FICTION

MAN SEES WHAT HE EXPECTS TO SEE

SHOW GIRL

Unknown

MAN SEES WHAT HE EXPECTS TO SEE

SCENE: One room apartment, modestly but comfortably fur- nished, hall door right, bathroom and kitchen doors beside each other left. Sofa left, easy chair right. Typewriter and study desk center rear. Against the wall right is a double-door wardrobe, both doors ajar at curtain rise, displaying inside a neatly-arranged rack of clothes ranging from shorty-nighties through street-dresses, ending up in several formals. Two head-forms, bearing respectively a brunette wig and a blonde wig of well-brushed shoulder-length variety, stand on the study table.

AT CURTAIN RISE: Late afternoon semi-darkness (or semi- light) is creeping in window over study table. Discernable, but in a shadow, is the figure of a man in his middle twenties, sitting on the floor toward the audience, concealed from anyone entering the door, by the easy chair. He sits there waiting, not-threateningly, for some thirty seconds until at last a female figure, in sweater and skirt, in ultra short hairdo, tiptoes through the door after knocking softly. The figure coughs, walks directly but unsurely in the semi-darkness toward the study table, rips off a Kleenex and blows nose. Looks mus- ingly at blonde wig, unpins from head-form and adjusts on. Before it's adjusted and brushed out properly, young man on floor stands up, whistles in a broad wolf-whistle at figure, whose figure might well rate a whistle. What started as a scream or holler terminates fast in startled fit of coughing, then more Kleenex pressed to nose.

SMITTY: (youngish man, whose shape was seen concealed on floor) Don't get uptight Bob-just me Smitty. Your old buddy-buddy. Figured your disguise rated a whistle.

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