 Your Coca-Cola bottler presents, Claudia, based on the 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. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. David, are you sure her train didn't get in already? Who's? The new maid? Of course! Who's do you think? Of course it didn't get in. Her train isn't due until mine leaves. Maybe hers was early. There hasn't been an early train here at Eastbrook Station in years. Besides, there's no one standing on the other platform. But, if her train was early and she didn't find me at the station, she'd have thought there was a mistake. She'd have gotten back on and gone away. You wish that had happened, don't you? Who, me? Yeah. Don't try to sound so innocent. Greedy. You don't want to share your kitchen with anybody else. I don't want to share my budget with anybody else. It's big enough. Besides, hiring a maid this way is so complicated. I don't see how it can possibly come out all right. Well, what's complicated about it? Well, firstly, I don't even know what she looks like. Now she's going to come and live in our house. Doesn't that make you feel queer? Not particularly. The agency recommended her, you said. Well, I've never seen the agency, either. Well, you told me it was a very good agency. It is. The best in New York. It is. But I've never hired a maid over the telephone before. Oh, that's progress. You have to get used to it. Oh, that's progress? That's progress, all right. I should have gone to New York myself to find her. That's the whole point of having a maid. What is? To save you running around, doing a lot of things you don't have to. Especially now. Especially now. Just because I'm becoming a mother, you want me to act like a bookend? Exactly. Except that I won't make you stay on the mantle. You can sit in the chair. Thanks a lot. Oh, nothing to it. Very nice. But aren't you... You aren't to try to keep the whole house going by yourself. Do you realize what we have to give up to have a maid? Oh, sure. Means no caviar, no champagne. No champagne, and no new car either. That's right. And no new suit. On the farm, I won't need new suit. Oh? Overall, thank you. But a maid costs so much money, and David, we have got to economize. We figured it out yesterday. Remember? We settled it all yesterday, too. With the baby doing two months. Someone to help you is not an extravagance. You probably won't be any good at all. I think she'll be wonderful. I only hope that she likes us. She'll probably give us finger bowls with every meal. Finger bowls are fine. Just so she gives us coffee too. Oh, she'll probably make terrible coffee. I bet you she isn't a very good cook. What do you bet? Then we'll live on eggs and milk, and no complaints. She won't cook eggs and milk. Her specialties are probably creamed oyster plants. Then we'll just learn to like creamed oyster plants. Oh. Well, I don't see why you're being so nice to her. We are paying her to live in our house for nothing. And think how much it costs us. I'm nice to her because maids are so scarce nowadays. And, darling, darling, please make a desperate, all-out effort to like her. All-out? That sounds like an order. It's meant to sound like an order. What do you think she'll look like? Oh, she'll probably look like a horse. Like a horse? Or as strong as one, I hope. Hey, here's my train. And your new maid is coming in on the other track in about ten minutes. I'm as nervous as though I were taking a job. Well, you better go around under the tracks and meet her, darling. I'll take the car. She'll have baggage. Good hunting, darling. Yeah, I'll put train you coming out on tonight. The 6-14. I'll be there. Goodbye, darling. Goodbye, darling, and good luck. Thank you. Very glad you got here. Oh, what did you say your name was? Emma Katzstein. Well, Emma, I'm sure we're going to be very happy together. Oh, you only brought one suitcase? No, ma'am. Well, where are the rest of them? I got two others. They're in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn? I leave them there until I see them if I like the people. Oh, well, I'm sure you'll like us, Emma. Especially Mr. Norton. He's, well, you'll like him. Yes, ma'am. It's, uh, it's such a nice drive to our house. Is this the first time you've been to Connecticut? I think so. Lots of trees, isn't it? Oh, yes. They're all just coming out. Some people like them. Did you ever live on a farm before? Not on a farm. Oh, I see. Well, where did you live? I mean, you didn't live on a farm. For a Mrs. Morris. Oh, really? Where for a Mrs. Morris? Brooklyn. Oh. Well, this is different from Brooklyn. How many in the family? Just the two of us, Emma. Well, Emma, here it is. This is our house. Yes, ma'am. Is this the front door? Yes, it is. And we'll give you a key, of course. Where's the back door? On the other side of the house. Why? I don't know. Well, Emma, let's go right in. Everything's pretty clean, I think. You really can just spend the day getting settled. Yes, ma'am. This is the living room and that's the dining room that way. He just finished putting in that bay window there. Emma, what's the matter? What's that? Well, that's our dog, that's Bluff. Come here, Bluff, old fellow. But aren't your paws for Emma? Well, how do you do? He belong here? Of course he does. Oh, you mustn't be afraid of him, Emma. He's only a great dame. They're the gentlest