(We are in the bedroom of Leo and Lucille Frank—decorated with stodgy, heavy furniture. LUCILLE, middle 20's, is seated at her vanity, trying to put up her hair, an elaborate procedure involving dexterity, which she doesn't have much of, and many hairpins. SHE is the quintessential Southern wife, deferential and wellmannered. LEO, some years older, comes into the room. He is reserved, a bit stiff— wearing thick glasses, a three-piece suit, tie, watch chain across his chest, etc.) LUCILLE Leo! LEO What? LUCILLE Are you goin’ to work? LEO Of course. LUCILLE (disappointed) Oh. I thought that... LEO What? LUCILLE Well, I was hopin’ we could go and have a picnic in Piedmont Park this afternoon. LEO What? LUCILLE Did you forget? Today is Confederate Memorial Day. LEO Confederate Memorial Day is asinine. Why would anyone want to celebrate losing a war? LUCILLE Heavens, Leo! If Georgia is so asinine, why did you move here in the first place? LEO You know why. Your uncle offered me a good job. I should have realized it pays so well because you have to live in Atlanta to do it! LUCILLE (flirting) I guess that’s what I get for marryin’ a Yankee. LEO (not flirting) You dropped a pin. LUCILLE Minnie will get it when she cleans up. (This irritates him. HE picks up the hairpin and puts it on the vanity.) I was just sure today would be a day off. LEO Not for the superintendent. LUCILLE Superintendent! Honestly, the way you slave yourself down there, a person’d think you owned that old pencil factory. LEO Don’t be such a meshuggeneh! LUCILLE Why do you use words like that? LEO Because they’re Jewish words and I’m Jewish. LUCILLE Well, I am too, but it doesn’t mean I have to speak a foreign language! LEO For the life of me, I can’t understand how God created you people Jewish and Southern at the same time! LUCILLE Well, Confederate Memorial Day is a holiday in this part of the world whether you like it or not. May I plan a picnic for the Fourth of July, or will you be working then, too? LEO Lucille, we’ve gone through all this. I work hard because I am trying to build us up enough of a nest egg so we can… well, you know what I mean— (HE stops, embarrassed.) LUCILLE (teasing him) Procreate. It’s not a dirty word, Leo. It’s all over the Bible. So we can procreate. LEO I’ll be home for dinner. LUCILLE Are you blushing? I swear, I think you are! LEO You dropped another pin. (HE leaves. SHE doesn't pick it up. Goes on with her hair.)