Libeled Lady Page #8

I hope Warren won't mind

our dancing like this.

What? Him.

After all, it's perfectly innocent. Just fun.

Sure. Certainly a girl can dance

with her own husband...

- and you are my husband.

- Yes, quite.

Besides, this is our last night.

What do you mean?

If you're going to file suit tomorrow...

I'll have to move out of here

to prove that we're alienated.

- You know, I'm gonna miss you.

- I'll miss you, too.

- You're a swell kid, Gladys.

- You're not such a cluck yourself.

I hate to see you get mixed up

in that mess tomorrow.

Look, you don't want me to file that suit,

do you?

No, I don't. For your own sake.

Then I don't. I don't start anything

until you tell me to.

It'll mean a row with Warren.

It won't be the first one.

Let's dance some more.

It's pretty late. 2:00.

I could dance all night with my Billikins.

My little fuzzy-wuzzy's got to

get some sleep though.

You're kind of cute when you say that.

So I'm going to say good night,

Mrs. Chandler.

- I'm off to get some air.

- Air?

Yes, I haven't been able to sleep

for the last two or three nights.

Must be insomnia.

I can fix that. My father used to have it.

When he did, I'd rub his head

with cologne, like that.

I'll go get the cologne.

It isn't that kind of insomnia.

You know, different people

respond to different things.

Some people respond to rub-a-dub

on the forehead. Others drop off to music.

Now, me...

- I'm a horse's hoof man.

- A what?

A horse's hoof man.

That's what it takes to put me to sleep.

The sound of a horse's hoof. Hoof, hoof.

You know? Hoof, hoof.

Good?

Are you amenable to reason?

Then you will come to my charity bazaar.

No.

You turned me down for the horse show.

But I ride with you every morning.

You scorned my bid to a concert.

But I strum my guitar

'neath thy window each eve.

And now you refuse my invitation

for tomorrow night.

But I'm dining with you and Father

this evening.

It's your last meal, my lad.

I'm beginning to tumble.

I do very well for the back streets...

but you're ashamed

to be seen with me in public.

Certainly. A gal who smears

mustard all over her chin.

Thanks.

- Beautiful now?

- No, just clean.

Stop turning my head.

Now, for the purpose of the record,

what time will you arrive at the bazaar?

Once and for all,

I am not attending the bazaar.

Bill, what is it?

What is it?

It is a horse.

Let's stop clowning.

There's something wrong.

- Tell me. What is it?

- I can't.

Why? Please.

I swore I'd never mention it again.

The libel suit?

What's that got to do

with your coming to my party?

Plenty.

Connie, drop the suit, will you?

I know you feel that the paper

hit you deliberately.

Of course it was deliberate,

to hurt my father.

- So you're striking back.

- And you think I'm heartless.

No, just foolish.

You think you're gonna end all publicity...

but instead, you'll be smeared

over every paper in the country.

And I don't care, because...

Let's not go all over it again.

You asked for it.

That's why I won't be seen with you

in public.

All you need now

is one more good scandal.

Why is there any scandal

in my being seen with you?

Because you're in the public eye

more than ever.

If the gossip columns link your name

with a man's now...

don't you see that it's going

to make you light, cheap?

You're taking this

much too seriously, darling.

- After all, it's my fight.

- And that makes it mine.

You're sweet.

If I had $5 million,

I'd give it to settle this thing.

Shall I drop it, Bill?

- Will you?

- I'll tell you tomorrow at the party.

Now you'll have to come.

How about the Athletic Club? Try the Yale.

Try it again! I've got to get him!

Two hours late.

This guy is driving me mad.

He hasn't seen her in 10 days.

I can't make it out.

It's not the old Chandler.

Hello? Try his apartment.

No use.

Mrs. Chandler was calling from there.

She's looking for him, too.

- Didn't you tell her I was here?

- She wanted him.

She's afraid he's offended at something

she said this morning.

She wanted to apologize.

Gladys wanted to apologize?

He was to meet her at lunch

and didn't come.

She's afraid there was an accident,

wanted us to try the morgue.

She never tried the morgue for me.

- Say, what's going on here?

- Maybe he's working on the wrong girl.

Working on the...

What are you talking about?

After all, she's his wife.

She may be his wife,

but she's engaged to me!

The boss wants to see you right away,

Mr. Haggerty.

Yeah. All right.

His wife.

What about this fellow Chandler?

I thought he was supposed to be clever.

He's clever, all right.

A lot cleverer than I thought he was.

What are you talking about?

He hasn't seen

this Allenbury girl in 10 days.

Do you call that being clever?

Great scott, man.

We've got to do something,

do you realize what this means?

More than you know.

It's your business to find out

what he's been doing.

That's just exactly it.

I'm going to take

the matter into my own hands.

I'm going to see

Connie Allenbury personally.

What makes you think

you'll get in to see her?

Mr. Bane, when I was a reporter,

I'd get into places...

that even a second-story man

couldn't break into.

All right, try it. Make her see.

Appeal to her reason.

She has none. This is Connie Allenbury,

international playgirl...

the spoiled daughter

without a brain in her head!

But I know how to handle her kind.

I'm gonna throw myself on her mercy

and appeal to her heart.

I'm going to give her all the sob stuff!

You know, Miss Allenbury,

this situation has outgrown a petty fight.

We've got to consider

the humanitarian aspect.

I must appeal to your social conscience.

Thanks. I didn't know your paper

thought I had one.

Now, now.

If you go through with this case...

it's going to throw 500 people

out of employment.

Men and women, jobless,

walking the streets...

women like yourself,

tired, cold, and hungry.

- Driven to drink and ruin.

- You write the editorials, don't you?

Yes. Now, I know what you're thinking.

You're saying to yourself,

it's not my fault if people starve.

- It's the fault of the paper.

- Isn't it?

No, it's my fault, it's my mistake.

And all my life I shall be faced

with the knowledge...

that I have wrecked

the lives of 500 people.

That's all I care about, Miss Allenbury.

Those poor, unfortunate souls.

After all, they shouldn't suffer for...

You're right, they shouldn't suffer

for your mistakes.

Miss Allenbury. Thank you.

I knew you'd feel this way.

- They must be taken care of.

- Heaven bless you, Connie. Miss Allenbury.

And you, too, for calling it to my

attention. I shall see to it personally...

that the whole $5 million

goes into a trust fund for them.

You mean you're gonna

go ahead with the case?

I must, to get the $5 million.

Now I shall push it doubly hard.

Now I have a cause.

But the paper will go under. It will fold.

Yes, I know,

but you said that was secondary.

The main thing is to take care of

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