dogs in the whole world. Bluff, I guess you'd better run outside and play for the rest of the day. You mustn't be upset, Emma. He just likes to make believe he's fierce. He wouldn't hurt a fly, would he? Now we'll see the kitchen. What kind of stove is it? Electric. And it's new. I like electric stoves. Good for frosting. Oh, you must be a very good cook from what you say. Yes, ma'am. Oh. Well, that's fine. Is this the kitchen? Oh, yes, yes. And there's a new icebox. Emma, there's nothing to be afraid of. That's only our cat. Doesn't look like no cat. Must be a country cat. Oh, no. We brought him from New York. His name is Shakespeare. He won't bother you a bit when you can see. Cats isn't usually so bad. In Brooklyn, I didn't mind him none. Well, now, Emma, let's look at your room. We just fixed it up. It's right here, down on the L. No. No what? No, I ain't gonna look at my room. But don't you even want to see it before you start to work? I don't like dogs. Oh, you'll love, love when you get to know him. I don't like cats. Shakespeare? I don't like the place. I don't think I'll be staying. But you said you liked the stove. I changed my mind. You take me to the station. Why, Emma, maybe you'll change your mind about that, too. I don't change my mind after I've changed it. But if you met Mr. Norton, you might please take me back. And please, you take him out of the way. That cat. Oh, poor Shakespeare. When David finds out what you've done, he'll never forgive you. You cat. Oh, there isn't time to have the agency send someone else before he comes back. Oh, was there only one more time? Good. That's good. Here I am, too. Hello. You look nice. You look wonderful. Come on. How is she? Oh, Simply Marvel. Oh, boy, that's a break. All the way back, she told me about the things she can bake. She's an expert on frosting. Sounds like a real cook. I'll bet she is. And tell me, is she a good housewife? Oh, I suppose. Oh, that is great. Great. Come on, come on, let's go home. You know, we are awfully lucky. Are we? We sure are. Why? Because we found a maid who... Now, see here. We decided we wanted a maid, and you've got a good one. Now, tell me, don't you like her better than you expected to? David, I hate her. You hate her? Now, see here, darling, this nonsense has gone far enough. Now, let's turn off the motor and thrash this thing out right now. I never want to see her again. Eh? You sound serious. What sort of a... a dragon is she? I can't wait to get home and see for myself. You won't. I won't walk. You won't see her. She's gone. She left? She left. Just... just like that? Just like that. Well, there, didn't you say so, right away? I thought you'd be angry. Angry? I am angry, aren't I? Claudia. Yes, darling? Now, tell me. Just what did you say to her? I just didn't say anything to her. Bluff said something to her. Bluff? Shakespeare said something to her. Shakespeare? I said nothing at all. Then she made me take her away. Oh. Oh, you mean she doesn't like... dogs and cats? Not only she doesn't like dogs and cats, but she doesn't like our house. She sounds terrible. She is terrible. Perfectly terrible. But listen, just a minute ago, you said she sounded wonderful. Well, I... I wouldn't stand for anyone in the house who doesn't like animals. And she didn't like our house either. She did not. Well, I... I wouldn't want anyone like that around the place, would you? Well, you said it didn't matter what she was like. I'm surprised you waited for her to leave. I would have asked her to leave before she got a chance to say anything. But we've got to have a maid, darling. Well, we don't have to take just anybody, Claudia. It's still our house. Oh, David, I love you. Of course, darling. She was terrible, but it's partly your fault. My fault? When you've hired someone who's going to do the work around the house like a new maid, the first day you've got to treat her with kid gloves. David, I did. Kid gloves. You mustn't ask her to make dinner the first day. But, David... In fact, when you have a new maid, you've got to invite her out to dinner the first night. At the very best restaurant you can find. David, are you crazy? Of course. I'm crazy about the nicest maid I ever took to dinner. The hostess who goes to all sorts of trouble often wonders why her guests don't seem at ease. Usually, it's because she's not at ease. The clever hostess keeps a case of Coca-Cola in the house and always manages to have a good supply on ice. Then, she can turn any occasion into a party simply by bringing out a tray full of those frosty bottles and suggesting, have a Coke. How's your supply of Coca-Cola, by the way? Mr. King, if you don't mind. Emma Castee, hello. Hello. We're all awfully sorry that you decided not to stay with the Norton's. That's too bad. Nothing against the Norton's. I just didn't want the job bad enough. That's as good a reason as any, I suppose. Living in the country with all those trees. Nope. Not for me. Maybe Claudia's going to feel like that, too, tomorrow. She likes trees. Queer. Trees aren't all she has on the farm, though. She has plumbing and plumbing sometimes mean pipes that burst. Glad I didn't stay. Goodbye, Mr. King. Goodbye, Emma Castee. 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 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. 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.