 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 David Claudia what are you two doing sitting around the office after five o'clock and what are you doing coming back to the office so late Roger because I'm absent-minded because I forgot my pills in my desk door and I'm going to a dinner party and you know the food at Dinner parties. I should die in ulcers agony if I am not equipped with all my beer the before meal and the after meal now Does that answer your question? Yes rather explicitly to I'd say Just what are you two doing here? You seem rather well settled David with his feet on his desk. Claudia just looking Well rather well settled. We're waiting. Oh Fascinating past that I suppose you even want to know what we're waiting for is it a what nope? It's a who Jared Tucker is the whom Jared Tucker The old man of the mountain from whom you bought the farm the very same Why the chuckle Roger it's rude to laugh by yourself Well at least tell us why so we can laugh with you hit the picture of that toothless old man wandering around New York in his G He was wearing his city suit and he looked very respectable spit in tobacco at the left post muttering away to himself Imagine what a surprise he must be to the other pedestrians Well, you're not laughing Any other day maybe Something wrong with the old man. You don't know. Oh now look just because he's late doesn't mean he's been hit by a taxi or anything Like that. That's not what we're thinking right. We drove mr. Tucker into town this morning He was to meet us here at 515 and in between Well, all we know is that yesterday after we brought the cow home and got her settled he Asked if he could hit your ride into town with us Then he muttered something about a hospital. Oh, well, maybe he was going to visit someone. No, I don't think so why not? Well, I just don't Mr. Tucker never would have mentioned the hospital at all if it was that he was going to do something nice for someone else You're sure yes I've never known a man who goes to more trouble to seem tough when inside He's as soft and sweet as a marshmallow and you love marshmallows. Tucker's a funny old man and Claudia's right about him No, he went to the hospital about himself Frankly, I wish he were here now. You're a wondrous couple all worked up over an old man Who's already long outlived himself? What is he 90? He says he's 86 86 and no responsibility for yours whatsoever But he is in a way. He's our neighbor Claudia's turned out to be a real Yankee hasn't she David more of a Yankee than a Yankee Roger She drives a mighty tight bargain being a Yankee has nothing to do with that. It's being a woman And they're knocking I believe is the original Yankee come in mr. Tucker I Thought you might have given up waiting for me be now not a chance mr. Tucker I was a kind of delay them on the ground railroad trains took me traveling where I had no business going you You got on the wrong train. Did you never could find the right one ended up for doing it? But legs thanks mayors to say I can get myself around better than it goes Durned underground rings a mokka locomo kusen. Yep. I can good evening, mr. Tucker You're the partner of mr. Norton, ain't you Roger Killian is the name. Yep. We met before I wasn't sure you remembered Oh, I ain't losing the memory. I might be losing some other things if I might even have lost them already But I ain't losing the memory. We were worried about you mr. Tucker. Hey got plenty right to be mrs. Norton We have I've been fighting with this city all day How any sensible man stays alive in this here hornet's nest is more than I can see cars on the street Stopping going turning trains over your head trains under your feet people pushing pulling Tank fittings around and even for even for a human being anything. Oh, we agree. That's why we moved to Eastbrook round about noon I got a hankering to see a speck of sky, so I stood still where I was and looked up Here broke my neck crane around the tops of the buildings to catch a peek of the blue Then you're got myself killed too got walked into by eight people almost started to panic Folks was wondering what I was staring at when I told him wasn't nothing but a speck of sky I practically ended up being drug off to the nearest booby hatch No, you wouldn't catch me dead living here. You wouldn't I dare say we wouldn't catch you dead living anywhere, mr. Tucker That's quite a day quite a day. Well, is that all that happened to you? Oh, not by a long shot. So what else? What else I'm keeping to myself some things is personal. Oh Yep, some things a man prefers not to talk about a man should be able to talk about anything to his friend says who I Talk about what I talk about. That's all. Yep. That's me So this here office is where you architect. Hey son. Yeah, this is it pretty high up I near lost me isn't that elevator coming up, but it don't blame you You don't blame David for what being pretty high ups about the only safe place in this here city down blow You've got the cars automobiles in the pigeons to worry about Up here only them airplanes and them elevators You know, I don't blame the Indians for selling this here island of Manhattan for $24. That's all it's worth son So it's worth you. You don't come into town often. Do you only for emergencies? medical kind more often than not but Folks get to my age. We got to expect them out of trouble farmers Architects, you're all one when you're dead dad. Yep Even I'm gonna die someday. They tell me yep, even Jared Tucker That's difficult for each of us to believe in our own mortality the most difficult thing of all Especially when you've lived as long as I have say Son near of this phone call. I'm just itching to make why don't you say so there's a phone Well, if you let me finish it wouldn't be so quick to hand me the phone It's a long-distance car all the better Still don't understand won't cost you just a nickel. It's long-distance the Eastbrook the Eastbrook is that all We don't call Eastbrook long distance. That's where we live Oh, you get into New York, Mrs. Norton. You're just as nutty as the rest of me, but I warned you I ain't calling just around the corner