Four Daughters Page #3

---

No, apparently I'm headed for the shelf.

The Lemp family is going

to have one old maid.

Two .. and we'll have a cat.

A tortoiseshell one.

We'll call it Bathsheba.

Mehetabel?

Topaz, because it will have yellow eyes.

And the longest, most gorgeous tail.

Wait a minute.

Don't make it too beautiful.

We want her to be an old maid, too.

Hey!

Hello.

What's the big idea?

Is this your gate?

I've an interest in it, yes.

It isn't much good for swinging.

You know that, don't you.

Well, you have a nerve. I've swung on

it for 18 years. It's done right by me.

Evidently my standards are much higher.

The fault lies with you not the gate.

You don't know how to swing on gates.

I don't know how to swing on gates?

No.

Ridiculous.

No leverage. That's your

trouble. Mind if I show you?

Not all all. After all, its your gate.

Alright. Now, watch this.

The way to do it.

Hmm.

See?

Say, that is good.

Is this how you do it?

Almost.

Almost, huh?

Now, a little more pressure on the

ball of your foot and you've got it.

There, that's it. Now you've go it.

This is the third or fourth or maybe

the fifth happiest day of my life.

Oh, excuse me.

Of all things ..

Hello, Mrs Richfield.

How do you do?

This is mister ..

Deitz .. Felix Deitz.

Old friend of the Lemps.

This is Mrs Richfield.

How are you, Mrs Richfield?

I'm fine, thank you.

And Mr Richfield?

Why, he's fine, too.

How is his back? Better?

Much better.

I'm so glad to hear it.

Goodbye, Mrs Richfield.

Well, of all the ..

How do you know Mr Richfield?

First time I ever heard of him.

But I don't understand. How did you

know his back was bothering him?

Oh, well Mrs Richfield ..

Looks like a woman whose husband

would have trouble with his back.

Mrs Capper.

There is a young man with .. Ann Lemp

Say, what is this "old friend

of the family" business?

A slight exaggeration.

You see my father was a very

good friend of old Mr Lemp.

I'm his daughter. He's not so very old.

Oh, so you are Miss ..?

Ann

Ann the gate-swinger.

Well, Ann.

In this pocket I've a letter to

your father. In this pocket ..

If fact, he's quite young-looking.

Granted, but what ..?

Right now he's down at the Foundation.

He works there as Dean of the faculty.

In fact, he's one of the youngest

looking Deans they've ever had.

I'm sure he must be.

This happens to be a letter to

the President of the Foundation.

Could you possibly direct me?

Why yes, it's down one block.

An there on the corner you'll find it.

the Foundation? Thank you.

No, the traffic officer's booth.

You can ask the policeman where

the Foundation is. He'll tell you.

Thank you again.

You're welcome.

I must be stuck.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Oh, by the way.

What have you for dinner tonight?

Lamb chops. Why?

That will do very nicely.

Nobody invited you for dinner.

Your father will. I'll see to that.

Au revoir.

See you for dinner then.

Goodbye, Mrs Richfield.

Well, I ..

There is no reason to set the extra

place, Ann. He won't be here.

I've seen him. He'll be here.

He'll not only be here.

But he'll tell us where to sit.

Monopolize the conversation,

do the carving, say the grace.

And help himself to a

second portion of dessert.

That's my impression of Mr Deitz.

And my impression of your impression

is that Mr Deitz sells vacuum cleaners.

Well, whatever he sells, you'll buy it.

Oh no.

I'm completely won over.

Kay, may I use your face powder?

You may not.

I'm won over too.

I'm going to be the beauty tonight.

I refuse to be disturbed

out of my usual calm.

I shall devote myself

exclusively to my lamb chop.

You had better.

Don't forget, you're engaged.

By the way girls, what's he look like?

Well, he's ..

What's that?

That is Mr Deitz.

Would you like a try?

Your father was a great

musician and a great man.

What would he say to these antics?

My father would help me to swing.

Your daughter would approve it. Bah.

I tell you this modern music won't live.

Now Beethoven, he has lived.

And will live for hundreds of years on

every opera stage, every concert hall.

Opera stages, concert halls.

Do you call that living?

You and your jazz and your swing. Bah!

Now, promise me you

won't say "bah" again.

Alright, I promise you.

Bah.

I've got ..

Something is wrong here.

Father. Why, hello there.

Well, we thought you'd never get home.

How is my handsome Dad?

Did you have a hard day, dear?

Something is still wrong.

Hello, Deitz.

Hello, Lemp.

Father dear, won't you ..

Girls, this is Felix Deitz.

He is a blasted young pup.

He prefers jazz to the classics.

He is arrogant, disrespectful,

argumentative, conceited ..

He .. and I like him.

I forgot to say I've no talent whatever.

You told me that all the way home.

I can see that just by looking at you.

I'm Thea.

You look talented to me.

Thank you.

What do you do?

I compose. Oh.

I'm Kay.

How do you do.

How do you do .. what do you compose?

Trash. If he'd only

listen to Beethoven ..

Modern tone-poems, I call them.

And I think so little of Beethoven, I

wouldn't even bother to steal from him.

No, you promised me faithfully

you wouldn't say "bah" again.

Bah.

I'm Emma. Positively the last sister.

I'm very glad to know you, Emma.

I'm very glad to know you.

Go head, produce more.

I'm not in the least bit tired.

Excuse me.

I thought you said there

were no more sisters.

Come and meet the youngest.

Delighted. Etta.

This is Felix Deitz,

son of my old friend.

This is aunt Etta.

How do you do.

I'm pleased to meet you.

Not only the youngest,

but the most charming.

You embarrass me.

Aunt Etta. I'll sit by you at dinner

and we'll hold hands under the table.

In other words, I'm just your type.

Exactly.

Flatterer.

I'm flattered to be with

such a lovely family.

Adam.

He's the brightest thing to come into

the house since the electric percolator.

There is no hope for it. I'm afraid

you'll have to see quite a lot of him.

You know the President of the Foundation?

Yes. Hard-boiled, isn't he?

Well it took this young man

here, just 7 minutes ..

To talk himself a job at the foundation.

Ten minutes. I timed it.

It included introductions and goodbyes.

That means you must live in Briarwood,

doesn't it, Mr Deitz? It does.

Oh, we all want you to feel free to come

and swing on our gate any time you like.

The emotion chokes me.

Well, this calls for a

special celebration.

Emma, put the best silver on the table.

We did, Etta.

And the dinner napkins

with the monograms.

They're on the table. I put them

there just on Ann's description.

Oh .. well ..

Do you know Mr Deitz that those napkins

and that silver have not been used.

Not once .. not even when the

Mayor was here for dinner.

I'm honored.

Yes.

Thanks, Lemp.

That's alright, Deitz.

Home-made blackberry.

Oh. I made it.

Well .. where are you going to live?

I hadn't thought about that yet.

There's a hotel in town, sort of small.

And mangy.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes