The Docks of New York
1
The waterfront of New York
- the end of many journeys,
the beginning of many
adventures.
2
Miles of docks wait day
and night for strange
cargo - and stranger men.
3
Ships come in from the sea
- tarrying a day or two
in the endless journey from
port to port.
4
These were the days before
oil fuel made stoking a
lady's job - - when stokers
earned their pay in sweat and
coal-dust.
5
"Well, Bill! We brought the
ol' barge in right on time!"
6
"Pick up that waste! Nobody
goes ashore till this hole is
cleaned up!"
7
"This packet sails
tomorrow morning."
8
"You've got one night ashore.
If any o' you muckers come
back drunk, you'll do double
shift!"
9
"He's the most even-
tempered guy I ever
knew - always sore!"
10
"He thinks we're goin'
ashore to play marbles!"
11
The Sandbar, a cable's
length from the wharf, has
vanished now - wiped out by
commerce and reform. But
that night it was wide awake
and roaring.
12
"Meet my husband!"
13
"Well, Andy! I guess you
never expected to run
across me here!"
14
Night and fog met
the stokers coming
ashore.
15
"Hey, Bill! That's no place
to take a lady!"
16
"Come on, Bill. They'll
take care of her!"
17
"Okay, Bill! Be a hero an'
leave your pal!"
18
"But just remember
Singapore - - an'
recollect Shanghai!"
19
"Well, you gave me the air.
It's been three years -
what did you expect me
to do?"
20
"Take that out o' here -
before you draw the
police!"
21
"Get her a hot drink!"
22
"One hot toddy!"
23
"You're not goin' in there!
That's the only rag she
had to her back!"
24
"So you're the guy that
saved my life?"
25
"You could have saved yourself
the trouble, an' let me die."
26
"All right! Make believe you
died - make believe you're
startin' all over again!"
27
"You left all that slush in
the river, Baby. All you
need is a good time!"
28
"I've had too many good
times."
29
"You ain't never been out
with Bill Roberts."
30
"Dry up before you
catch cold!"
31
"Would you care?"
32
"Well, I might."
33
"After a month in the stoke-
hole, I got no sympathy for
anybody that wants to quit
a swell world like this!"
34
"Throw yourself into them
new rags an' give me a
chance!"
35
"All right, Bill Roberts, I'll
give you a chance."
36
"Anyway, I can always
make a hole in the
water."
37
"Are you goin' to let me have
a good time in my own quiet
way - or must I take this
place apart?"
38
"Thought you might want
your tie - Bill."
39
"Pretty, ain't she?"
40
"You better take my tip
- an' stay away from
that dame!"
41
"Shove off, my lad! I want
to talk with your lady
friend."
42
"You may be big game
aboard ship, but you're
only an animal-cracker
here."
43
"Gee, but you're strong!"
44
"I guess you've known
a lot o' girls."
45
"I ain't braggin' about
my love-affairs."
46
"I'm not braggin', either."
47
"Ever been married, Bill?"
48
"Say, who'd marry a
guy like me?"
49
"Oh, I don't know. A lot
o' girls might."
50
"You ever been married,
Baby?"
51
"Say, who'd marry a girl
like me?"
52
"I've sailed the seven seas,
but I never saw a craft
as trim as you."
53
"I don't think it's fair
of you to kid me."
54
"Say! What makes you
think I'm kiddin'?"
55
"What did you ever do that
makes you worse than me?
I'd marry you in a minute!"
56
"An' come to think of it, I'll
marry you right now!"
57
"You don't know Bill Roberts!
I'll try anything once!"
58
"Get me a parson - I'm
goin' to get spliced to
my girl friend!"
59
"Come back here, Bill
- don't make a fool o'
yourself!"
60
"Meet the bride!"
61
"I better get Hymn-Book
Harry - before he wrecks
the place!"
62
"I'm goin' to do right by
our Nell! I'm goin' to
marry her - here an'
now!"
63
"Do you think he can make
you decent by marryin'
you?"
64
"I don't know what to
think, any more."
65
"Until I got married,
I was decent!"
66
"We'll give you a marriage
you'll never forget!"
67
"Where's your license?"
68
"Are you goin' to queer
our fun just because you
got to have a little piece
o' paper?"
69
"If you got to have a license,
Bill will get one first thing
in the morning."
70
"Won't you, Bill?"
71
"Word of honor, Parson.
First thing in the morning!"
72
"Let the old fusser go!
I'll marry you."
73
"If any of you eggs know
why these heels shouldn't
get hitched, speak now or
forever after hold your
trap!"
74
"Does it mean that
much to you?"
75
"Dearly beloved, we are
gathered together in the
sight of God and in the face
of this company -"
76
"- to join this Man, and this
Woman, in Holy Matrimony."
77
"Matrimony is an honorable
estate .... and is not to be
entered into lightly -"
78
"Do you take this woman
to be your wedded wife?"
79
"Will you love her, comfort
her, honor her, and keep
her in sickness and in health,
forsaking all others -- as
long as you both shall live?"
