I'll Be Seeing You Page #2

branded like people were in the old days.

Youve done something,

youre paying your debt to society.

Most people are willing to let it go at that.

l know, but coming out into the world...

and seeing everybody in uniform,

everybody doing something...

l just dont belong, l dont fit in.

And dreams that lve had for the future...

are just impossible.

Most dreams are, Mary.

lts just the dreaming that counts.

Nobody gets

exactly what he wants out of life.

One of the first things you learn

is to make compromises with your dreams.

But lm not talking about palaces

and rainbows, Aunt Sarah.

lm talking about a home.

A home like this,

with a kitchen and a stove and an icebox...

and a husband, and a child.

Yes, l have all that.

Yet l used to dream

about palaces and rainbows.

But youre happy.

Of course.

Because l didnt hold out for too much.

l accepted what l thought was second best

and made that do.

lts something that everybody learns

sooner or later.

We have to get used to accepting

what you think is second best, and then...

you find out its first best after all.

No, l dont see how that could....

Yes, this is Mr. Marshalls home.

Who is it?

Just a minute.

-lts for her.

-And why not?

Mary, its for you.

Barbara, come and help me set the table.

Thank you.

Hello?

Yes, Zach, this is me.

Of course l meant it.

ld love to, but what about your sister?

Thats too bad.

ld love to, Zach, but....

Wait just a minute.

Aunt Sarah...

this is a soldier l met on the train,

and hes really very nice.

He came here to visit his sister,

and finds that shes gone to California...

and he wants me to go to dinner with him,

and l was wondering if--

A soldier?

Well, why not ask him here for dinner?

-May l, Aunt Sarah?

-You ask him this instant.

And tell him not to be late.

Hello, Zach.

Youre to come over here to dinner, Zach.

But we all want you.

Yes, and Aunt Sarah says not to be late.

lts 61 7 Elm Street. Thats right.

All right, goodbye.

-How did you ever happen to meet him?

-Well, l--

-Was he good-looking?

-Why, l dont know.

Didnt you notice?

No more lollygagging. Hurry and set

the table. Your fatherll be here any minute.

A soldier for dinner!

-Hello, Babs.

-Hi, Dad.

-Mary get here yet?

-Yes. Shes in there.

Good.

Thanks.

-Hello, dear.

-Hello.

-Welcome, Mary.

-Hello, Uncle Henry.

-Youre looking fine.

-Thank you.

lm happy to have you here, Mary. l mean it.

Hey, you must have behaved really well

for them to give you this vacation.

l think thats fine.

Well, its just that they dont exactly

look upon me as a criminal.

No, of course not.

l dont think of you as a criminal, either.

Otherwise ld never have put up

the lawyer money.

-l think you would, Henry.

-Now, Sarah.

Whats done is done.

Lets think no more about it.

l want you to have a good time

while youre here.

Thank you.

l want you to feel just like any one of us.

Shes going to, Henry.

Weve invited a soldier to dinner for her.

You did?

Well, thats fine.

lm sorry.

l thought this was the Marshall house.

lt is.

-ls Miss Marshall here?

-lm Miss Marshall.

l mean your.... Mary Marshall.

-Well, she--

-Barbara, stop teasing that young man.

-lm Marys aunt. Youre Zachary?

-Yes.

This is Barbara, my foolish daughter.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-May l take your coat and hat?

-Thank you.

-Hello, Zach.

-Hello, Mary.

You were quick.

Take Zachary into the living room.

Make him comfortable.

Thank you.

Henry, dinner.

-ls it on the table?

-ln a minute.

-Barbara, come with me. l need you.

-Oh, Mother.

This is swell.

l havent been in a real home like this

in almost as long as l can remember.

lts too bad about you missing your sister.

Well, Mary...

lm in this house under false pretenses.

l havent any sister. l just made all that up.

When you said

you were getting off the train at Pinehill...

l had to make up some sort of excuse

so l could get off with you.

Good evening.

Uncle Henry, this is Zachary Morgan.

My uncle.

-Happy to have you here, Sergeant.

-Thank you.

Make yourself at home. Happy to do

whatever we can for the armed forces.

A man always feels, these days,

hes not doing enough.

How about a drink? Have some bourbon.

No, thank you, lm not drinking just now.

Well, let you in on a little secret.

Neither am l.

lts a funny thing.

People that have it dont want it.

Oh, fine.

People that cant get it...

you ought to see the act they put on

in my drugstore to get that stuff.

Suppers ready. Come and get it.

Hungry?

-Mary, you sit over here. Zach, down there.

-Thank you.

We thank you, God, for our daily bread.

We will do our best to deserve it.

We know that you are present here with us...

that you are smiling upon our two guests,

Mary and Zachary.

Please look after all our dear ones...

and all the boys

who are fighting for our country.

Amen.

Youre not very used to saying grace,

are you, Zach?

No. ln the Army l guess you dont have time.

Didnt you even say it when you were a kid?

When l was a kid l did,

it was just sort of routine.

-You say it as if you meant it, sir.

-l do, Sergeant.

Makes me want to say that l am grateful, too,

for being here and everything.

Thank you, Zachary.

-You must be quite a soldier.

-l wouldnt say that.

The Good Conduct Medal,

two campaigns in the South Pacific...

and the Purple Heart.

For Heavens sake, Barbara,

whered you learn all that?

A girl gets to know medals

like she does boogie-woogie.

But the Purple Heart,

that means you were wounded.

Barbara, stop asking questions.

lm sure Sgt. Morgan doesnt like it.

Come on, Zach,

tell us how you got to be a hero.

After dinner, you go upstairs

and take off some of that lipstick.

Looks as if you fell in a pot of red paint.

Go on, eat your soup, Sergeant,

before it gets cold. Thats orders.

You must have been disappointed

not to find your sister.

Well, Mrs. Marshall--

She took a defense job in California.

Didnt she?

Are you mad at me, Zach,

for asking all those questions?

No.

lm not mad. You mad?

No, lm not mad.

Dad.

-Dad, l want to ask you a question.

-Fine. Fire away.

You know,

you never told me anything about Mary.

l mean, why she was sent to prison,

and why she--

You can find out about that

some other time, when youre a little older.

But it cant be so secret.

l dont see why l shouldnt know.

Barbara, you can find out about that

some other time.

lts just that Mary made a little mistake,

and thats all there is to it.

But they dont send people to prison

for just doing nothing.

Look, lm trying to listen to the radio

and work this puzzle.

l cant take on another job at the moment.

What if my friends ask me about her?

Whatll l tell them?

-Theyll want to know--

-Just tell them that Mary is your cousin.

From that point on,

they can mind their own business.

And it seems to me that your business

might be helping your mother.

Dad, sometimes the way you talk to me...

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