 Your coca-cola bottler presents 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 and now Claudia Old Gertrude don't bother to clean up here and mr. Norton study this morning and old Gertrude Just anything for lunch Do you hear me? Yes, I heard you you said just anything for luncheon. Did I must have been crazy? That would hardly be the thing for mr. Norton Let's see David, what would you like for luncheon? Hmm? What'd you say? I said what would you like for luncheon? Just anything like you said mrs. Norton kidneys is good. I have to get some for myself And you're welcome to share the mr. Norton. I'll throw something in an empty orange for mrs. Norton if she'd prefer Settle kid the kidneys it is and I'll let you know how settled it is after lunch And I'm not the clean mr. Norton's work from until after this room is to be officially known as my work room It is I fixed it. I'm nicely didn't I you like it. Don't you oh It's so nice to have you doing your work at home. You did and I do and you don't say Say the things you left out and I'll catch up with you Fixed it up nice, and I like it swell and what makes you think I can get any work done in this house Would you be happier if I went somewhere else and left you alone? I would be happiest if you stayed right here and stayed still Good oh here your matches. Are you a mind reader? Fundamental my dear watch You had that funny preoccupied look you have when you start thinking about filling your pipe the Preoccupied look was because I was sure that I left a pipe here on the work table, and it doesn't seem to be here It's on the top shelf of the cupboard. I tied it up. You tied it up Yeah, and if you hadn't been here I'd have wasted an hour looking for it, but I am here. Oh So you are? It doesn't distract you if I lean over and watch your work. Oh, no, no fine That doesn't distract me having someone breathe down the back of your neck is one of the best aids to concentration David were you expecting someone this morning? No, why I just wondered now look darling You just don't suddenly wonder if I'm expecting somebody this morning. I mean out of a clear sky Looks like I was clouding up a bit. Well, why would I be expecting a man out of a clouding sky? Oh, well, maybe you aren't expecting him, but he's there who's who's where? Strange man standing round by the bar and just looking at things Let me see Nobody we know I wonder what he wants Of course, I could pretend to be a mind reader and answer that I'm nearly Wondered well he might be a tree surgeon out drumming up trade or lightning rod salesman We have lightning rods. We should well then don't you think you better go out and see him? We have lightning rods Oh, but I'm not getting too much work done. Anyway, I'll go out. You don't trust me strange man I don't trust you with Greeks bearing gifts. He doesn't look like a Greek Greeks who bear gifts never do Mr. Norton. Oh, good morning. Hi morning. Hi morning My name is George Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds. Glad to meet you. You weren't busy with something. I didn't interrupt you Well, I was busy, but the Interruption started before you arrived working to home. Were you? Yes, just recent married No, we've been married almost a year. Well, I stand looking down the years almost a year's mighty recent Going to have a baby right soon Is there something that I maybe maybe I just stopped in look around some You bought the whole 88 acres and Jared didn't you? Yes, I got more in your milk teeth if you drove a trade with Jared Jared sure was tickled Told me about it right afterwards. He was there. Yeah Said if you'd been darned fool enough to be willing to buy the place without the north lot with the grove on it He wouldn't have sold it to you. Oh, he wouldn't there no Jared said he'd live too long to invite a fool to be his boundary neighbor. No Look mr. Reynolds, there was something you wanted to I just dropped in to look around just to look around. Yep Planet do some farming Yeah, how's yeah chickens. Yeah a pig or two Yep, not too much, but enough for yourselves with some leftover to sell. Yep smart Yep Look mr. Reynolds if it wouldn't be rude or seem inquisitive into other people's affairs might I ask what your business is Eastbrook mr. Norton. That's my business. Well, I didn't mean where I meant. What is your business? I brought them out to you. Good morning, ma'am. Good morning. You're Mrs. Norton Yeah, I'm glad to meet you nice to have you in Eastbrook. I'm George Reynolds I just dropped by and your husband's been talking to me. Well, you dropped by but I wouldn't say that I've been doing the talking Hey, you're a short-worded man. You might have been born in Eastbrook. Too many long-winded people in the world I haven't made up my mind yet. Hey nice job. You did on Jared's old house fine old house fine Good job. Yes, sir. You like the house that's nice. I understand you're an architect, mr. Norton David did the house over himself Time to change times have changed when you want to build a house today. You need an architect Well, maybe it's a good thing it could be So do I but I can't figure out what now I suppose you wonder what I'm doing up here It was a question that had entered my mind mr. Reynolds Well, it all comes to this. I got a piece of building to do and I need an architect. You need an architect. Yep Well, I I'm pretty busy at the moment before you say no. I want you to hear me out. We're a self-sufficient community We are we are yep when we got people right here in the community to do a job Wouldn't be right to go somewhere else to get an architect. It wouldn't no, sorry Not when we got what you might call a needy architech right here in the community and a good one Well, thank you for the compliment, but I've gathered that people around here have