80
"Sure, I will!"
81
"I will."
82
"Give me the ring."
83
"Here's mine - I hope it
does you more good
than it did me!"
84
"Here's your wages, Parson.
Easy come, easy go!"
85
"I expect you to bring me
the license in the morning.
Pay me then."
86
"What's the meanin' of
this jamboree?"
87
"Oh, I thought I'd get
married, and settle
down."
88
"But how are you goin'
to get rid of her?"
89
"Who says I want to
get rid of her?"
90
"I know you, Bill Roberts!
You might fool her, but
you can't fool me!"
91
"What lady threw that
shoe?"
92
"You don't know what this
means to me, Bill!"
93
"I'll be a good wife, Bill."
94
Morning.
95
"Got a match, Chief?"
96
"I s'pose you've forgot all
about last night?"
97
"Wasn't you never young,
Chief? I was just havin'
a good time!"
98
"I s'pose you've forgot
about gettin' married,
too."
99
"Chief, last night's over.
Today's another day!"
100
"Mebbe for you, but not for
me. That sock in the jaw
will cost you your job!"
101
"One ship's as good as
another, Chief. Any
port in a storm!"
102
"Get out o' here - or my
husband will kill you!"
103
"Don't kid me!"
104
"Don't let Bill Roberts stand
between you an' me - you
know he ain't comin' back!"
105
"You're a dirty liar! He
is comin' back!"
106
"Rustle that stretcher - this
guy's in bad shape!"
107
"You won't get nowhere
keepin' your mouth shut!"
108
"I warned you! Now beat it
- while you got time!"
109
"I'm her husband."
110
"She didn't shoot him. The
kid wouldn't hurt a fly!"
111
"I shot him, an' nobody
else is goin' to get the
credit for it."
112
"I'm his wife. He gave me
the air once too often!"
113
"Why didn't you say so
before?"
114
"I didn't care - before."
115
"I hope you have better
luck than me - - but I
doubt it."
116
"I didn't figure on your
comin' back to help me."
117
"You didn't need my help,
Baby."
118
"Goin' away - Bill?"
119
"Sorry, Baby. Sailin' in an
hour - - I never missed a
ship in my life."
120
"Could you give me a minute
to - to get used to it, Bill?"
121
"I never even thanked you
for pullin' me out o' the
water."
122
"That's all right!"
123
"An' I never thanked you
for them swell clothes
you bought me."
124
"That's all right, too."
125
"An' I guess you expect
me to thank you for bein'
decent enough to make
me your wife."
126
"Now listen, kid - you can't
get me sore! I never did
a decent thing in my life."
127
"I've always been like this.
There ain't no power on
earth that could ever keep
me ashore!"
128
"Why get serious about it,
anyway? You knew all I
had was one night ashore -
you knew I was just a dirty
stoker!"
129
"You ain't so bad,
Bill Roberts!"
130
"But it would have been kind
o' funny if this had been on
the level - even for a couple
o' months."
131
"Maybe if I ever stayed
ashore for as long as a
couple o' months I'd get
to like it."
132
"Get a move on, Bill.
Time's up!"
133
"So long, Baby."
134
"Well - goodbye - Bill."
135
"Come on out o' this -
before you get into
another mess!"
136
"I'll fix it for you, Bill.
You can't go to sea
like this."
137
"What are you tryin' to
do - bring me more
bad luck?"
138
"Superstitious, are you?"
139
"The nerve of that dame -
bawling me out after all I
done for her!"
140
"I could of told you before
that she was no good -
like all females!"
141
"Lucky for you I happened
along! If I hadn't pried you
loose, she'd of stuck like a
barnacle!"
142
"Buck into it, you two!
I want steam, not talk!"
143
"I'll have you put in
irons for this!"
144
"Where's my wife?"
145
"In jail, where she belongs."
146
"What's she in jail for?"
147
"Why don't you go to
the Night Court an' find
out?"
148
"Thirty days. Next case!"
149
"Mae Roberts!"
150
"You are charged with having
in your possession clothes
stolen from the Harbor Pawn
Shop."
151
"How did you get them?"
152
"My husband gave them
to me."
153
"Where is your husband?"
154
"He left me this morning."
155
"How long have you
been married?"
156
"I was married last night."
157
"Thirty days. Next case!"
158
"Just a minute, Captain!
I'm her husband. I pinched
them duds myself!"
159
"Break in anywhere - take
anything you want - -
that's your idea, I suppose?"
160
"No, sir, I rung the bell! But
there wasn't no answer,
so I helped myself."
161
"I see - man of importance
- no time to waste. Just
what was your hurry?"
162
"Well sir, I'm a stoker. I only
had one night ashore, an'
I wanted to have a good
time."
163
"Sixty days will slow you
down. Release the woman.
Next case!"
164
"Sixty days ain't a long
cruise, Baby - an' it'll be
my last one, if you'll wait
for me."
165
"I guess I'd wait forever,
Bill."
The
End
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