age vamp who is jealous of DAISY.

LIGE MOSELY: A village wag.

WALTER THOMAS: Another village wag.

ADA LEWIS: A promiscuous lover.

DELLA LEWIS: Baptist, poor housekeeper, mother of ADA.

BOOTSIE PITTS: A local vamp.

MRS. DILCIE ANDERSON: Village housewife, Methodist.

WILLIE NIXON: Methodist, short runt.

ACT I

SETTING: The raised porch of JOE CLARK'S Store and the street in
front. Porch stretches almost completely across the stage, with a
plank bench at either end. At the center of the porch three steps
leading from street. Rear of porch, center, door to the store. On
either side are single windows on which signs, at left, "POST OFFICE",
and at right, "GENERAL STORE" are painted. Soap boxes, axe handles,
small kegs, etc., on porch on which townspeople sit and lounge during
action. Above the roof of the porch the "false front", or imitation
second story of the shop is seen with large sign painted across it
"JOE CLARK'S GENERAL STORE". Large kerosine street lamp on post at
right in front of porch.

Saturday afternoon and the villagers are gathered around the store.
Several men sitting on boxes at edge of porch chewing sugar cane,
spitting tobacco juice, arguing, some whittling, others eating
peanuts. During the act the women all dressed up in starched dresses
parade in and out of store. People buying groceries, kids playing in
the street, etc. General noise of conversation, laughter and children
shouting. But when the curtain rises there is momentary lull for
cane-chewing. At left of porch four men are playing cards on a soap
box, and seated on the edge of the porch at extreme right two children
are engaged in a checker game, with the board on the floor between
them.

When the curtain goes up the following characters are discovered on
the porch: MAYOR JOE CLARK, the storekeeper; DEACON HAMBO; DEACON
GOODWIN; Old Man MATT BRAZZLE; WILL CODY; SYKES JONES; LUM BOGER, the
young town marshall; LIGE MOSELY and WALTER THOMAS, two village wags;
TOM NIXON and SAM MOSELY, and several others, seated on boxes, kegs,
benches and floor of the porch. TONY TAYLOR is sitting on steps of
porch with empty basket. MRS. TAYLOR comes out with her arms full of
groceries, empties them into basket and goes back in store. All the
men are chewing sugar cane earnestly with varying facial expressions.
The noise of the breaking and sucking of cane can be clearly heard in
t