thought of me as that City fellow. Well, the necessity is the mother of invention and I've been doing a little Inventing this morning. Well, anyway, I want to thank you It wasn't much of an invention either. You've got yourself a good home and a good piece of land and your first crop Excuse me, ma'am. He's going to be one of your own youngins. That's putting your roots down Heck man, you're a part of this community It's not only right that you should have a hand in the putting up of a building that your son someday look at and say My people built that well, I'll tell you mr. Reynolds It's David. Why don't you do it and rocks the cradle rules the republic mr. Norton? You're not going to say no after what mrs. Norton just said Well, I really have to take it over and come down to my place in a day or two and we'll look the site over I'll be getting along Yeah, good. Bye Good. Bye. Bye Well, I think he was nice What what sort of a building does he want you to do? Probably a chicken coop or a gas station. He didn't say Lunch is on the table. We're coming Well, even chicken houses have to be built And he did call you a native and a neighbor probably won't take too much time It is the neighborly thing to do That's right down. I'm bringing it in Senior talk to George Reynolds Gertrude Who is mr. Reynolds mr. Big? I mean, what does he do runs Eastbrook? Well, he ought to do a good job. He seems to know everybody's business makes that his business too Seems like a nice man. He's most nice about a month before the first Tuesday in November But even after the votes is in he's a good man. George is I gather that George is a holder of political office in the community He's the first select man of the town. He's been since before the memory of living man. I gather about select It's a strange title. What's it mean? Why it's just about all there is sort of a president mayor Controller of the budget and chief bottle washing. Oh, well, tell about are you going to what build it? Didn't George ask it. That's what he was here for. Well, this is reticent mind your own business New England for you Mr. Reynolds knows all my business and Gertrude knows all of Reynolds business Well, you're more of a mixing up man to talk to than Jared Tucker. You ain't told me whether you're gonna build it or not Well, maybe you can tell me what it is. I'm going to build Gertrude Mr. Reynolds neglected to come to the point any sensible person would have thought you'd known the whole towns are They had a meeting last week and talked it over Yes, but what was it had a man up and hop for the wanted Warren He said they ought to think about you Reynolds said was good business to have a man who really really lived here build it He'd have more of a conscience. Yes, but Gertrude. What some said it was a might of money for a young man to be playing around with And Jared Tucker said that Alexander Hamilton was no more mr. Norton's age when he started the Federal reserve Gertrude, please. Do you think you could manage to disclose the secret of what this building is? What else could we be talking about the new school in the village? I'll get you coffee They've been talking about it meeting about it for gone on three years, but George Reynolds ain't a quick man to spend a quarter of a million dollars David you thought mr. Reynolds was trying to talk you into building a chicken house or gas station What's the matter? Wasn't your lunch good? Oh Yeah, I was fine fine What are you standing there looking out the window for? I was Looking out at our land Looking at it with new eyes You know The freight terminal that Roger and I'll be building in Chicago will represent a lot of money a lot more money than this will Yet I have a feeling That building the schoolhouse in this community here in Eastbrook Will be one of the most important jobs in my life put your arm around me David No being natives belonging to a community It's an important And a very wonderful thing You talked so much a clear for God. You didn't tell me if he was going to build a school build a school Gertrude Yes Yes, sir. I'm going to build it. He's just made an appointment with our grandson When our grandson is eight years old Some people maintain that young folks are too demanding today, but I don't share that opinion Seems to me they don't ask a great deal in the way of entertainment for example Just look at a crowd of them gathered around a phonograph With half a dozen records and with ice cold coke for refreshment They can have a good time for hours You know that as well as I do if you have any young folks in your household and Coca-Cola at five cents is certainly a modest request one that any fond parent can satisfy I guess that settles it. Mr. Mrs. Norton. They're Eastbrookers now We'll all have to stop thinking of them as New Yorkers won't we certainly will think that pleased I should say they are Gertrude Please just punch will Gertrude always says if you're going to live someplace you got to be a native You've the right idea there those two sure seem happy I've never seen a young couple who needs other folks less each other's all the want it's good But it's not always as easy as that Gertrude for instance a tomorrow night. What happens? Well, they have unexpected visitors a gentleman and a lady And the lady a famous actress takes a very noticeable shine to David don't blame her at all Well, well Claudia and how is she going to cope with it out here tomorrow to find out Gertrude don't like to miss a story like that So long Joe. Goodbye Gertrude as I was about to say 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 joking saying or of war 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 and Ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney and now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola