rate, were they? The fact that they are cut-rate now is reason enough to stay away. Honestly, if you want a snob... Listen, my good man, if it's a cut-rate sale, I'm going to make the most of it, like everybody else. Claudia, don't you realize, with the money that you spend on gas, the wear on the tires, the depreciation of the car due to the mileage, that all of that costs more than what you save on the cut-rate milk pail? But I'm not only going to buy a milk pail. Oh. I'm going to buy other things, too. Spread that money over all the things I'm going to buy, and then I save even more than if I were only going to buy a milk pail. Do you follow me? Frankly, no. Well, it's very simple. Now, look... That's all right. I'll take your word for it. Good. Then, can I have the car? Mama's coming with me, so I have to drive carefully. You know how nervous she gets. I wish you hadn't told me. Now I'll have to worry about both of you. Does that mean I can have the car? Yes, you can have the car. What about Long Island? We can use Roger's car, I suppose. You sure you don't mind? No. No, I don't mind anything anymore. Now, let me think about the things I'll need. Is there anything you need, David? Yes. You see? I knew there would be. What? Silence. Is that all? Oh, that's cheap. Cheap? It seems to me that it's the most expensive commodity in the house at this moment. Anybody can have silence. Anybody can get it. Nothing to make such a fuss about. Now, you go back to your work, David, or we'll never go to bed. Goodbye. Goodbye. Have a nice trip. MUSIC David, I'm not interrupting you again, but... I just want to know if there's anything you need for the barn. I'm trying to save you money, you know. Your blood really tingles when you think of going to a sale, doesn't it? You're like a Roman gladiator approaching battle, like a hunter stalking his prey. Why, do you... The thought of saving one nickel, just one measly little thin nickel, is so thrilling to you that you would waltz... Are you finished working? No. I want to get a good night's sleep before I go shopping. What about my work? What about it? I haven't finished it. You haven't finished it? No. Do you mean to say you have been sitting here all evening? I certainly do. And you haven't finished it yet? No, I have not. David, you're as slow as a poke. What have you been doing all evening? What do you think I've been doing all evening? I've been sitting here in complete, utter silence. I put everything aside so you can concentrate at your work, and after hours, you haven't finished. I haven't finished. And I wonder if you would just think very hard, if you could think up the reason why. Well, I know perfectly well why. You're not concentrating. That's why. You're always telling me when I work to concentrate. Concentrate. Why don't you practice what you preach? Oh, Claudia, I wonder why I don't practice what I preach. Go ahead, David. Try to concentrate. I certainly will. So we can go to bed? 32 times 24. You can't sit here all night, you know. Oh, we can't, Catherine. David, why are you looking so funny? Because I have been listening to you scold me for not getting my work finished. When you've been sitting here, chattering, chattering, chattering, chattering, chattering, all evening long. Are you accusing me of chattering? I've said two words. Well, they're the longest two words in the dictionary. All right, that's for that. I won't say another word to you. No, bliss. You'll be sorry. Not one more word. All right, now, not one more word. Except? I thought there would be an except. Except. You're awfully grumpy. Thank you. You're awfully stuffy. Thank you. You're awfully persnickety. And you're awfully sweet. And so are you at any other time. Now, would you do me a kind favor and go away? Goodbye. Goodbye. Have a nice trip. Quiet. 30. Oh, David, I'm sorry. The phone rang again. Well, hurry up. Answer it. Or they'll hang up on you and you'll wonder who it was and start talking all over again. This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. In the lobbies of theaters and hotels, at the hairdressers and the barbers and the grocers, in shops of all sorts, people wait for minutes on end. But you'll notice that they wait with a good deal more patience when there's a Coca-Cola cooler handy. For sparkling, delicious ice-cold Coke permits folks to wait refreshed. 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 tomorrow 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. For Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes. And ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere. Thank you.
