A Free Soul Page #3

had you like this, you wouldn't believe it.

Why me? The world's full of girls.

Well, why'd Romeo

take on so much grief?

- You're amazing.

- Oh, yeah? A lot of nerve?

Mm-hm. Life or death, insults or boasts.

You're all the same, aren't you?

No, poker face. You have to learn it.

Didn't you want to

demolish my family tonight?

Yes, it was a little below the belt.

Weren't you scared to death

in court this morning?

No. When I met you,

I knew my luck was in.

You know, you're the first

really exciting man I ever met.

Just what do you mean by that,

Jan Ashe?

Down.

Say, what's the ide...?

Talk about life and death.

Hi, boys.

Hello, Ace.

Hi, boss.

Been waiting around for you, boss.

- Gee, things looked bad this morning.

Yeah?

- Say, what happened just now?

- Oh, Hardy crowd. Close call.

- I'll see you upstairs, boys.

Sure.

- Go up the other way.

Glad you're okay, boss.

Where are we going now?

Show you a secret.

My private getaway.

Take a chance? Come on upstairs

a minute and get your breath.

They shot the food

right from under our noses.

Yeah.

Now we're safe.

- Ah. Just like Monte Carlo.

- Oh, yeah. Be wide open in two weeks.

- Hi, boys.

Ace, how are you?

Ah. Bottomley. Miss Ashe, this is Bottomley,

my butler, my cook, my chambermaid.

Thank you very much.

- Why did they want to kill you just now?

- Oh, that's nothing to worry about.

Oh, no, no. They're my friends.

- Glad to see you back, chief.

- Thank you, Slouch. Glad to be back.

- Glad to be back.

- Glad to see you, Ace.

Thank you, Art.

You saw Miss Ashe in court, boys.

Sure.

Howdy, miss.

Slouch, tell her why the Hardy mob

tried to fix me up.

Tell her the facts, Slouch.

The mug that was rubbed out, miss, was a

snooper running with the Hardy mob.

Hardy gets hip and puts the rat on the spot.

They nab the boss's Kelly and plants it.

Your old man jaws them out, and the Hardy

mob grabs the typewriters and the ukuleles.

- Thanks, Slouch.

- Okay, baby.

Tank working, Harrington?

Sure.

- Tank? What's that?

I'm taking you home

in a bulletproof limousine.

Very nice.

Very nice indeed.

Didn't look as though

I was going to see it again.

Tell me, just where are we?

On top of the world.

Hm. On top of the world.

Yeah.

And nobody comes or goes

unless I say so.

Including me?

Including you.

Frightened?

No, I love it.

You love what?

Oh, I don't know.

You're just a new kind of man

in a new kind of world.

Yesterday you were farther away

than the stars...

...and tonight, here you are.

With a very unusual man.

That will be all, thank you.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.

Let's sit down.

You know I wouldn't offend you

for the world.

You haven't offended me.

I just want to do a little thinking.

Do you think you could like me?

I don't quite know what's happened.

Whether it's just

the end of a perfect day, or...

Or that I'm just a little mad.

Don't, I'll leave.

Very much apologize, very much.

For I coming in, you no can see.

Champagne, I make him cold.

Fire, make him hot.

I'll be listening to the birdies sing if

you do any more of that back-seat driving.

Well.

Are you trying to run away from me?

It did look like it, didn't it?

You're a grand girl, Jan.

I'm crazy about you.

But you've made a jumping jack out of me

the last two or three months.

What's it all mean?

I just don't want to get married, Dwight.

I don't want life to settle down around me

like a pan of sour dough.

I don't want it one little bit.

Tell me, Jan...

...is there somebody else?

Kind of. I'd rather not, if you don't mind.

Somebody your father approves of?

I can get fighting mad mighty quick

for my dad.

I know you can.

I think more of him

than anything else in the world.

That's why I can't stand the Ashes.

They think he's weak.

Why, he isn't.

Drinking is just a disease with him.

I never said a word about that.

It's what he makes you think.

There you're wrong again.

He says, "Think for yourself. "

You know, I think he'd rather like me

to marry you, but he'd never say so.

Dwight, all he says is,

"Don't run away from things. Don't hide.

Get out in the middle of life and if the

wind blows you over, pick yourself up again.

Make your own mistakes

and learn by them. "

- And you know, I think he's right.

- I see.

Well...

...now I've found out, haven't I?

Oh, dear, please.

- I'm so sorry.

- I know.

But I've got to do something about it.

Looking ahead without you

isn't much fun, is it?

Well, what can I do?

I'm going to do something.

You've shot it straight, Jan,

like you always do. One hundred percent.

Dwight, you're a thoroughbred.

Come on, I'm going to put you back

with the Ashes.

Thank you.

Don't you want to dance again?

Darling, you already owe me

a new pair of shoes.

Are you suggesting

that I am not a good dancer?

No, but we can't both

dance on my feet, you know.

Mm. Meow.

Dwight's a good dancer, though, isn't he?

Yes, but he's not as fascinating

as you are:

Don't tell me you're

one of the matchmaking Ashes now.

I don't know. Come to think of it,

I... In my subtle way...

...I guess I am a matchmaking Ashes.

L... I must be getting old. I'm sorry.

You know, you never cluck-cluck

and spread your wings...

...and say, "Come under, little girl,"

when it rains.

I ain't got no wings.

Want me, boss?

- Yes. You can shoot from the hip, Eddie.

I'm thirsty.

Gun ain't loaded, boss. I'm sorry.

Baby been cluck-clucking just a little?

Oh, no, boss, it's my fault.

I never laid in no eggs.

See, it is hard

to mind your own business, isn't it?

Here, give this problem a little thought,

Mr. Einstein.

Sure, boss. Okay.

Come on, dear. Here's a little nightcap.

- All that for me?

- Mm-hm.

Why, Miss Ashe.

- This is too much.

- Here's down the old Golden Gate.

Well...

- Good night, Miss Ashe.

- Good night, Mr. Ashe.

Thank you very much

for a very charming evening.

Thank you, Mr. Ashe.

Good night, Miss Jan.

- Good night, Mr. Ashe.

- Good night.

And don't forget

to open a new case tomorrow.

You suggest that I don't open one

before tomorrow?

Here, Dad,

will you take this upstairs for me?

- Don't you ever go to bed?

- No.

I'm gonna turn you over to Eddie.

Say, where are you going after midnight?

- Cluck, cluck...

- Oh, I'm sorry.

It's hard to mind your own business,

isn't it?

- Good night, sweet. Good night, Eddie.

- Good night, Jan.

- Did you take that matter up with yourself?

- Oh, nothing doing, boss.

- Oh, go on, now.

- Oh, I know there's places.

But it's... It's leopard's sweat.

You can't trust it.

Oh, here's some phone calls for you.

These are all... All of them Wilfong?

- Yeah.

- What's he want?

He wants to come over and see you.

- Is he in trouble again?

- No, no, no. Wide open.

Yeah?

Say, I think I'll go

and get a little fresh air.

Fresh air?

Yeah, very fresh.

- I'm sorry, boss.

- All right. All right, Eddie, all right, now.

Well, well, well.

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