 Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents, Claudia, based on the famous play and novels by Rose Frankin, 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. Now, that you stay down here and make yourself scarce until I caught you. Claudia's upstairs, and she hasn't heard us come home. Now, don't say a word. Stay right where you are. I'll be down in a minute. Oh, what a surprise this is going to be for. Claudia! Claudia! Don't bother. I'm coming up. I'm halfway up already. Well, good evening, Mrs. Norton. Hello there, son. What's the matter with him? Isn't he talking tonight? Well, he's a little shy tonight. Now, listen here. You go to sleep, Bobby. I am through with you. Your father's home. Ah, sleep. That's all that child knows. Thank goodness. Oh, David, I'm so glad you're home. I was counting minutes. Come on, let's go downstairs. Before we go downstairs, I want to talk to you. What about? Can't we talk downstairs? Can't we talk up here? Well, I'll close the door to the baby's room so he won't hear us. I have no secrets from my son. But I have. Aren't you going to kiss me hello? First, let me tell you my news. And you tell me if you still feel like having me kiss you hello. Oh, what is the news? You mean I won't like it? I have a feeling that you're going to be surprised. Good or bad? Well, we'll see. Now, don't beat around the news. Come on, tell me. I brought somebody home with me. Oh. Well, what's so terrible about that? Who is it? Yeah, who is it? Well, the point is, it's not somebody for the next five minutes. It's somebody for the weekend. Oh, no. No, I thought that's what you'd say. Oh, David, I was so looking forward to this weekend alone together. No, so was I, but it couldn't be helped. David, I don't care who it is. It could be the King of England, and I wouldn't be interested. Well, it's not the King of England. Oh, honestly, this is going to be such a nice, simple weekend. No fancy meals. I was even thinking of giving Fritz and Bertha the weekend off. He's just like when we got married. Except for the baby, of course. Well, it will be just exactly like when we first got married, except for the baby. No, it's never the same with company. You know, company means all sorts of things. Still, we ought to go downstairs and be welcoming. Yeah, I guess so. My hair all right? Mm, hair's fine. Dressed great. Fancy. Well, this is unexpected. You're not supposed to be dressed fancy. David, you haven't told me who it is. Well, come on down and see. Well, I don't like surprises that I don't like. I see what you mean, but come on down anyway. Now, it's just getting used to the big, empty house mama left behind. Just us. Oh, well, I suppose I shouldn't complain. Maybe it won't be so bad. David, I wish you'd tell me who it is. You are a baby. You can never wait for anything. All right, just to prove to you how stuffy and grown-up and dull I can be. I'm coming down to you without even caring who it is. Good. Darling, I wish you would have called me from New York. We're only having chicken pie for dinner. Left over some last night's chicken vegetables and things. You won't make any impression on company. I told you it wasn't the King of England. Still, company does not like to eat leftovers. Oh, David, what a bore. Well, this is what comes of having a house in the country with guest rooms in it. Every silver lining must have its cloud, I suppose. Oh, darling, is my nose shiny? Mm-hmm, a little. Why didn't you say so before? I'm used to it a little shiny. So come on in the living room now and stop fussing on a stiff upper chin now. Come on and meet the company. Mama, mama, the company's you. David insisted. Oh, David, I could kill you for not telling. Nice manners you have. He insisted I come. I didn't want to. He insisted. I wanted to play Santa Claus. So, darling, now, what do you say? Still, uh, still hate company? Well... Oh, please, Mrs. Brown, now please sit down. I'm very sorry I was busy when you arrived. Quite all right. Thank you, Mrs. Norton. I will sit down. My husband says that he met you in New York. Well, to be honest with you, your husband called me and invited me up to your house for the weekend. Well, we're delighted you could come and that you didn't have any previous plans. Well, listen to her. It's very good to see you. