MEEKER

(A little irritably)

Who is it? (Surprised) Why, hello, Rachel. ’Scuse the way I look. (He wipes the soap out of his ear. Then he notices her suitcase) Not goin’ away, are you? Excitement’s just startin’.

RACHEL

(Earnestly)

Mr. Meeker, don’t let my father know I came here.

MEEKER

(Shrugs)

The Reverend don’t tell me his business. Don’t know why I should tell him mine.

RACHEL

I want to see Bert Cates. Is he all right?

MEEKER

Don’t know why he shouldn’t be. I always figured the safest place in the world is a jail.

RACHEL

Can I go down and see him?

MEEKER

Ain’t a very proper place for a minister’s daughter.

RACHEL

I only want to see him for a minute.

MEEKER

Sit down, Rachel. I’ll bring him up. You can talk to him right here in the courtroom. (RACHEL sits in one of the stiff wooden chairs. MEEKER starts out, then pauses) Long as I’ve been bailiff here, we’ve never had nothin’ but drunks, vagrants, couple of chicken thieves. (A little dreamily) Our best catch was that fella from Minnesota that chopped up his wife; we had to extradite him. (Shakes his head) Seems kinda queer havin’ a schoolteacher in our jail. (Shrugs) Might improve the writin’ on the walls.

(MEEKER goes out. Nervously, RACHEL looks around at the cold, official furnishings of the courtroom. MEEKER returns to the courtroom, followed by BERT CATES. CATES is a pale, thin young man of twenty-four. He is quiet, shy, well-mannered, not particularly good-looking. RACHEL and CATES face each other expressionlessly, without speaking. MEEKER pauses in the doorway.)

MEEKER

I’ll leave you two alone to talk. Don’t run off, Bert.

(MEEKER goes out. RACHEL and CATES look at each other.)

RACHEL

Hello, Bert.

CATES

Rache, I told you not to come here.

RACHEL

I couldn’t help it. Nobody saw me. Mr. Meeker won’t tell. (Troubled) I keep thinking of you, locked up here—

CATES

(Trying to cheer her up)

You know something funny? The food’s better than the boarding house. And you’d better not tell anybody how cool it is down there, or we’ll have a crime wave every summer.

RACHEL

I stopped by your place and picked up some of your things. A clean shirt, your best tie, some handkerchiefs.

CATES

Thanks.

RACHEL

(Rushing to him)

Bert, why don’t you tell ’em it was all a joke? Tell ’em you didn’t mean to break a law, and you won’t do it again!

CATES

I suppose everybody’s all steamed up about Brady coming.

RACHEL

He’s coming in on a special train out of Chattanooga. Pa’s going to the station to meet him. Everybody is!

CATES

Strike up the band.

RACHEL

Bert, it’s still not too late. Why can’t you admit you’re wrong? If the biggest man in the country—next to the President, maybe—if Matthew Harrison Brady comes here to tell the whole world how wrong you are—

CATES

You still think I did wrong?

RACHEL

Why did you do it?