Heroes for Sale Page #2

Time to quit beating the drum

and waving the flag.

I'm paying this man a salary

and I expect him to do a man's work.

Doctor, you've got to do

something for me.

I can't stand it.

Tom, I keep telling you

I can't do a thing...

...unless I report your case

to the authorities.

No, you can't do that.

Don't you understand? My mother...

I've got to make a report

of what I do with every grain.

But I tell you you've got to

give me some. You've got to!

I'd lose my license.

They could send me to the penitentiary.

Then there's nothing you can do for me?

Not unless I report the case.

All right, but it's not my fault.

It's not my fault if I steal,

if I kill somebody.

I tell you, I'm going crazy.

Three-one-oh, please.

This the First National?

This is Dr. Briggs.

I'd like to talk with Mr. Winston.

It's all here, Harry.

And a hundred-dollar bill all crumpled up.

Looks like it was tempted

to go see the world.

What's going on?

I don't know.

Mr. Winston said to count this quickly.

- Why, does he think Tom...?

- I don't know.

The place is in an uproar.

Tom's in there with him now.

I wonder if you realize what this does

to my standing in the community.

After 25 years of public confidence...

...I find myself with a drug addict

in my employ.

A drug addict

handling the depositors' money.

An employee of mine

with this loathsome, cowardly habit.

I can't understand it.

I know how carefully

your mother brought you up.

The sacrifices she made

sending you to school...

...fitting you for a good,

clean Christian life.

- This is a nice...

- Oh, wait a minute.

How do you think I started

taking that stuff, for fun or pleasure?

Well, I'll tell you how.

They gave it to me in a German hospital

to keep me from going mad with pain.

Pain, agony, continual torture.

Day after day,

like a million ants eating me alive.

You know what that means?

No, you don't.

Because when I was being blown to bits,

you were sitting here safe and comfortable.

And you're still sitting here in judgment.

- You just ask your son how I happened...

- Tom.

Calm down, Tom.

You're going to be all right.

We'll take care of you.

If you're gonna take care of me,

tell him the truth.

You turned yellow

and stayed in that shell hole.

I captured the German prisoner

and brought him to you.

Those decorations and honors you've got

belong to me...

...and how I paid for them

with my life's blood and a morphine habit.

Go on, tell him and blast some of that

self-satisfaction out of him.

Son...

...all that he said about your

decoration was a lie, wasn't it?

Poor boy. Ahem.

He's out of his head.

The ravings of a dope fiend.

I beg your pardon for asking, Roger.

I'm sorry for his mother.

There's only one merciful course to take.

Get Judge Gorham for me, please.

Well, I asked you. Go on.

- You ever see an angel?

No.

Did you ever know a guy

who had seen an angel?

No.

You're trying to tell me

the world ain't getting any better.

It's getting worse.

But why is it getting worse?

The burden of proof is on you, my friend.

- Why is it getting better?

- Look how much longer people live.

I admit that,

but that only prolongs their suffering.

Well, if you think life is so awful,

why don't you cut your throat?

Because I can't afford to buy a knife.

Oh, you are stupid, my friend.

That's why you can't accept

the doctrines of Communism...

...why you endure class servitude.

You are a fish, a timid little rabbit,

a slinking mouse afraid to fight.

And what have you to lose, I ask you?

Nothing but your chains.

Stop, don't start that again.

- Well, we were...

Go on, go on, get those dishes washed.

- Lenin once said...

- He ain't gonna say it here.

Now, you go on upstairs.

All you do is talk everybody

into a stomachache.

Don't stay up till all hours

burning up the electric light.

Oh.

They settle every problem in the world

four times a day.

It's a regular bureau of misinformation.

Do you want some more coffee, son?

- I thought it was tea.

- Well, we're famous for our coffee.

I was only kidding. It's great.

- Say, you're a new face around here.

- Just blew into town.

You don't have to eat and run.

Go in the reading room.

- Make yourself at home.

- Thanks.

If there's anything you wanna know here,

don't ask Pa, ask me.

Know where I could get

a good cheap room?

Pa and me rent rooms in our flat upstairs.

We got a nice empty now.

- Bedbugs?

- Only if you bring them.

- Could I see it?

- Why, sure. Come on.

Try and get paid for anything you sell.

Mm-hm.

This is a lovely room.

The man that had it, Mr. Costigan,

was with us for over five years.

- What made him leave?

- He didn't exactly leave.

One nice Sunday afternoon,

the police came along and took him.

Yes, our flat is large, seven rooms.

There's only two other boarders.

You won't feel cramped.

Sounds good. How much you asking?

Well, we don't want

any more police around here.

- Uh... You got references?

- No references.

- Folks?

- They're both dead.

- Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry.

- That's all right.

- You working?

- Looking for a job.

Mm-hm.

- Any money?

- A little.

Well, of course, I'm taking a chance,

but you look honest.

So did Mr. Costigan.

Oh, this is a lovely bed.

I gave $ 15 for the mattress alone.

It would be dark here

in the daytime, wouldn't it?

You're not supposed to be here.

You're to be out working.

Well, I don't know. I like a lot of sun.

Well, the park isn't far away.

Mary, you home?

I'm in here, Ruth.

She's roomed with us for over three years

and likes it.

Well, I think I'll look around

a little bit more. Maybe I can find...

Oh, excuse me, Mary.

I thought you were alone.

Well, I was showing this man

the room, but I don't think he likes it.

Well, who said I didn't like it?

- How much?

- Three dollars a week, payable in advance.

- When do you wanna move in?

- I'm in now.

It's lucky I haven't got a trunk.

Long as you two are under the same roof,

you might as well be introduced.

- Miss Ruth Loring, meet Mr?

- Tom Holmes.

Mr. Thomas Holmes.

I'm pleased to make your acquaintance.

Me too.

Well, I better get on downstairs

before Pa gives everything away.

Excuse me, I better go to bed now.

Good night.

Heh. There's a trick to it.

Here, let me help you.

- Oh, you have to tie it down.

- There. Sure.

- All the shades around here wanna stay up.

- So do I.

Won't you stay and talk for a minute?

I feel kind of lost in this new place.

Well, I'd like to.

- I've been working all day and I better go.

- Where do you work?

- In a laundry.

- That ought to be a nice clean job.

- Where do you work?

- I don't know yet, I'm looking for a job.

- Well, why don't you try the laundry?

- I think I will.

Sounds like we've got the Anvil Chorus

for neighbors.

That's only Mr. Brinker, the German fellow.

That's his room there.

- Well, why the noise?

- Oh, he invents things.

- What kind of things?

- I've never asked him.

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