 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 Oh Yes, I'm I just just let bluff out the back door. He said it was going to be another nice day Don't even mention it. Thank you. I don't see why you have to be an architect all the way in New York on a morning like this Good morning. Good morning. Good morning I have to be an architect in New York on a morning like this mainly because somebody has to make some money to keep this family Yes, especially now that we have this house And speaking of money our new maids coming this morning. I think I'm following and Fred We won't need any money for the new maid It's wonderful how cheap they are when they don't take the job Hardly costs a penny not to hire a maid all they ask is their car fair nice of them, isn't it very very throw me a Pair of socks darling. Would you where are they in the drawer? Where do you think you really need a maid? Don't you I seem to dress without help Here you are catch Nice brown woolly pair the way you throw. What's the matter with it? I'm standing here by the bed not over by the window, so I don't throw straight. I'll never let you play on my baseball I am heartbroken David you think she'll stay who who who honestly? Sometimes I feel as if I'm talking to thin air Gertrude the new maid. Oh, oh Gertrude answer me. Do you think she will like it here and stay? I don't know she hasn't come yet. I like it here When she does come do you think she'll like it? I don't know We'll have to ask her nicely if she will I'm going right on talking as if you weren't here at all That should be interesting Personally, I think she's going to be marvelous Who and she's going to love cats and dogs. She'll probably be terrified by them who? All right, all right now. We're evil almost it settled once and for all that we're both talking about Gertrude the prodigal maid Shake shake I've been thinking about her all night. You must be exhausted. I would be if I hadn't slept so well You know she isn't really a maid at all. No. No, she's different I mean, she's not not not a professional. No, she's only a widow who's coming to help us out Only a widow Go on talk as if I'm not here good dude is a neighbor That's the way I'm going to treat her I only hope that's the way she'll treat you and no heavy cleaning David We mustn't ask that father's thing for my mind and it has been on your mind It has not then how could it be the father's thing? Well, every talent helps If I have to do all the cooking and mama has to darn all the socks if that happens I go. Goodbye. Come on now This is the way it's going to be You pretend to be Gertrude David and I'll pretend to be me. You will pretend to be you. Yes Well, don't strain yourself. Oh now. Am I a mousy Gertrude or a mountainous Little bit of both just to be on the safe side. All right her voice sounded mountainous. I'm ready Come in Gertrude Now I want you to feel completely at home Gertrude consider. This is your house too small to be my house Oh, don't worry about that Gertrude My husband is a simply marvelous architect and he's adding to the house all the time Just tell him what you want and we'll build it I want a glass and closed shower and my breakfast in bed You can have all your meals in bad Gertrude. My husband himself will be happy to serve you. I don't like your husband. Goodbye I don't like him either I'll send him away if you'll stay hey Look at the time. Oh, don't mind that car. It's not right. How do you know? It's fast It wasn't yesterday. Well, that was yesterday. I know it's fast because I put it ahead I suppose you had an excellent reason. I did I put the clock ahead so I'd never be late again Oh, I know how you hate me to be late Now that an excellent reason or isn't it? Well, um Come over here. I'll tell you I don't trust you come here. I said I'm here Oh, David Must have been an excellent reason now Come on Whether it's early or late. I want my breakfast. So do I I've worked up a ferocious appetite impersonating Gertrude as soon as I put on my coat. David. What time do you think she'll come? Oh About one o'clock one o'clock Knowing Gertrude as well as I do she probably doesn't like getting up early Then she'll probably leave at two o'clock because she doesn't like staying late But I don't care even if she leaves. Hey, you're not giving up so easily. Are you? No, but I don't have any false hopes Then I won't be disappointed. You'll miss a lot of fun that way. It's worth it We've had so many false alarms with maids now Let me tell you something what David. I don't care if We never get a maid. That's a fine thing to say. You're the one who's been insisting. I still don't care Because that's the only way we'll get one Now come on to breakfast. Oh David I'd be lost without you not at all. You'd manage perfectly But don't ever get lost see never I promise I'm starving and I am ready. I'm eight steps ahead of you I'm not going to have much time for breakfast. I don't care how much you have to hurry to get to the station you eat your breakfast You and breakfast you have a fixation on eating breakfast. It comes from fixing them One of these days. I'm going to make you eat your pun for breakfast Bloody wait a minute. What's the matter? Do you do you smell something burning? I I smell something cooking Bacon Honestly that mother of mine. She had to get up and start cooking breakfast. That's what we get for laudering. We were discussing something very important Well, we're laudering off tiptoe into the kitchen