Christmas Holiday Page #2

help him

if you can. He seems like

an awful nice kid.

Looks like a lieutenant to me.

Hey, wait a minute.

How many times have I told you?

I wish I could figure out what it is

about you, Simon.

You get a few drinks under your belt

and you got to start playing

Good Samarytan.

Samaritan from the French,

meaning Samaritan.

You and your education.

Oh, allow me. This is our hostess,

Valerie De Merode.

This is Lieutenant Mason.

-How do you do?

Please sit down, lieutenant.

Won't you sit down too, Simon?

Thank you very much, I will.

You haven't waited to be asked

to sit down since I met you.

Like I was telling you, Valerie,

the lieutenant planned to fly straight

to San Francisco only his plane

was grounded.

Oh, that's a shame, lieutenant.

And the way it looks now, he won't

be able to take off

for another 24 hours.

he can't possibly get a train so

I thought that maybe you'd be able to

think of a way for him to get out.

Simon's got a heart as big as

all outdoors, lieutenant.

Whenever he meets anyone

with any kind of trouble like yours,

Say, he decides to help them out.

If I can do it.

Oh, now wait a minute.

Since we're telling the truth, Valerie

likes to pretend that she's tough.

Never does anything for anybody.

As a matter of fact, Valerie,

how about it?

Do you think you can help speed

the armed forces on their way?

I really would appreciate it.

Somebody else asked me that

same thing earlier tonight.

He's got a week-old baby

he's never even seen.

His furlough's up three days from now.

I tried everything I know but...

Are you much of a swimmer, lieutenant?

Thanks anyway.

Well, we gave it a good try. Joe!

Some more of that tiger milk over her.

As a matter of fact, Valerie,

now that I'm here,

I know it isn't due

till next Monday, but

how about retiring to your sanctum

and giving me my weekly honorarium.

You know, my...

30 bucks?

Minus the ten spot I gave you

the other night.

Well, at least you owe me 20 bucks.

And added to what I got, that makes 22.

I'll be able to carry on...

Would you mind excusing us, lieutenant,

just for a moment?

Would you like a drink, lieutenant?

Oh, no, no, he doesn't drink.

It's an election bet or something.

Look, Valerie, do you think

you could arrange it

so the lieutenant wouldn't be

lonely for a minute or two?

Let him hear the sound of a human voice?

Oh, no, really I...

What about Jackie?

OK.

Joe, ask Jackie to join us for a moment.

Yes, ma'am.

Jackie's the star

of our little entertainment.

Hello.

How are you doing?

-Lieutenant, this is Jackie.

Sit down, Jackie.

The lieutenant's what you might call

an unexpected pleasure, Jackie.

His plane had to make a forced landing.

Isn't that the way things

always happen, Jackie?

You're getting along all right

and all of a sudden, boom.

You have to make a forced landing.

Well, we've got other fish to fry.

Get the joke, Valerie?

Sure. You're fried.

Well, see you later, lieutenant.

Excuse me. You won't find Jackie

hard to talk to, lieutenant.

He's quite drunk, isn't he?

Not for him.

He's been drinking himself into

the gutter for a long time.

They're running out of gutters.

It's a shame.

I don't think so.

First trip to New Orleans, lieutenant?

Yeah.

Do you want to dance?

If you like.

I'm not a very good dancer, I'm afraid.

Oh, would you rather sit down

and have a drink?

Whatever you say.

Bill?

-Yes, miss.

Scotch and soda.

The usual.

-Yes, ma'am.

Merry Christmas.

Having fun?

-Oh, yes, thank you.

Well, our friend, Simon, passed out.

He talked me into

one more drink in the office.

But don't worry, he had you on his mind.

With the compliments of Mr. Fenimore.

Midnight Mass at the

St. Louis Cathedral.

Take me with you, lieutenant. Will you?

I don't think I'm....

Please.

I mean I'd be glad to take you only

I'm not sure I'm going myself.

It'd be a great favor. It really would.

I want to go...terrribly.

Looks to me, like

you're on the spot, lieutenant.

Oh, It's not that. I...

Please.

All right.

Thanks. Thanks very much.

Won't take me five minutes

to change, lieutenant.

Is it all right?

She's really a very nice girl.

She deserves a break.

I'm sure she does.

Now if you'll tell me what I owe you

for the car back to the hotel.

That's all right.

It's on the house. It's Christmas.

Of course, if you'd like giving Jackie

a little tip or something.

Well, see you later, lieutenant.

Would you like to leave?

We'll have to leave now.

I'm sorry, lieutenant.

Would you like me to take you home?

I'd like something to eat first.

Do you mind?

Why, no, not at all.

Ready?

Uh huh.

I've never cried like that before

in my whole life.

Not even...

And I didn't cry for the reason

you think.

I didn't think anything.

Simon Fenimore didn't tell you

anything about me, huh?

No.

At the Maison Lafitte,

I thought that if I went to mass

with you, I'd become part of it.

Share something with all

those people, some feelings...

Praying, forgetting...

You had a good cry.

That's supposed to help.

I've been alone

as long as I can remember.

I was born in Vermont.

Lived there till I was 16

then I came here.

You sure Simon didn't tell you anything?

Not a thing.

Well...

My name isn't Jackie.

Jackie Lamont.

It's Abigail.

Abigail Manette.

I thought it best to change it

after the trial.

You see, I'm the wife of Robert Manette.

I'm Mrs. Robert Manette.

Oh.

Three years ago Robert Manette,

my husband,

murdered a bookmaker named Teddy Jordan.

He was convicted, sentenced to death and

that was changed to life imprisonment.

Right now he's at the state prison

at Angola.

Robert and I had only been married

for six months.

I don't think it's possible

for anyone to have a happier

six months than we had.

Maybe I mean than I had.

They wanted me to divorce Robert

after he was convicted.

They said I'd stood by him long enough.

They told me I was crazy when I said

that whatever he did,

I'd keep on loving him.

They said it was shameful that

I should love him.

As if I could stop loving him

because it's shameful to love him.

I didn't know it at the time

but Robert had murdered

Teddy Jordan that night,

less than an hour before

he came home to our room.

Robert!

It's so late.

I do keep terrible hours, don't I?

But you see,

a) There was a fellow I couldn't meet

until about 1 o'clock in a restaurant.

b) I didn't know how late it was or I

would have postponed

meeting him until tomorrow.

c) I couldn't get a taxi

and I had to wait about an hour

for a streetcar.

d) I've got a wife who

never gets really angry

if I stay out late.

So I keep on taking advantage

of her trusting nature.

And e) ...

I'll never, never do it again.

Devil!

Good morning, Mother.

-Good morning, Abigail.

I'm sorry we overslept but

Robert didn't get home till late.

Yes, I heard him.

He saw my light was on and stopped

to talk to me for a while.

Didn't he tell you?

-No.

Is he still asleep?

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