Boom Town Page #7

Come here. Hello. Hello.

- Why, Jonathan.

- Hello, Betsy.

- I kind of thought you'd be here.

- Come on in, Jonathan.

I guess you heard about

me being here too, huh?

Yes. John's down at the wharf

seeing about...

He's getting the tickets,

you know, we're going on south.

- How's everything, Betsy?

- Oh, fine.

You'll have to excuse

the way we look, you know.

What with repacking and everything.

Oh, you look well, Jonathan.

Oh, yeah, sure.

I'll last till the rains come, I guess.

- No.

- What?

You mean you didn't know?

Well, of course you didn't.

Come and look.

- Look.

- Holy suffering water lilies.

- When did this happen?

- Ten months ago in Oklahoma.

We just made it to the hospital.

Little Jack.

Don't you think he looks like his pop?

He does around here.

I don't know.

We'd better leave him.

He wants to be picked up.

You know, he has to be asleep

when we start for the boat.

So long, partner.

Well, I've got to get on

with my packing, Jonathan. Sit down.

- You must be doing big things down here.

- Oh, okay, I guess.

I could use somebody

to smoosh these candy politicians, though.

- You couldn't get that ornery, no-good...?

- I'd give anything if I could...

...but he won't even talk about it.

You know, you're still up, and he's...

Well, it's pride, I guess.

This place you're going to

is worse than this layout.

It's double wages, though.

He's got his eye on a wildcat back

in Oklahoma, and we're saving every nickel.

It's no good, dragging you around like this.

You having to...

But, Jonathan,

I'm the happiest woman there is.

Don't you see? He needs me.

But now, with Little Jackie and all...

...we really need each other

for the first time because it's a struggle.

Happiness comes out of a struggle,

Jonathan. I found that out.

Still no reason

why you and the kid should...

I never would've taken you

around like that...

You aren't taking her anywhere.

John.

John, we've got to stop this.

We aren't children.

Get out.

- Good luck, Betsy.

- Goodbye, Jonathan.

You haven't finished

your packing yet, have you?

I'll see what

the guy in the back room will have.

Here, here, here.

Hold it, pal, hold it.

Here, here, here. Take it easy.

Yes, yeah. There.

Everything's gonna be all right.

The Indian I leased the land from

gave a dance last night...

...and they all took a bath in it.

You know, McMasters, we've been talking

about you quite a lot in New York.

With the other fields falling off fast, we can

give you quite a nice deal for next year.

Mr. Compton, I'm not ready

to sign for next year just yet.

- No?

- No.

The refining and distributing end

sounds like quite a game.

I was thinking maybe

that I might move into New York myself.

- What?

- Sure, why not?

But... But you have a perfect setup here.

What do you want to

step into our end for?

Oh, I don't know.

From where I'm standing,

your end looks like the big leagues to me.

- Daddy.

- Hi.

- Daddy, I steered it all the way.

- You did, huh?

- Hi, honey.

- Hello.

- I want you to meet the president.

- How do you do?

How do you do, Mr. Compton.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

Mr. Smith and I want you

to look over the plans.

Our new house.

You know those last minute mix-ups.

When you've planned for so long,

you want to be sure.

A new house, Mrs. McMasters?

But your husband was just telling me

you were moving to New York.

New York? What?

Oh, pipe dreams, honey.

Pay no attention.

- Now, let's see.

- It's this end of the living room.

Look, I want to stop off at the car first.

Expecting a long-distance call.

- See you at the convention. Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

Wait a minute. I'll be right with you.

All you've got to do is to bring the study

wall right out to here and you've got it.

Honey, I gotta beat it.

- See you tonight.

- Yes.

So long. So long, speedy.

- No, no. No hurry.

- Well, here we are.

Look. Your name

plastered over every other tank.

- What more do you want?

- It'd look just as good on a pipeline.

Well, well, well. So you'd build

your own pipeline. Come in.

Well, where would your pipelines go?

To whose refineries?

I guess I'll have to

put up my own refineries.

Your own refineries? Sit down.

But then how would you

sell your gasoline?

Where's your distribution?

Looks like I'll have to put up

my own filling stations.

All over the East, eh?

Right kitty-corner from mine, maybe?

- Maybe.

- Why, that almost sounds like competition.

- Yeah, it does, if I did it.

- New York office calling, Mr. Compton.

I'll take it in there. Oh, Karen.

Come here, old man.

I want you to meet McMasters.

Miss Vanmeer.

- How do you do.

- Big John McMasters.

You may have heard me speak of him.

Thinking of moving into New York.

Get him a drink or something.

He's a big oil man out here.

Don't mind Harry.

He likes to insult people he respects.

- What kind of a drink will it be?

- Nothing, thanks.

Little too early in the day for me.

You know, you're much younger

than I thought you'd be.

What'd you expect, stranger?

A bald head and a breadbasket?

Well, stranger, they told me

you were an oil baron.

Is that the way they grow them

back East?

In spite of all their steam baths.

Say, this is quite a caboose

he's got here.

- This one of his nags?

- Yes.

- Interested in horses?

- Sure, everybody goes for a good horse.

Harry's just bringing back a string

from Tijuana.

They're in the next car.

Would you like to see them?

- Sure, fine.

- All right.

And this is Green Devil by Blue Star.

You've heard of him, haven't you?

Oh, yeah, yeah, sure.

"Yeah, yeah." Where did you go

all of a sudden?

- Sorry.

- It wasn't New York, was it?

Yeah, I'm afraid you got me.

You look very happy right here. Why do

you really want to go to New York?

Oh, I don't know.

I remember when I was in short pants,

a big redheaded kid had two apples...

...and dared me to take one

away from him.

- Did you do it?

- Yeah. It was fun.

Harry's not a redheaded kid.

He is grown up, and in New York,

you'd be running right into his backyard.

Sounds good.

I don't like to stay in one place

too long anyhow.

Well, partner?

New York's a rough town, partner.

I guess you've never been in

Burkburnett or Whizbang or Ranger.

Oh, no, I mean quietly rough.

No shooting from the hip.

Just stab in the back

with white kid gloves.

Take it from one who knows oil,

Big John.

What does a girl like you

know about oil?

I know the men that control it.

I hear things at dinner parties,

nightclubs...

...anywhere where men are off guard

and wives talk.

You're sort of Harry's

private-detective agency, huh?

- Sort of.

- Well, thanks for the tip.

But I still think that

Harry's my redheaded boy.

All right, but don't start crying

when they put you against the wall...

...without even a blindfold.

Well, at least they'd know

they'd been in a scrap.

I guess they would, at that.

- What's the matter?

- You in New York.

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