now. Mr. Tucker, why don't you use the phone at the outside there? It'll be more comfortable more private. Oh, I ain't got nothing to hide much. I'm just calling Delilah. Give your sister my regard Yes, I will and she'll send them right back with her name attached silly business You're sure now you don't mind about this call. No, we're we're flattered to have you use our phone, Mr. Tucker Cogwash put your flight Eastbrook 714 ring two And get it to me quick here Doesn't look so good does it talking about death an awful lot You don't think that he oh No, he couldn't be he could be yes. Is he always so irresistible mellow today Roger, that's why we're concerned. Oh Delilah, she's younger than he is and he treats her as if she were a hundred. Yep. I'm still in the city Terrible place to no place for a woman. No, it's not rude to ease drop when it's for a purpose. Is it David? It's always rude poor old Tucker Delilah I'm calling you about Supper so I shop and listen to me Seems to me like I said, I thought I'd be able to manage a steak this evening. Did not steak He can't be very sick. Can you hear me? Well, forget it. No steak. Oh, and then french-fried potatoes Forget them too. I want you to make me a dish of milk toast instead Goes down nice and easy like milk toast and soft-boiled eggs for dinner. Stop it Delilah in the eggs are very soft. Get it? Hey, milk toast and very soft eggs Sounds bad. It's his stomach. I'm intimate with milk toast and very soft boiled eggs, too Yes, yes, that's the medical says I was a pretty hopeless case Nothing more he could do for me, but let me go Yes, dag them all hopeless case. Oh David. It's awful. Them doctors ain't good for much when it's something important Well Yes, just might as well face it. I ain't as young as I was. I ain't get old, but I ain't as young as I was Hey Well, take good care of yourself and feed the pigs. I'll be home in a bit David you talk to him man to man Roger and I'll just step into the other office. That's why David. Maybe we can help you He's a tough customer, but I'll do my best. Come on this way thought you are you ready now, mr. Tucker Mr. Tucker, I'll I'll be honest I Overheard your conversation with your sister. Oh, it ain't nothing to bust about I overhears every conversation I can get me is on to mr. Tucker a couple of months ago when I was in a car accident and things were a little tough with us You came over the house and offered Claudia help We'll never forget that you didn't take my help So why the pretty speeches because now we want to offer you help offer me help. There's no use pretending mr. Tucker Please let us do this. I Don't know who your doctor is or what is exactly the matter, but I know some very fine specialists If there's anything that can be done you're a right nice man mr. Naughton and your wife's a right nice woman, but you can't help me that way Tainted i'm not not grateful for the offer, but you can't help me why not it's my teeth son my teeth Your teeth they don't fit they never will fit and never can fit do you Do you you see these uppers and lowers worth set of teeth? I ever tried to chew it I can't chew candy I come into town to get them set straight, but the doctor says long as I insist on using the store bought kind He just can't help me You you mean you mean you bought these in a store sure did I wouldn't let a doctor hard and swungle me into making them daughter cost a fortune and if I can buy my shoes in the store I can buy my teeth in a store too Except they they just don't fit right. Well, how do your shoes fit? They don't fit right need but I grow used to them grow calluses These dang teeth I was better off when I was getting along with only two of them At least the way they was one above the other well that made it convenient a store bought ones are always falling out. I got the Up and I I went and talked just just leaving my mouth open see One eats on its holy murder that they're chewing up my gums like a tractor and leaving the food alone So that's why you came into town. I get no satisfaction none tall Except from knowing that you're my friend. I knew that before mr. Tucker. You you must have known it too. Yes, I did I did dang Cheat keep me from talking as much as I'd like to Claudia Claudia come in here. I've got good news for you Maybe he's gonna love to do whatever we can Well, why the funny look it's It's not his stomach and it's Not his age It is teeth not his teeth They don't quite fit right ergo the milk toast and soft boiled eggs. You mean You mean those beautiful teeth aren't yours mr. Tucker. They sure ain't and i'm proud. I ain't related to them. That's a cousin So, uh, darling, oh david. What a relief. It's only his teeth only matthew She says it's only matthew Mrs. Norton things have gotten so bad that i'm thinking of taking these dang teeth and doing matthewing in the palm of my hand That's how bad things is yep Toothless Tucker, that's me No two people work alike But all people feel better after a refreshing pause during the working day And that is as true for homemakers as for time clock punchers The ironing will go smoother the sauce will turn out better If you relax with a frosty bottle of delicious coca-cola and go back to work refreshed He's quite a character that old Tucker isn't he mr. King. He certainly is there aren't many of his guilt left are there Personally, uh, mr. Killian. I feel that folk like mr. Tucker are like Salt and pepper for instance spread around thin They add flavor to the countryside a nice flavor. I like it And I think eastbrook is a pretty nice place to live eastbrook Yes, it's much like any other small town in this country. I imagine Folks are born folks grow old There's christmas, easter summer winter. It's uh, it's all pretty much the same Well, I know one thing tomorrow is pretty much the same all over because tomorrow is armistice day You're right, mr. Killian a day to be reckoned with Well, goodbye joe. Goodbye 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 all of war and remember Whoever you are whatever you do wherever you may be When you think of refreshment think of coca-cola More 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