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Oh, several weeks since I went back to town. Do you enjoy living in the city? It's a welcome change from the rural life. The house looks nice, Claudia. You kept it very well. Thank you. I noticed you had the window curtains washed. Well, I have excellent health. The same couple as when you were here last. How fortunate you are. Oh, I am very... Are you two girls going on talking like this all evening? What do you mean, David? I don't know what you mean. Mrs. Brown is here as company. I'm not going to treat her with my ordinary everyday manner. I'm going to use my best company manner. Well, I'm not sure that I can stand the atmosphere. It's kind of stuffy. After all, David, she had her chance to live here with us, just as family. She refused. She decided she would rather live in New York. So now when she visits us, she is company. That's all she is company. And exactly the way I want it. You see? Well, I'll be a... If I may say so, Mrs. Brown, you're looking very well. I believe living in the city round agrees with you. I have more privacy. Don't you miss living with other people? I can't say that I do. No, a little privacy and independence is pleasant. Well, you're old enough to know what you want. Well, how's the baby? Is he well? Is he taking his food? Baby's fine. He's asleep now. We will be very happy to show him to you a little later when he wakes up. Oh, I see. Well, I can wait if he can. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. I guess I ought to go out in the kitchen and tell Bertha to put on the good linen napkins. Linen napkins? What nonsense are you talking about? David, you agree with me, don't you? Oh, of course. I mean, when we're having company, we certainly don't serve just plain old paper napkins with dinner, do we? No, no, no, no. Don't we have lace? And I think we ought to use our good silver and our good dishes. Mm-hmm. And we'll tell Bertha to open up a new can of that good gravy. Oh, yes. Claudia, if you're going to go to that kind of silly trouble, I'm going to turn right around and go right back to New York. Well, there isn't another train till 10 o'clock, and that's too late for a woman alone. Nope, you'll just have to eat with a good linen, good silver. I'm sorry. And the good gravy. And like it. I've never heard of such a business. Well, you'll excuse me. I'll go speak to the cook. Yes, you go. I'll be right back. All right. We won't. Oh, David, you might hang up Mrs. Brown's coat and hat to butlers out milking the cow and feeding the saw. No, let her sleep in them. What a child. Not such a child. She never for a moment suspected that it was you downstairs. Maybe she didn't want to suspect David. Nonsense. She is so excited to see you that she isn't even letting herself go. In that case, David, was I right to come back even if only for a weekend? Of course you were. Why shouldn't you? Just because you're not living with us doesn't mean that you had to be a complete stranger. No, but I don't want to make it difficult. Claudia seemed to be getting on so well by herself. No, once a baby has been weaned, Mrs. Brown, it can taste milk again. Don't be afraid for Claudia. If she'd married any other man, I might be. Yeah, and if she had any other mother, I might not have married her. Such talk. If you have confidence in her, David, I shall give nothing a second thought. And I have confidence in her. I could cheerfully ring her neck at times, but this weekend is a dividend that you both have earned. Who has what coming to whom? Oh, still, Eve's dropping. Nothing has changed since I've been gone. Lots has changed. Maybe he's not very noticeable, but a lot has changed. Good. I'm glad. Well, what did Bertha say when you told her who her company was? She said, ah, no. She hoped we had enough food in the house. I'm not a very big eater. Well, still. An extra mouth is an extra mouth, you know, and of course you were unexpected. It's a good thing I know Bertha, so I'm not interested in what you say. That woman always has enough for six people when she's cooking for two. You know, there's something very ample about Bertha and her cooking. Oh, please take off your hat, Miss Brown. Stay a while. I might. Now, do try to make yourself at home. Not very fancy, but the best we have. I'm very adaptable. Oh, and I must remember how the bed in the guest room made up. Why not to have my old room? Your old room? What do you mean? The one facing the birch tree, my room. We didn't have a birch tree, Mama. That room. You mean the one with the trellis wallpaper? Yeah. Oh, well, I'm very sorry, Mrs. Brown, but that is Mama's room. That's where she stayed when she stayed here. What in the world are you talking