Alice Adams Page #8

you can't go without your hat.

- You've-

- What a thing to say.

What a romantic parting,

talking about hats.

Don't bother. We have lots of that

in this funny old house. Goodbye.

He was waiting for this, Lamb was.

But I'll pay him back every cent.

Every last dang dirty penny.

Walter, how could you do it?

I asked Pa for the money

and he wouldn't give it to me.

Give it to you! Where was I gonna get it?

- What's the matter now?

- This little fooI-

Walter's short in his accounts

down at Lamb's.

He took $150.

You took $150?

Why?

A guy, a friend of mine got in a jam.

He said he'd pay it back in a month

and he didn't.

The auditor's already checking

on the books down at the office.

You'll go to jaiI.

Be quiet. Couldn't you see Mr. Lamb

and explain it to him?

Explain it to him?

This is what he's been waiting for all along.

He thinks we both cheated him.

He was just letting Walter

walk into the trap.

But couldn't you raise the money

and give it back to him?

I'll give it back to him all right, every cent...

...every last penny.

I can raise it.

I'll put a loan on my glue factory.

I'll get it for him.

I'm going to see Jonathan,

my bank president.

I'll get that money tonight.

I'm sorry, Pa.

Don't you talk to me,

you danged little idiot.

Thinks we're all yellow, does he?

I'll show him every last danged dirty penny.

To have this come on the night

of your sister's dinner.

Poor Alice.

Don't say "poor Alice," Mom.

Can I come in?

Yes, come in.

I want to talk to you.

Yes, me too.

Have a chair.

- It's Lamb. I'm going to get out of here.

- No, you're not, Walter. Wait in my room.

A fine family you've turned out to be

after all these years.

I'd never have stepped my foot

inside this house...

...except that I wanted to tell you

to your face just how I felt.

I'll pay you every cent Walter took,

Mr. Lamb...

...just as soon as I can get the money.

I was just going down now...

...to try to raise a loan...

...on my glue works.

Your glue works?

I always thought people had to show some

prospects before they could raise a loan.

- Naturally.

- I guess you'll find it a little difficult.

Now that I intend

opening a glue works of my own.

Yes, and a big one.

What's that?

Very convenient to your place, too.

In fact, right across the street.

Do you mean that big, enormous,

old butterine factory?

That's it.

What did you expect me to do,

VirgiI Adams?

Let you walk off with my glue formula

like swallowing a pat of butter?

No, I know what you thought.

You said to yourself,

"Here's this old fooI, J.A. Lamb...

"... he's in his second childhood.

"And I'll just put this over on him. "

I did not.

I worked years on that formula.

It was just as much mine as yours.

And anyway...

...a lot you know about my feelings

and what I said to myself.

But I want to tell you one thing now,

Mr. Lamb.

I don't feeI mean anymore

about what I've done, not anymore...

...because there's a meaner man

in this world than I am, Mr. Lamb.

So you feeI better about yourself?.

You bet I do.

You've spiked my business, all right...

...and now I can't even raise the money

to keep my boy out of the penitentiary.

That's where you worked untiI you got me.

Are you accusing me?

Look at me.

I worked all my life for you...

...and what I did when I quit didn't make...

...two cents worth of difference

in your life...

...and it looked like it'd mean

all the difference...

...in the world to my family.

You think I did you a bad turn...

...and you've got me ruined for it,

and you've got my family ruined...

...and if anybody'd told me last year

I'd say such a thing...

...I'd call him a dang liar.

But I do say it, Mr. Lamb...

...you're a doggone mean man.

Mr. Lamb, wait.

I mean what I say.

- Let him go.

- No, go on.

I gotta tell him what I think.

I'm all right. He's ruined my business.

He's ruined all of us.

You can't go thinking that badly about Dad.

He was so upset he didn't know

what he was saying.

Upset, I shouldn't wonder.

The danged old fooI.

Yes, I guess he is an old fooI.

- What?

- For listening to Mother and me.

It's all my fault, this whole terrible mess.

What are you talking about?

You see...

...Mom was always after Dad...

...and after him

to make more money for me...

...so that I could compete

with the other girls in this town.

I guess parents will make any sacrifice

to see their children happy...

...and when Dad saw how unhappy I was,

he just did what he did.

He always wanted

to go back to work for you.

I guess he almost worshipped you,

Mr. Lamb.

If you'll just give me time...

...I'll get a job and pay you back

what Walter owes you, really I will.

I know I haven't had much experience,

but I can do things.

I was good at English

and arithmetic at schooI.

I won a prize in English once...

...and I know I'd make a good secretary

for somebody.

Now, just a minute, Alice.

If your father can keep from

flying off the handle I'd like to talk to him.

Would you?

I'll do it. Let me do it myself.

Come in.

- What the-

- Now, wait just a moment.

You know you got me awfuI mad

a little while ago, VirgiI Adams...

...and you weren't exactly

purring like a kitten yourself.

You certainly gave me cause.

Just hold your horses a minute, please.

You were saying about this glue

controversy not meaning anything to me...

...but meaning a whole heap to you

and your family.

It did mean a great deaI to me to know...

...that you had gone back on me

after all these years.

I was just talking to Alice

and I can see where...

...maybe you were forced into this thing

by circumstances.

I've lived long enough to know...

...that circumstances

can beat the best of us.

Yes, the best of us.

Maybe I've been

sort of a danged old fooI myself.

Yes, that's what I called you.

You did?

Yes, I did.

Maybe you're right.

If you and I have been transgressing

against each other...

...I think it's about time

we quit such foolishness.

I guess maybe I talked to you once

about doing something for you...

...in connection with this glue business.

I guess I was selfish and forgetfuI...

...but it's never too late to mend.

We won't talk about that now.

Suppose you come down to the office

as soon as you're feeling fit...

...and we'll try and work something out.

And I guess maybe together...

...we ought to be able to show the world...

...something about glue...

...and then we'll talk about Walter, too.

Good night.

- Good night, Alice.

- Good night, Mr. Lamb.

Isn't he a wonderfuI old man, Dad?

He is.

But if it hadn't been for you...

Nonsense, why should you think that?

What I think?

I think you're the smartest girI in the world.

I wouldn't trade you

for the whole kit and boodle of them.

Isn't it funny how things work out?

I've seen it happen in other people's lives...

...and now it's happened in ours.

What's that, Dad?

You think you're going to be pushed

right spang up against a wall...

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