Kings Row Page #7

one of the nicest things about you, honey,

- is that you don't pretend anything.

- Well, I don't pretend.

Well then, what are we talking about?

Well, for instance, right now.

I suggested we walk down here.

- All right, what's wrong with that?

- Right away you thought...

- What?

- Well, all the time

I only wanted to tell you my idea.

Go ahead and tell me. I'm listening.

I will. And it's not a bad one either.

If you want to buy real estate,

why don't you buy this?

- This junk?

- Well, it could be cleared and drained.

After all, there are a lots of people

who work in the clay pits,

in the mills and the coal mines

who'd like to own homes, too.

- A lot of nickels and dimes...

- Make dollars.

I don't see how any one so pretty

could be so practical.

Remember once you came down

to Elroy's icehouse

and you and Parris and I played on

the rings?

I was an awful little toughy then, wasn't I?

Oh, yes. I was.

But you teased me, you tried to get fresh.

- I was an awful kid, I guess.

- Yes, you were.

But I think I got mad mostly that day

because Parris was there.

I liked him a whole lot better

than I did you...

then.

- You're sure of that now?

- What do you think?

When a girls acts the way I do about you,

she means it.

It's because I want to.

Because I like you

better than anybody in the world.

Serious as all that?

Nothing is serious to us

in the whole world, is it?

- Hey!

- Oh, Drake, my new hat!

No, my new hat.

Louise. Louise.

- Yes, what do you want?

- Your father would hear of this.

What are you crying about?

- Does it make any difference?

- Don't answer me like that.

Why can't you let me alone?

Because I don't want you sitting up here

crying like a little fool over nothing.

- Nothing.

- Oh, I know what you're crying about.

I saw Drake McHugh going by

with that little nobody from downtown.

- Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

- For what?

- For letting her take him away from me?

- Louise,

you know what I mean.

Haven't you got any self-respect?

No.

Well, I almost believe you.

If he wants to run around

with that kind of trash...

You know what boys are like.

Your father is a doctor.

- If you knew all I know...

- I don't want to hear it!

You can be sure when a boy runs around

with a girl like that, it is for just...

I wish it was me.

What did you say?

I said, I wish it was me.

I wish it was me! I wish it was me!

- Hi, Randy.

- Hello, Ed.

- Oh, let me out here, Drake.

- Why?

Why can't I ever let you out

at your front door?

It's late, and Pa and my brother Tod

will be home.

- I'm not good enough even for...

- Drake,

you were just going to say, "Even for me."

I wasn't either.

I was going to say, "Even for them."

They don't think I'm good enough for you.

Now, hold your temper.

We're not a fitting match.

You belong up on Union Street.

Your family was rich and high-toned.

My Pa's a railroad section boss...

Oh, if you're gonna start that bunk

about class again.

Why did you drive by

the Gordon's just now?

Well...

It's on the way home.

Even when it isn't, you do.

Didn't you go around with Louise

for a while?

Yeah. Her old man thought I was wild.

So you came downtown.

Anything south of the railroad tracks.

Randy, you know that's not so.

- Do you ever think of Louise anymore?

- Sometimes.

- What do you think?

- I get mad.

Anything else?

- I don't know.

- Thanks, Drake.

- For what?

- For being that honest.

When a boy who belongs uptown

begins taking a girl from the lower end

of town out buggy riding at night,

people talk. You know that, don't you?

I'll say. Gabble, gabble, gabble. I'd like

to hear them to my face sometime.

Well, we can't honestly blame them

for saying something that's so, can we?

Oh, Randy, for Pete's sake.

Well, just saying, "For Pete's sake,"

doesn't clear up anything.

What's got to be cleared up?

Just why Pa doesn't want me

to go with you.

I guess Ma wouldn't either,

if she was still living.

I'll go with you as long as you want me to.

But don't get mad

when I try and clear up how things are.

If I married you, that'd shut their traps.

- I wouldn't marry you, Drake.

- What?

- Surprised, aren't you?

- Yes, I am.

Well, that's the way it is.

I'll go on this way, but no other way.

Remember that, will you?

This where you want to get out?

- Goodbye, Drake.

- Bye, honey.

- Hello, sis.

- There you are.

I didn't mean to be so late.

Here, Pa, I'll take over.

- Oh, well, it won't hurt us for once.

- Go on, sit down. I'll put it on the table.

Fixed that kink

in the third section today, sis.

- Fixed her straight and true as a die.

- That's the stuff, Tod.

When Pa retires

and I get to be section boss...

Drake!

Mr. Monaghan, I'm Drake McHugh.

Maybe you've heard about me.

Be a wonder if you haven't,

the way people gab.

And most of what they say is true.

But the one thing they can't say is that

I ever do anything behind anyone's back.

Well, I've been taking your daughter out

buggy riding.

I like her and she likes me.

But I won't do anything on the sly.

So if you've got any objection

to my going on seeing her,

now is the time to spit it out.

Why, no, no, no.

Now, what have you got to say?

Won't you sit down

and have some supper?

- You wanted to see me, Mr. Lawes?

- Oh, yes, McHugh.

Come in and sit down.

It's about your account.

It's overdrawn a little, you know?

Naturally, the way you tear around.

But I thought I had more than $1,000

in my account.

- How could you be that far off?

- I don't know. Can I talk to Mr. Curley?

Mr. Curley's in Texas.

Down there on business.

I don't expect him back until next week.

Well, I haven't been spending any money.

Not much.

Last July there must have been

about $1,000 put in.

The regular quarterly installment.

Is that so?

Just a minute.

- There wasn't any deposit made in July.

- Are you sure?

Nothing since the 2nd of April.

And the bonds and estate papers

are in Mr. Curley's own box, I suppose?

That's where he always kept them.

- Bring the keys.

- Yes, sir.

Don't say anything about this to anyone

until we're sure.

- Not to anyone.

- Yes, sir.

Why, Drake.

Come in, come in.

I'd like to talk to you

for a little while, Mr. Monaghan.

Is Randy here?

I don't want her to see me

looking like this.

- I just want to talk to you.

- She's upstairs.

I was just puttering around here.

Never know

what to do with myself Sundays.

When Ma was alive we'd sit and talk.

How about a cup of coffee?

No, thanks.

The constable gave me some coffee.

I got drunk at Fritz Bachman's last night.

Sam Winters came along

and hauled me to jail

just in time to keep me

from getting kicked out to freeze.

Fritz Bachman, lowlife skunk.

Well, I didn't have to go there

and get drunk.

No, you didn't. To tell you the truth, son,

I've been meaning to talk to you

for some time.

You won't need to.

I gave myself a talking to this morning

when I woke up in jail

with three other guests of the town.

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