On Moonlight Bay Page #5

Well, he was until last year,

when he took to running

with them traveling men.

What? I don't want to hear

another word of this.

Continue.

Yes, ma'am. That was what started it.

At first, he was a good, kind husband,

but those traveling men,

they coaxed him into a saloon

on his way home from work,

and they started him drinking beer,

and then ales, and wines,

and liquors, and cigars...

- Wesley.

- Ma'am?

I don't want to hear any further

about your family's private affairs.

Now, I'm asking you if you have anything

to say that could possibly excuse...

That's just what I'm trying to tell you,

Miss Stevens, if you'd just only let me.

- You see, after we bandaged Marjorie...

- Bandaged Marjorie?

Yes, ma'am. You see,

her leg was all bruised up and mauled

where he'd been hitting her with his cane.

I knew Marjorie had hurt her ankle,

but I didn't know your father had...

Yes, ma'am. So I had to sit up with her.

And Mother.

She had some pretty big bruises, too.

But why didn't you send for the doctor?

Oh, they didn't want any doctor.

We don't want anybody to hear about it.

You see, Father might reform,

and then where would he be

if everybody knew he'd been a drunkard

and whipped his wife and daughter?

You see, he used to be as upright

as anyone. It all begun...

- "it began," Wesley.

- Yes, ma'am.

It all commenced from the first day

he let them traveling men

coax him into that saloon.

I said, "Why, Mother,

what's the use in taking on so about it?"

And I said, "All the crying in the world

won't help matters any."

And she'd catch hold of me

and kind of sob and holler and...

And I'd say to her, "Mother, don't cry.

Please don't cry."

Wesley, now I understand.

And you were thinking

of all those dreadful things so hard

that you forgot where you were.

I was thinking how to save Father.

You brave little boy.

I know how upset you are.

Why don't you take the afternoon off

and forget about the whole thing?

Thank you, ma'am.

All right, Hubert, I'll tell him. Bye.

That was Hubert Wakely on the phone.

The carolers are waiting for Wesley.

Let them wait.

I wouldn't put on that old petticoat

if you paid me.

Well, since it's most unlikely you'd be paid

for such a performance,

you'll go to bed right after dinner.

Eat your soup. it's good.

Marjorie, have you talked

to Mary Stevens lately?

You mean Wesley's teacher?

Yes. Do you think

she's a little queer these days?

No. What makes you say that?

Well, she's acquired a very odd manner.

At least, she seemed odd to me.

I met her in the store this afternoon,

and after we'd said,

"How do you do?" to each other,

she kept hold of my hand

and looked as though

she were going to cry.

- Are you all right?

- Fine.

I don't think it's so odd, Mother.

I think she's just very emotional.

You know,

she has relations living in England

and what with the war and everything

going on...

Wait. She stood there squeezing my hand

and struggling to get her voice.

Really, I was embarrassed.

And then finally she said,

in a kind of a tearful whisper,

"Be of good cheer. This trial will pass."

- How queer.

- Maybe she'd been drinking.

Wait. After that,

she said something even queerer

and put her handkerchief to her eyes

and hurried away.

Well? What was the other thing she said?

She said, "l know that Wesley is a great,

great comfort to you."

- I'm afraid she's a goner.

- Crazy as a bedbug.

- Did she say anything else?

- No, that's all she said. Every word.

Stella, more soup.

- William Sherman!

- How do you do, Miss Stevens?

Well, what are you doing in town?

Jim said you were staying

at the university this Christmas.

Well, I came down to take Marjorie

to the charity ball. it's a surprise.

- Marjorie Winfield?

- Yes.

- You poor, poor boy.

- What's the matter, Miss Stevens?

You mean she didn't write you

about her father?

No. What about her father?

You come with me. Come on. Come on.

Stella, that's cold.

Nothing like an alcohol rub.

Keeps the circulation going.

George.

George!

He's sleeping like a baby.

- He's been Working too hard lately.

- ls the light shining in his eyes, Mother?

Oh? Oh, I'll fix that.

Isn't this cozy? A perfect Christmas Eve.

Somebody wants in.

Merry Christmas.

- Marjorie!

- Bill!

Oh, Bill, I'm so glad to see you.

- It's true.

- What?

Look what he's done to you. That monster.

Who?

Marjorie, I'll take

you away from all this.

William, will you please be quiet?

Don't you worry, Mrs. Winfield.

I'm not afraid of him.

William!

So this is what the institution

of marriage has done.

Forced you to live

with that drunken beast.

What?

Why, this place reeks with alcohol.

That's rubbing alcohol.

Oh, no. How low can a man sink?

What's the matter with you?

Look at him.

Lying there in a drunken stupor.

- I'll sober him up.

- William, no!

And if you ever lay a little finger

on either of them again, I'll...

- What finger? Take your hands off of me!

- Have you gone crazy?

- You don't deserve a family like this!

- How did he get in here?

- Get him out of here!

- Are you out of your mind?

- Stella? Stella?

- Get this madman out of this house.

William Sherman, I never want to

see you again as long as I live.

I'm sorry, Marjie, but they said

he'd taken to drink and was beating you.

Who's they?

Miss Stevens, Wesley's teacher.

I met her at the station.

How could you believe

for one minute that my father...

Young man,

never step foot inside this door again.

But, sir, she said that Wesley said that...

I knew it was a mistake

moving into this neighborhood.

Papa, I've never seen him like this before.

Maybe, he's been studying too hard.

His mind must have snapped.

What was that he was saying

about Mr. Wesley?

Wesley!

Oh, my goodness.

William! William!

- William!

- Wesley?

Wesley.

Oh, William, I'm awfully sorry.

If only I had told you

how I sprained my ankle.

- I'm not interested.

- William, please listen to me.

I was throwing snowballs and I fell,

and I didn't want to tell you because...

'Cause you think I'm so feminine.

There's nothing I wanted more

than to go to the dance with you.

I even practiced the grizzly bear

and the crab step and all those dances.

Won't you please come back?

I only make a fool of myself once a night.

Why, you pompous old...

Well, your little son is not in his room

or anyplace else in the house.

- I hope he's all right.

- So do I,

because I want him to be in

good condition when I catch up with him.

Wesley.

Wesley!

Mother, I need a drink.

I'll have one with you.

- Merry Christmas, Marjorie.

- Merry Christmas, Bill.

You know, it just occurred to me that,

after today, I won't belong here anymore.

Why, William Sherman, I didn't know

that college meant so much to you.

You used to laugh at it, you know.

I was just going through a phase.

Were you going through one

about me, too?

No, that wasn't a phase.

Oh, Bill, we're going to have

a wonderful time this summer.

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