Pinky Page #9

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No, sir, Mr. Stanley.

But you were sitting where

you could see the paper she was

writing on, weren't you?

Yes, sir, Mr. Stanley.

Well, now, didn't you see

enough of it to know what it was?

He's going to trap her. He knows she

can't read, and she'll never admit it.

- (Whispers) From Dr. Joe.

- Come, now, Aunt Dicey.

Let's have an answer.

You know, sir,

as well as me it ain't manners...

readin' what ain't meant

for you to read.

- (Spectators Laughing)

- (Gavel Pounding)

(Shouting) Then how can you swear

before God you knew it was her will?

Now, Aunt Dicey,

you answer me the gospel truth!

Couldn't this will have been written at

some other time? Couldn't it? Couldn't it?

- Yes...

- Couldn't Pinky have helped Miss Em

make a will when you weren't around?

- I reckon she could, sir.

- (Stanley) Your witness.!

(Spectators Laughing, Murmuring)

Your Honor, we'll waive

cross-examination of this witness.

All right, Aunt Dicey.

You can step down now.

I have here a note from Dr. Joe in which

he says he's going to be delayed.

Now, on the basis of this note,

I petition for a brief recess.

May I see this note, please?

- Do I have your permission

to read this to the court?

- You certainly have.

"Sorry. Mary Picken's baby

jumped the gun.

"When it gets here,

I'll get there.

- Joe McGill."

- (Crowd Laughing)

Seriously, Your Honor,

I object to this petition...

or to any legal strategy intended solely

to drag out this unfortunate affair...

which should have never

seen the light of day anyway.

judge Walker had as much time

as we did to summon witnesses...

and to make sure they'd be here.!

As for this note, it's easy

to read between the lines.

Naturally, Dr. Joe didn't want

to hurt his old friend's feelings here...

with a direct refusal to appear

as a witness in this unpleasant case.

It's obvious, however, that bountiful

nature and the ethics of his profession...

- Have come to his aid.

- (Crowd Laughing)

- (Gavel Pounds)

- Oh, this is going to

be a long confnement!

- (Laughter Continues)

- (Gavel Pounding)

He's not asking for a recess, Your Honor.

He's asking for a postponement!

(Laughter)

- Petition denied, Judge Walker.

- Thank you, Judge Shoreham.

(Cheering, Applause)

Any more of that,

and I'll have the room cleared.

- Have you any further witnesses?

- No more, Your Honor.

I agree with counsel for the plaintiff.

- There's no point in

dragging this out any longer.

- Thank you.

The court has heard all the facts

and is ready to announce its fiinding.

Thank you, sir.

I do not intend to defend

the wisdom of this bequest...

nor do I intend to base my fndings

on the conclusions of the witnesses...

nor on the hearsay evidence

admitted here today.

This will is a legal document.

I have examined it, and I see no reason

to doubt that it was written...

by a woman

in full possession ofher faculties.

Moreover, plaintiffs have failed

to establish that any undue infiuence...

was exerted by the defendant.

The will is therefore

declared to be good and valid...

and the executor shall

carry out its terms as written.

- ButJudge Shoreham!

- (Spectators Clamoring)

- (Gavel Pounding)

- I want it clearly understood...

any attempt to interfere with

the defendant or her property...

will be answerable to this court.

- Court is now adjourned.

- (Clamoring Continues)

(Bailiff Shouting)

Quiet.! Quiet, please.!

(Clamoring Continues)

judge Walker,

I don't know how to thank you.

Well, Pinky, you won.

You got the house and the land.

And you got justice.

But I doubt if any other interests

of this community have been served.

(Spectators Grumbling)

(Crowd Quiets)

Come on, darling. Let's go.

All right, Tom. All right.

(Glass Tinkling)

Big old houses like this

are a drug on the market.

We'll fnd a good real estate man

and turn it over to him.

We'll auction off the furniture

and the silver separately.

You know, some of those pieces

down there look valuable.

We'll sell them all in your name,

so you'll be independent...

just in case you decide

to run away from me again.

(Glass Tinkling)

This is... is quite a room.

Yes.

Yes.

Oh, say, isn't this

a beautiful fre screen?

Miss Em was proud of that.

Martha Washington is supposed

to have done the embroidery.

Oh, we can't let this get away from us.

We'll have it sent out to Denver.

Denver?

Didn't I tell you? L...

I've accepted a position

in a clinic there.

But all your ties are in Boston...

your family.

Oh. But the...

- The publicity.

- Oh, it's partly that...

but I've always thought

about moving out west.

Besides, too many people in Boston

know, or they might fnd out.

Pat, you'll love it in Denver. Some

friends of mine are starting this clinic.

They want me to go in with them.

I can't sell the house, Tom. That isn't

why she left it to me... to sell...

or why I went through

with the trial.

She said, with confdence in the use

to which I'd put the property.

Let's be practical. Her lawyer

had it straight when he said she was...

merely... merely trying

to pay off her debt to you.

- Now, if you'll let me...

- No, that wasn't her reason.

She'd have left it to Granny.

She owed her far more.

Miss Em accepted service as her due.

No, she had some purpose...

something she wanted me to do.

Come on now, Pat. I know she was

a wonderful old woman and all that...

and she made a deep impression

on you, but she's dead.

Your own life is much more important

than her purpose, if she had one.

It's my life she was thinking of.

She told me once

to be myself wherever I was.

- Well, that's pretty good advice, but...

- But you said yesterday...

there'd be no PinkyJohnson

after we were married.

- How can I be myself?

- It was only a fgure of speech.

Now, let's get out of this place. You're

letting the trial get under your skin.

- Will you forget it?

- You mean run away from it, Tom.

This time to Denver,

running away for the rest of our lives.

- You're all confused.

- No. I'm just beginning to understand.

She didn't want me to go. She didn't

want me to pretend. We talked about it.

- Pat...

- That's why she wrote the will.

- She thought the house

would keep me here.

- But she was wrong.

- That's why she wrote it.

- She was wrong, wasn't she?

Wasn't she?

I can't go with you.

I'm sick of lying, Tom.

We wouldn't be happy, either of us.

What do you expect to do,

crawl into a closet and live

there the rest of your life?

Close the door and lock it...

lock everything?

Pat, look at me. Look at me!

Will you come to your senses? You've

got to make a break, get away from it!

I don't want to get away

from anything.

I'm a Negro.

I can't forget it, and I can't deny it.

I can't pretend to be anything else,

and I don't want to be anything else.

- Don't you see, Tom?

- No, I don't.

You can't live without pride.

I'm sorry, Tom.

I'll never forget you

or what you tried to do.

But please go now.

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