(Pause. WELCH folds up the string of flags and puts it back in case.)
WELCH
: Not in the market. Not in the market. Well—you don’t know how disappointed certain influential parties are going to be about this, Emma. You have no idea.
EMMA
: Who are you, anyway? What is your name? What are you doing in my house?
WELCH
: Your house—yes—did you say six rooms?
EMMA
: What?
WELCH
: Here in the house. Six rooms?
EMMA
: Well—including the basement.
WELCH
: Including the basement. That’s right. And you’re sure there’s no one down there?
EMMA
: Yes, I am—sure.
WELCH
: Swear on a stack of bibles?
EMMA
: I don’t have to—
WELCH
: Good-bye, Emma.
(He snaps the case shut and abruptly exits front door.)
EMMA
: What? Wait a minute! Hey!
(She watches WELCH cross past the window outside and disappear off left. She runs out on the porch and rings the old school bell for FRANK. She yells out to FRANK across the frozen fields.)
Frank!! Frank! Come on up here, would ya, Frank!
(She comes back into the house, pauses, and looks around, slightly stunned, trying to figure out the whole encounter with WELCH. She goes back out on porch and rings bell again. Calls out to FRANK.)
Frank!! Come on up here!
(She stops ringing bell and waves vigorously for FRANK to come up to the house. She comes back into the house and crosses to the basement staircase. She yells down to their guest.)
Mr. Haynes! Mr. Haynes, are you up yet? I’m making breakfast, if you’re interested! Bacon. Crispy bacon.
(No answer. She goes to stove and resumes frying up bacon. She calls out again from stove in a singsong voice.)
Oh, Mr. Haynes!
(FRANK appears outside on porch, stomping his feet to get the snow and mud off. EMMA jumps at the sound. FRANK enters.)
FRANK
: (
slightly winded from the hike
) Why’d you ring the bell?
(EMMA turns and crosses to him. She looks out the windows.)
EMMA
: There was a man here. Did you see him?
FRANK
: A man?
EMMA
: Yeah. Did you see him?
FRANK
: I was graining the heifers.
EMMA