Pittsburgh Page #7

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You could slice it thinner.

- I love ya, Cash. So help me, I love ya.

- Yeah.

Say, don't forget that party tonight.

You haven't been around in a long while.

You oughta mix with

the big boys more. It pays off.

You should know.

By the way, uh,

why don't you bring Josie?

I haven't seen her in a long while.

Maybe I will. It might amuse her

to see that mausoleum you live in.

You two set the date yet?

You'll know it when we do.

Is it bothering you, Pitt?

- Nice to be dancing with the host.

- Hmm?

Or am I dancing alone? You're doing

the steps all right, Charles...

but your mind seems to be elsewhere.

I can't understand what's happened

to Cash. He's usually right on time.

- I'm worried about him.

- You're not worried about Miss Winters, are you?

Well, your worries are over.

- Hello, Josie, Cash!

- Mrs. Markham, Pitt.

- Say, Josie, you look like a real countess tonight.

- Thank you.

- We're sorry we're late, Mrs. Markham.

- Oh, that's all right.

- Hello, Cash. - How are you,

Cash? - Glad to see you, Cash.

- Hello.

- You haven't been getting around much lately.

- I wouldn't say that.

- Oh, Miss Winters. Mr. Cooper, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Drake.

- How do you do?

- May I have this dance?

- Not with him!

- Nor with him! With me.

- It's a host's prerogative.

- Excuse me.

Prerogative! I wonder if he

knows what it means?

- You know, I just realized what's been wrong with these parties.

- What?

You. Ya liven 'em up.

It's like a Christmas tree.

It's dead 'til you turn on the lights.

- Thank you.

- I really missed you, Josie.

Dancing with you again, it's-

it's like old times.

Old times are old times, Pitt.

What's the matter? You afraid?

You're the same old Pittsburgh.

But I'm not the same Josie.

- Miss Winters, it was my dance.

- How about me, Miss Winters?

Sorry, boys. She's gonna dance

with the guy what brung her.

Bulls and bears of Wall Street

are nothing...

compared to the wolves

of the steel industry.

Shall we finish

our dance, Charles?

With pleasure, Mrs. Markham.

I've never had

a better time in my life.

Naturally. You were out

with an old swell-time expert.

Never had any complaints yet

from the female clientele.

The first good time

I've had in a month of Sundays.

And I always

remember firsts.

Like the first time

I rode on a streetcar.

- Or ate an ice-cream cone.

- Or the first long dress you wore.

Mm-hmm. Don't you ever remember

the first good times in your life?

Mm-hmm. My first long pants were

too tight and my first pay cheque too little.

The trouble with you, Josie, you've been too

nearsighted to see the good times around you.

- Too much Pittsburgh smoke.

- Yes.

But now the atmosphere

is getting pretty clear, Cash.

Well, it's about time.

I never could understand

what you saw in that big lug anyway.

Why, I used to beat him

at everything from pool to poker.

I could dig more coal in two hours

than he could in two days.

I did all his talking for him,

and his fighting.

I used to lick him every once in a while

just for the exercise.

Take his dames away from him just to prove

that old stuff about mind over matter.

And why did you stop

taking his dames?

I didn't. But when they were too dumb

to see straight, I wouldn't even bother.

But sometimes dumb girls get smart,

if you give them enough time.

- I've been learning a lot.

- For instance?

Oh, just that chinning yourself

on the moon isn't such a neat trick.

The man I want to marry must

have both feet on the ground.

About, uh, size 12?

Maybe.

I'm just an easygoing,

calculating guy.

But, sister, when I finally call 'em,

they drop right in the pot.

What if this bird you've been

talking about doesn't even ask you?

I hope he will.

He will. I'm sure he will, Josie.

The way you behaved. I've never seen

anything so ridiculous in all my life.

- You and that woman.

- Oh, stop it, will ya, Shannon?

I understand, Charles.

You love her.

You always have

and you always will.

Can't I have a laugh with an old friend

without you gettin' green-eyed?

Look in the mirror.

If ever I saw...

- a short-fused dynamite ready to

explode- - I want a divorce, Charles.

For what?

Because Hunky and I were dancing?

No. Because you're crude,

rude and a bore.

You always will be.

You've ruined my father's life...

- and now you're ruining mine.

- That's right, Shannon.

Then you'll

give me my freedom?

- No.

- But why do you insist on keeping me?

Is it because in me,

you have some alleged social standing?

- Or is it because you and

that hunky are after- - Stop it!

That isn't true.

I know what you're thinking...

and I'm tempted to wring

your lovely little neck.

I'll let you go

when I'm ready.

I hate you.

Oh, you'll feel better

in the morning.

It's not a fairy tale.

It's scientific history.

Breathtaking.

Taxing the imagination.

Out of coal tar came more than

200 different substances.

Dyes, explosives, sulpha drugs.

These are the products that come

from a simple lump of coal.

Thousands of derivatives.

And here is the big factor I've been

telling you about. The sulpha compound.

Big? Why, the word

isn't big enough to describe it.

What Doc's been telling us

is so big it makes your head swim.

Did I hear somebody

say "big"?

Brethren, you're

speaking my language.

I'm sure were are, Pitt.

That's why you're going to be...

one of the main contributors to the greatest

gift man has received in modern times.

Is that so?

What am I giving away?

If it works,

you'll be saving lives.

You'll be doing away

with a lot of suffering in this world.

Remember Doc told us

about a man who thought coal...

was the basis

for a medical cure-all...

and that scientists

have been trying to prove it ever since?

It looks like Doc

has finally found the trail.

I hope it's a short trail.

In my books...

every time the clock strikes

it oughta ring like a cash register.

- Go ahead, spill it, Doc.

- That's why we're here, Pitt.

Gonna take a lot of money to carry on this

research, but we're close to the answer.

A sulpha-type compound

made of coal tar...

that would check certain

bacterial growth in body fluids...

and at the same time

be as harmless to take as water.

Hmm. Very interesting.

Look, Doc, why don't you stick

to your paints and varnishes?

Let somebody else worry about

this sulpha whatever-it-is.

But this is something

that'll benefit all humanity.

Let's level on something that will benefit

Markham and Evans.

We're to drop our medical research

after all our work?

Medicine isn't up our alley.

We're in the coal business and that's that.

Wait a minute, Pitt.

If that's your verdict...

I'm getting out of the coal business.

Doc and I are leaving.

- Why don't you think it over, Pitt?

- His time's too valuable.

You can have my interest in

Markham and Evans at whatever it's worth.

It's a deal.

You can start packing.

- Grazlich, you're in charge from now on.

- I'm leaving too.

Pittsburgh, you're making

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