and surprise her and after we surprise her I'm going to take her over my knee. She's supposed to be a guest here. Mama doesn't know what being a guest means Will you look at that? She set the table to Wait, I give her a piece of my mind. Can you spare it mama? What do you meet? What do you? Mama, what do you mean by coming down here and cook? Oh? Hello, you miss is not and good morning David this is just calling a good trip the whole name's good to dance and but just call me good Good back door open. So I just came in you ought to lock doors at night Well, we're we're we're awfully glad you're here. That's good Isn't it David? Yes. Yes quite a surprise Well, I figures I get started earlier finish early. Oh, so that's it then I can go home clean my own house get back in time for dinner Oh Sounds like an awfully full day. Doesn't it David? Hmm. It does to me. That's her never minds a lot of work She likes to keep busy when my husband was alive. I was busy all the time men do need an awful lot of care Don't think your experience has been so widespread. Hasn't it Mrs. Very extensive my experience Gertrude, we hope you're going to like it here. I'm not fussy now You better set right down all the cereals going to be overcooked the bacon fried out the muffins burned and the eggs hard boiled I dropped them when I heard you move and round up stairs Gertrude, that's um, that's really a great deal more than I usually eat for breakfast I come along David come along We'll sit right down in the dining room and get started, but darling Everything sounds delicious Gertrude. Just bring it in whenever you're ready Come on David. You're a man, Mr. Norton. You got to eat a decent breakfast I used to feed my husband a great big breakfast every day Where oh where is her husband now? I'm not going to eat eggs and cereal and bacon and please today Just today. Oh All right, but just today. Thanks What do you think of her? I am bold over Starting right off. Here's your orange juice and some stewed prunes on the side for Mr. Norton You love stewed prunes. Don't you David? Do I? Yes. Yes. I guess I will I brought breakfast up to your mother on a tray. Oh, that was certainly thoughtful of you She thought I didn't want to put me to the trouble, but Gertrude don't mind a little extra trouble For mama Bet she doesn't know what hit her Eat your prunes. I Don't even know what hit me and I've seen her eat your prunes Want to offend Gertrude? Just this morning. Now don't ever take advantage of me again. Do you think she'll stay? She certainly seems to be cutting out a niche for herself a nice large one She's not a bit like what I expected. I thought she'd be serious the cereal and the cream Oh, do you like your eggs and bacon first some folks do this is fine Gertrude? Thank you scream when you want me I'm making some dough for a rhubarb pie rhubarb I hate rhubarb You'll like it and eat it eat it all right, but I don't promise you I'll like it That doesn't matter anymore Well, that's the last of the prunes thank heavens. You look better already Claudia always said you should eat a good breakfast. This isn't good. This is Not and I wrote a list out of the things you'll need when you go downtown You can pick them up. Oh, would you like I should telephone? I usually go down to the market. That's okay with Gertrude This afternoon I'll start on the laundry then tomorrow I can do the ironing next week I'll start putting the house in a regular schedule Well, you just let me know from now on you don't have to worry about a thing leave it all to Gertrude I certainly do appreciate that. Well always figures that I'm around take things Hmm, so I'll just take over and do things as I see fit. I'll get the bacon and eggs You haven't much more time to catch a train mr. Naughton. I've been working on the rail I wish she'd get off of that railroad or at least go on to the next stop Maybe she'll sing another song tomorrow unless David you really think she'll stay at least till tomorrow. I think she'll stay all right The only question is whether there'll be room for us to stay to David's headed for the railroad Every live long day What if her family invited friends to drop in this evening? Would you have to scurry around trying to find refreshment to offer them? If you had plenty of coca-cola on ice you wouldn't have to think twice about company Expected or unexpected for ice cold coke invites people to make themselves at home It offers everyone the pause that refreshes and that includes the hostess too How's your supply of coke and you better order a carton or a case today? Hey, mr. King. I think everything's going to work out fine I'll bet it is Gertrude Claudia and David have been looking far and wide for someone like you to help them out And I'm the one to do that things are gonna hum in the Norton home with Gertrude round They'll not only hum they'll crow who's gonna do the crawling who usually does a rooster of course roaster I seen a cat and a dog around here, but no roaster come around tomorrow Gertrude, and you'll see your rooster and eating rooster Well, he was bought to be eaten, but you know Claudia Well, I'll get around tomorrow to find out so long mr. King bye Gertrude 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 Or Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes and ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere These broadcasts are adapted for radio by mania and Roger star 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