Boom Town Page #9

when we first came here.

- She still works for you, doesn't she?

- Sure...

...but I don't know.

She changes crowds.

Get somebody else.

- Goodbye.

- Bye.

- Good morning.

- Mr. McMasters.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- Mr. McMasters.

- Morning.

- Girls, I want you to understand...

- Girls, the boss is here.

- Good morning, Mr. McMasters.

- Morning.

That will be all.

- Yes?

- He's here, Mr. McCreery.

- You can come in now.

- What's that?

Mr. Felton with Mr. McCreery and

Mr. Ward about the Lynbrook refinery.

Great day for the race, Miss Barnes.

- What race?

- The human race.

- Yes, of course.

- Good morning, J.M.

- Morning.

- Hi, fellas.

We took the plans and

went through the plant yesterday...

...with Mr. Laughlin and the engineers.

What did you find?

Is it up to specifications?

Yes, we think it's a great buy, J.M.

- Get me Miss Vanmeer.

- Here are the final purchase contracts.

- What's the whole nut?

- Refinery and cracking plant together...

...about 500,000.

Hello? Oh, hello, Miss Vanmeer.

How are you?

I'm fine and half asleep and wonderful.

Just hoping you'd call.

So formal.

Why don't you call

when you're not in a crowd.

I'll bet McCreery's peering at you

over his glasses like an owl.

Yes, you're very right about that.

And I can see from here that

you have got your coat off...

...and your vest unbuttoned.

And shame on you.

Okay, okay.

Say, we've got a chance to buy

Henderson's Lynbrook plant...

...for 500,000. I wanted to know

if you'd heard anything.

Careful, now. I had Willie Henderson

at the Bromleys' the other night...

...through about two quarts

of champagne.

Halfway through the second,

he dropped a hint.

Those Lynbrook gentlemen

are facing bankruptcy.

Thanks, Miss Vanmeer.

I thought as much.

Say, on second thought...

...you'd better meet that gentleman

for dinner tonight.

Is this gentleman tall and dark,

and with a Texas accent?

He is.

Well, then start all over again

and ask me nicer than that.

I'm sorry, but that's an order.

Darling, you give the nicest orders.

Goodbye, Miss Vanmeer.

Well, boys, I...

- Shorty's in town.

- Shorty?

Yeah, yeah. My old partner,

John Sand.

Oh, yes? He certainly struck it big

in Oklahoma, didn't he?

What did Miss Vanmeer say, J. M?

Oh, yes, yes.

We'll wait. I think we'll be able

to pick it up a lot cheaper.

Now, wait a minute, J.M.

Miss Vanmeer may be right...

...but there's a possibility

of losing this. I think...

Her tips are right from the barn, Mac.

She's never failed yet.

All right. After all, it's your money.

You've quite a lot of mail to answer.

I haven't had a phone call this morning

from a Mr. Sand?

You know, John Sand from Oklahoma?

No, you haven't.

Get him for me, will you?

He's at the Waldorf.

Well, Mr. Sand is registered here,

but he won't be back until this evening.

What?

Why, he said he was going

to the races.

A huge crowd is out here today...

... for another running of this

classic under ideal conditions.

As I look over this line of

the nation's finest thoroughbreds...

- ... I can see number five.

- I like number three.

- Three?

- Yes.

He's got a little age on him.

Nine years...

- Well, well. Hiya.

- Well, how are you?

- Fine.

- John. What do you know about that.

Luther, old man.

We were just saying

on the train yesterday...

...we'd probably run into

the big moose in New York.

- Weren't we?

- Yeah.

Hey, I heard about you stumbling onto

that big field out there.

Yeah, I was pretty lucky, I guess.

The biggest field in Oklahoma now.

- I bought out the Murphys.

- Yeah?

Yeah. I guess I was always

supposed to play the lone wolf.

One head is better than two, I say.

Yeah, sure, sure.

You know, I find it that way here.

Sun Helmet to the front.

Faraday, second. Blue Comet, third.

I made the bets.

Moonray to win, number nine.

- Good.

- If it isn't my old friend McMasters.

- Hi.

- Moonray is moving up fast...

... between horses. It's Moonray

and Sun Helmet, neck and neck.

Moonray is going away.

It's gonna be Moonray.

Well, gentlemen, that's us.

Come on, come on.

So you're going in with Compton?

He's liable to make you a big guy.

I been doing well on my own,

if anybody should ask.

Jonathan, just because you and I

are going in with Harry against him...

...is no reason to...

- What?

Hey. Is he in with you?

Well, I'm interested in a small way.

Luther broke down and staked me

to the first string of tools.

I only had to give him

10 percent of the field.

What? He staked you?

- You dirty double-crosser.

- Wait a minute.

- Don't fly off half-cocked. I...

- I'll fly a kite down your windpipe.

- Well...

- Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Did you guarantee

that equipment for me?

Well, he didn't have to put up

any money. Our oil well came in.

- Everything's perfectly...

- lf it hadn't...

...you'd be in my checkbook

like a pressed pansy.

Are you insinuating that

I'm an unethical character?

- No. You're just a crooked old jerk.

- Jerk?

Why, back in Burkburnett,

you two fellas stole half of my...

- Scotch.

- Hey, Shorty...

...back in my office,

I got me two quarts of red liquor.

Bourbon. What do you say?

- Let's go.

- Well, that's fine.

- I'll wait for Harry and he'll...

- No, no.

What? Why?

Here, now, wait a minute.

What are you doing? You can't rustle

me around like one of the horses.

I didn't come here to be insulted.

Get back, or we'll have the warden

take away your candy allowance.

I'm gonna have this settled,

once and for all. When I first met...

When I first met you two thugs,

you were over here...

I'm sorry, Mr. McMasters...

...but Mr. Compton is on the phone

again for Mr. Sand and Mr. Aldrich.

- Tell...

- Say Mr. Aldrich is having a baby.

- But this is outrageous.

- Look.

I've got a big office next door

just waiting for your name on the door.

I knew that when we left the racetrack.

But wait a minute.

We told Compton that...

- Where's my office?

- Right underneath the warden's.

Mr. McMasters, your tailor is here.

Tell him to go away.

Come back next year when I...

No, wait a minute. Bring him in.

We got work to do.

When you two fellas sober up...

...you can call me at my hotel.

- Mr. Luther.

- Better fit them both for straitjackets.

- Bonjour, Monsieur McMasters.

- Hi, Ferdie. Never mind my stuff.

You got a new customer, Mr. Sand.

What goes on here?

You're buying a couple dozen suits.

- I got two suits.

- Two suits?

It's New York. You look like

a Houston house detective.

You got anything

that you think Mr. Sand might like?

That wonderful new, striking

Harris tweed you ordered.

Oh, yes, yes.

Say, that ought to look

all right on you, Shorty.

- Don't you think so, Ferdie?

- Let me see.

Yes. The buff brings out

the ruddiness in his complexion.

Wait a minute.

Is this guy on the level?

That's imported stuff. Old women

weave it in cottages over in Scotland.

Let Mr. Sand smell it, Ferdie.

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