Boom Town Page #10

Get that intriguing aroma

from the peat fires?

- Smells a little gamy.

- You fellows kill me.

Get a load of those shoulders,

Ferdie.

- Could you do something with them?

- Let me see.

What a nice modeling.

We should get a perfect drape.

- Would you mind stepping over here?

- I'm gonna let this guy...

Yes, yes.

All right, all right.

Just a moment.

Just a moment, please.

Tape.

- Forty-four.

- Forty-four.

Am I interrupting?

Or are ladies allowed?

Hello. Hello, Karen.

Come in, come in.

Shorty, this is Karen Vanmeer.

John Sand, Karen.

- Pleased to know you, I'm sure.

- So you're Square John.

I've heard a lot about you.

Yeah? Running me down again, pal?

I was just passing by and took

a chance my boss might be in.

- Can you talk to me for a moment?

- Sure, sure.

- Excuse us, will you, Shorty?

- Yeah.

Eighteen. Hold out your arm.

Bend it, please.

- Thirty-one.

- Thirty-one.

Turn around, please.

Looks as if I'm going to be

a very lonely girl tonight.

Sorry. But Shorty and I have got

a lot of old times to talk over.

But you mustn't forget

there are new times too.

Look, you've got to learn to take no

for an answer once in a while.

I wouldn't let you give me that answer.

- Thirty-two.

- Thirty-two.

Turn around, please.

Now we take the trouser length.

I'll be running along.

Nice to have met you, Square John.

I'm happy to hear we're

going to see a lot more of you.

- Sure. Thanks.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- You like them snug?

Yes, come on. Get on with it, buddy.

Get on with it.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

Get me Mrs. McMasters.

Hey, who is this Vanmeer dame?

She'd stop a stampede, if you ask me.

Yeah, smart girl. She works for me.

- Where? Here in the office?

- No, no.

She knows everybody here

in New York.

Gets around and hears everything.

That's the way you work in this town.

Betsy.

Hello? Yeah, hello, honey.

Yeah, I'll be home for dinner.

Yeah, yeah, and I'm bringing

a guy with me.

Yeah. Oh, yes, yes, business.

Yes, John. All right.

Goodbye, dear.

Now, Jack, play like this is an Apache

Indian and he's sneaking up on you.

You broke one of your

pappy's thingamabobs.

Another vase.

Mr. McMasters will hear about this.

Mr. McMasters.

Mr. McMasters...

...this sort of thing goes on

all the time.

It'll toughen you up, Parker.

Cans of catfish and dang my tired eyes.

Harmony, Harmony, how are you?

How are?

Why is your pajama top on?

I don't know. It's his idea.

- Daddy.

- Jackie.

- Pal, this is your uncle Square John.

- Hello, sport.

Hello, Uncle Square John. Do you

wanna play Shooting Indians with me?

Partner, you and your old uncle

are gonna play plenty from now on.

I'm sorry, dear.

I didn't expect you so...

Well, well, well. Just as I knew her.

Still much too pretty to walk and talk.

- Jonathan.

- Betsy.

Oh, Jonathan.

Well, if I cry now, don't blame me.

You two idiots. All this time.

Yeah, yeah, we buried it

in a bottle of bourbon.

Pardon me, Mrs. McMasters.

It's time for Jackie's supper now.

- Mommy...

- No, no, now, darling.

- You can come down later.

- Yeah, come on, son.

You know, he looks exactly like you.

I'll buy him a football helmet.

He's much too young

for a football helmet.

Oh, I don't mean to play in,

I mean to sleep in.

Okay, okay.

Jonathan... Come on in.

Jackie's a great kid.

They're both great kids.

And this is a swell layout.

It's you all over, Betsy.

Class.

You and the big moose

must really be happy here.

Yes, of course we are, Jonathan.

Betsy...

...everything is going great guns,

isn't it?

Oh, Jonathan.

Betsy...

...something's the matter. What is it?

Oh, nothing. It's...

It's just now that I'm so happy

to see you two together again...

I'm so happy that you're here.

Well, I'm sorry,

I warned you I might cry, though.

Please let me a little.

See, honey, this bank of blowers

first heats the crude oil in those coils...

...to about 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Dante's Inferno has nothing on this.

- No.

It's carried up to that fractionating tower,

where it's heated to about 900 degrees.

That's what we mean by cracking.

That's where the crude is condensed...

...and evaporated into gasoline,

kerosene...

...naphtha and paving asphalt,

medicinal oils.

Oh, hundreds of byproducts,

and all points west.

All that? Hey, Jonathan...

...l'll bet you're glad that I talked you

out of going with Compton.

If we buy a couple more of these,

we'll run Compton ragged.

You haven't signed that contract.

It's been on your desk since yesterday.

- I'll get around to it.

- Make it snappy.

Over there is our crude-oil

storage-tank farm.

These ball-shaped pressure tanks

are for butane and casing-head gas.

- Well, if it isn't the man I...

- Hello, Karen.

Hello there.

How do you do?

- It's nice to see you again.

- Thanks. Hello, you two.

- Hi.

- How do you do?

Where have you been hiding

all this time?

- Here and there. You're looking well.

- I feel fine, thank you.

I heard something frightfully important.

I couldn't get you at the office,

so I dropped by.

- What's up?

- The independent operators'...

...convention in Washington

begins tomorrow.

I just heard there's something

in the air about price-cutting.

I thought you might want to be there.

Those independent operators

might come in handy, Shorty.

Shall we go and see

if we're getting kicked around?

You better go alone. You know

how to smoosh those get-togethers.

I'm gonna stay here.

Maybe Luther and I can get Betsy...

...to show us some of the hot spots.

- Okay.

- You'd like that?

- You bet.

- Fine.

- Well, I have to hurry back.

- So long, everybody.

- Goodbye, Karen.

Don't be such a stranger.

- Thanks.

- Couple of things to talk about.

I'll be right back.

You know, it is interesting,

all that superstructure.

Yeah, yeah.

Say, I got an appointment downtown.

I better grab a cab, I'll see you later.

Tell him, will you?

Yes. It is, it's interesting.

I know a couple of bootleggers

in Oklahoma who'd like to have this.

You know, Betsy, bathtub gin?

Children make a lot of difference,

don't they, Luther?

Listen, Betsy.

Don't jump to conclusions.

I wouldn't have stood for this

back in Burkburnett.

Darling, I'm a kind of an old fool

now and then...

...but I love you and John so much...

...and I've watched fellas like him

in my time.

- Don't worry. They'll always...

- You're very sweet, Luther.

Come on, show me around some more.

- Is your boss in?

- Who will I say is...?

That's all right. She knows me.

- Hello, Karen.

- Well, for heaven's sake.

I just left you on Long Island.

You know you're the prettiest gal

east of Frisco in that little rig?

Get me a little drink of whiskey,

honey?

Why, of course.

Scram, you. I'll buy you

a diamond day bed for Christmas.

- Where's John?

- I ducked him.

Yeah, sure. I didn't want him around

when I talked to you.

Certainly is a nifty little joint you got.

Thank you. I'm glad you like it.

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