Gone with the Wind Page #9

SCARLETT:

I want three hundred dollars to pay the taxes on

Tara. Oh Rhett, I did lie to you when I said

everything was all right. Things are just as bad as

they possibly could be. And you've got millions,

Rhett.

RHETT:

What collateral are you offering?

SCARLETT:

My ear bobs...

RHETT:

Not interested.

SCARLETT:

Mortgage on Tara...

RHETT:

What would I do with a farm?

SCARLETT:

You wouldn't lose, I'd pay you back after next year's

cotton.

RHETT:

Not good enough. Have you nothing better? SCARLETT

You once said you loved me. If you still love me,

Rhett...

RHETT:

You haven't forgotten that I'm not a marrying man.

SCARLETT:

No. I haven't forgotten.

RHETT:

You're not worth three hundred dollars. You'll never

mean anything but misery to any man.

SCARLETT:

Go on, insult me, I don't care what you say, only

give me the money! I won't let Tara go, I can't let

it go while there's a breath left in my body. Oh,

Rhett, won't you please give me the money?

RHETT:

I couldn't give you the money if I wanted to. My

funds are in Liverpool, not in Atlanta. If I tried

drawing a draft, the Yankees would be on me like a

duck on a junebug. So you see my dear, you've abased

yourself to no purpose. Stop it! You want the Yankees

to see like this?

SCARLETT:

Take your hands off me, you dunk! You know what I am

going to say before I started. You knew you wouldn't

lend me the money and yet, and yet, you let me go on.

RHETT:

I enjoyed hearing what you had to say. Cheer up, you

can come to my hanging and I'll remember you in my

will.

SCARLETT:

I'll come to your hanging. The only thing I'm afraid

of is they won't hang you in time to pay the taxes on

Tara.

Chapter 9 Scarlett's Second Marriage

(Scarlett leaves the jail in burning anger. But the

visit of Scarlett and her new dress to Atlanta is not

a complete futility. She meets Frank Kennedy, Sue

Ellen's beau.)

FRANK:

Surely it can't be Miss Scarlett!

SCARLETT:

Why, Frank Kennedy!

FRANK:

And Mammie...

MAMMIE:

It sure is good to see home folks.

FRANK:

I didn't know you were in Atlanta.

SCARLETT:

I didn't know you were.

FRANK:

Didn't Miss Sue Ellen tell you about my store?

SCARLETT:

Did she, I don't remember. Have you a store? This?

FRANK:

Won't you come in, look around a bit?

(Into the store)

I don't suppose it looks like much to a lady, but I

can't help being proud of it.

SCARLETT:

You're not making money?

FRANK:

Well, I can't complain. In fact I'm mighty

encouraged. Folks tell me I'm just a born merchant.

It won't be long now before Miss Sue Ellen and I can

marry.

SCARLETT:

Well , you're doing as well as all that?

FRANK:

Yes, I am. Miss Scarlett. I'm no millionaire yet, but

I have cleared a thousand dollars already.

SCARLETT:

And lumber too.

FRANK:

Well, that's only a sideline.

SCARLETT:

A sideline, Frank? With all the good Georgia pine

around Atlanta, and all this building going on?

FRANK:

Well, all that takes money, Miss Scarlett, and, I got

to be thinking about buying a home.

SCARLETT:

What would you want a home for?

FRANK:

For Miss Sue Ellen and me to set up housekeeping.

SCARLETT:

Here in Atlanta. You'd want to bring her to Atlanta,

wouldn't you? There wouldn't be much help in that for

Tara.

FRANK:

I don't rightly know what you mean, Miss Scarlett.

SCARLETT:

I don't mean a thing. Frank, how'd you like to drive

me out to my Aunt Pitty's?

FRANK:

Oh, nothing could give me more pleasure, Miss

Scarlett.

SCARLETT:

I think you'd better stay for supper, too. I'm sure

Aunt Pitty would be agreeable and I know I'd like a

good long visit with you.

FRANK:

Oh, you act on me just like a tonic, Miss Scarlett.

And will you tell me all the news, all the news of

Miss Sue Ellen? What's the matter, Miss Scarlett?

Miss Sue Ellen's not ill, is she?

SCARLETT:

Oh, no, no. I thought surely she had written you. I

guess she was ashamed to write to you. She should be

ashamed. Oh how awful to have such a mean sister.

FRANK:

You must tell me, Miss Scarlett. Don't leave me on

the tenderhooks.

SCARLETT:

Well, she's going to marry one of the county boys

next month. She just got tired of waiting and was

afraid she'd be an old maid and...Oh, I'm sorry to be

the one to tell you. Oh, it's cold, and I left my

muff at home. Would you mind if I put my hand in your

pocket?

(Scarlett returns to Tara as Mrs. Kennedy, with 300

dollars, to face Sue Ellen's broken heart and the

astonishment of the other people.)

SUE ELLEN:

But Melanie, you don't realize what she's done. She's

gone and married my Mr. Kennedy! He's my beau and

she's gone and married him.

MELANIE:

She did it to save Tara, you must understand that,

Sue Ellen.

SUE ELLEN:

I hate Tara. And I hate Scarlett. She's the only

thing I hate worse than Tara!

(In the living room.)

ASHLEY:

It's all my fault. I should have committed highway

robbery to get that tax money for you.

SCARLETT:

I couldn't let you do anything like that, and anyway,

it's done now.

ASHLEY:

Yes, it's done now. You wouldn't let me do anything

dishonorable yet you'd sell yourself in marriage to a

man you didn't love. Well, at least you won't have to

worry about my helplessness anymore.

SCARLETT:

What do you mean?

ASHLEY:

I'm going to New York. I've arranged to get a

position in a bank there.

SCARLETT:

But you can't do that! I've counted on you to help me

start a lumber business Ashley and, I counted on you.

ASHLEY:

Scareltt, I wouldn't be any good to you, I don't know

anything about the lumber business.

SCARLETT:

You know as much as you do about banking, and I'd

give you half the business Ashley.

ASHLEY:

That's generous of you Scarlett. But it isn't that.

If I go to Atlanta and take help from you again, I'd

bury forever any hope of standing alone.

SCARLETT:

Oh, is that all? Well, you could gradually buy the

business, and then it would be your own, and then...

ASHLEY:

No Scarlett.

SCARLETT:

Oh, Ashley! Ashley

(Melanie walks in.)

MELANIE:

Scarlett. Scarlett, what is it?

SCARLETT:

Ashley is so mean and hateful.

MELANIE:

(to Ashley

What have you done?

ASHLEY:

She, she wanted me to go to Atlanta.

SCARLETT:

To help me start me my lumber business, and he won't

lift a finger to help me.

MELANIE:

Why how un-chivalrous of you. Why think Ashley,

think. If it hadn't of been for Scarlett, I'd have

died in Atlanta, and maybe we wouldn't have had

little Beau, and, when I think of picking cotton and

plowing just to keep food in our mouths, I could

just, oh, my darling!

ASHLEY:

All right, Melanie. I'll go to Atlanta. I can't fight

you both.

(Months passed. The lumber business is a great

success. But good times don't last long. Frank

Kennedy died in a fight against some tramps, for

their insult on Scarlett. Scarlett is very sad.)

MAMMIE:

Miss Scarlett. Captain Butler here to see you. I told

him you was prostrate with grief.

SCARLETT:

Tell him, tell him I'll be right down, Mammie.

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