about? But the guest room's lovely. Oh, it's charming. That's where we put our company and our very special visitors. Mm-hmm. And I sure you'll be quite comfortable here. Oh, yes, you'll be quite comfortable. Well, if it's good enough for your other company, it's good enough for me. She modest it. Beats anything I could sell. Must remember to put out the good guest tower. I'm starting to feel very, very welcome here. I'm glad. As if like coming hasn't upset anything. Are you sure that you don't have any special plans for the weekend, Claudia, and that you wouldn't like me to go home? Oh, no, we're delighted to have you. Why, you're not inconveniencing us a bit, is she, David? Mm-hmm. No, not much. You tell me if I were. Of course. We make no bones. You have changed the room around a little, haven't you? I think I'd prefer the coffee table where it was between the big chair and the sofa. Oh, really? David, did you hear that? She's criticizing the furniture arrangement already. Well, that's to be expected. Of course. Not everybody that one brings home has the best manners. She just behaves as if you're a member of the family. Mm-hmm. I wonder where she got the idea. I can't imagine. And stop whispering. Some women are... Well, I don't like to use the word, but I think it's four-word. Mm-hmm. You know what they say about New York women. Oh, yes. Yes, I've heard that. If you two don't mind. Oh, what? What? I think I should go upstairs and visit with my grandson. Listen to her. It's her grandson already. And has been for quite a while now. Thank you. Asleep or not, I know he'll be happy to see me. He'll even make me feel wanted instead of as if I'd forced my way into your house against your will. Mm-hmm. Hey, watch out the stairs, mama. I don't think the whole light's on. I know where it is. I'll set it off. Be careful, they're steep. And mama... What is it? Nothing. Except I'll be up in a minute. We'll get your room ready. Well, darling, you surprised? Oh, yes, David. Big surprised. Say how does mama look to you? She looks a little tired to me. Oh, she looks fine. Well, what she needs is some good home cooking in her stomach. I bet she hardly eats when she's alone. It's so alone eating. Now, look here. I didn't bring mama up here so you'd worry about it. I can't help it. It's so good having her here. Well, that's certainly not the impression you gave. Oh, that's just mama and me. Good-bye and hello. They're really almost the same thing, aren't they? You've learned a lot. Well, we're not going to have our weekend alone together. David, darling, you're so good to me. Well, I love you, you little fool. Mama? I love mama first. So did I, that we're even. Do you know something? What's something? No, I think I love you most, but in a different way. Then it's the different way that counts. Now, come on. Come on, let's help our company unpack. When you're at the market gathering your dozen and one household needs, you'll probably find a Coca-Cola cooler installed there so that you may shop refreshed. As you enjoy a bottle of sparkling ice-cold Coke, remember to pick up a carton for the family, or they like to work refreshed and play refreshed too. Hey, Joe, I guess that really surprised Claudia, didn't it? Well, David, I think Claudia had given up thinking that mama would ever come. Well, it's a whole family together again now. Hope you have a good weekend weather. Ah, Claudia won't even notice. As a matter of fact, it's during the week that I hope she has good weather. Yes, I guess it's the long weekdays when you and mama are in town that a little sunshine helps most. And if you don't mind my acting the weatherman, David. Now, don't tell me that that's another one of your talents, Joe. Oh, yes, yes, I'm a very talented fellow. Here's a tip. All right. Monday, you'll have a thaw. Monday we'll have a thaw. Touch of spring in the air. Oh, spring in the air, just as a general reminder that there is such a thing as spring. Well, thanks for the tip, Joe. I'll be seeing you on Monday. Have a nice weekend. Thank you, David. 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, Orifuar, and remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be. When you think of refreshments, think of Coca-Cola. Or Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes. And ice cold Coca-Cola is everywhere. The parts of Claudia and David on this program were played by Catherine Bard and Paul Crabtree. And the entire production is supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola.