Rascal Page #2

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Settle down, blast you!

Come on, boy! Come on!

He had a trotting

horse named Donnybrook...

a nervous, fractious animal.

Pa always said

it might someday win a race...

if it'd ever put all four feet

on the ground at once.

How was the trip, Will?

Oh, never better.

Got a new member of the family.

Sterling,

bring him around here...

and introduce him

to Mr. Jenkins.

He's a raccoon.

-So I see.

Garth! You best come here!

Go! Ah, you show-off!

Bah.

Is something wrong, Mr. Jenkins?

Raccoons are varmints, son,

and varmints are trouble.

I'm gonna educate him.

Train the varmint out of him.

Ooh-hoo.

Good to see you back again,

Willard.

What's all the hollerin' about?

Look.

That's a raccoon!

Yes, sir. His name's Rascal.

Well, what about my chickens?

And my corn patch?

I'm gonna train the varmint

out of him.

Oh ho.

-Just what I said.

And there's another problem.

Hambone's a coon hound.

I suppose you know that,

Sterling.

Yes, sir, but, well,

I think he'll be reasonable...

as long as Wowser's around.

Uh, excuse me.

We don't want

to be unreasonable, Sterling...

but facts are facts, now.

And the facts are this

just isn't going to work out!

Varmints are varmints,

Sterling.

You can't train it

out of them.

Not in a thousand years!

Hey! Grab him, Sterling!

That horse spooks

at a butterfly.

I'm a son of a gun.

Well, he was supposed

to be a coon hound.

Heh heh.

Hi. I had a wonderful trip

this time out.

Springtime up north

is really something.

That smells good.

All right.

You may fire

when ready, Gridley.

Papa...

my leave is up.

I'm due back at work on Monday.

That means the morning train

to Chicago.

Is that a problem?

Papa, what are we going to do

about Sterling?

Do about him?

Do about him!

What's to happen to him...

with me gone

and you off who knows where?

Oh, Sterling

can take care of himself.

Papa, he's only a boy.

You can't leave him alone

to fend for himself.

Why not? I did.

You'd think after all these

years I'd be used to you.

I've written it all down.

The laundry boy'll

pick up on Wednesday...

Mr. Pringle will deliver

groceries twice a week...

newspaper's paid

through the first...

You should have been

born a top sergeant.

Which brings us

to the housekeeper.

Housekeeper? What for?

To keep house. I ran an ad.

And I got these replies.

I wanted to interview

them myself...

but there just isn't time now,

so I've got to leave it to you.

That's my first choice.

Spoke to her on the telephone.

Mrs. Satterfield.

"Purest gold."

She's a widow,

she lives in Brailsford...

knows all the merchants.

She raised a big family

in the Dakotas somewhere.

Well, I've got a better idea.

Why don't you give up

that job in Chicago...

and come home to stay?

This is where you belong.

Oh, Papa...

you know I can't do that.

You really stuck

on that guy Norman up there?

Yes, Papa, I am.

Serious?

About as serious as you can get.

He wants me to go up to

Appleton and meet his family.

A nervy kind of a fella,

swiping my favorite daughter...

without so much

as a by-your-leave.

How are we gonna get along

without you?

Papa, I'm trying,

in my own clumsy way...

to take care of that.

Now, I want you to talk to these

applicants and make a decision.

Right. Don't you think

it's about time...

we got a look at him?

Maybe. First thing Monday?

First thing Monday.

-OK.

I tell you what...

why don't you bring him home

for Thanksgiving?

I've got the biggest turkey

you ever saw in your life...

all staked out

down in Illinois.

Guy owes me some money

down there.

Fella named McQuade.

Gave me the pick of the flock.

Just said, "Go out and pick

your Thanksgiving bird...

"and I'll put your name on it."

How about it?

I don't know.

Don't know what?

Norman comes

from a... different world.

He might have

a little trouble...

understanding

about Mr. McQuade...

and taking out

real estate commissions...

in turkeys and apple pies...

and about your other

comings and goings.

Now, don't you worry

about that, Theodora North.

You just bring that boy

home for Thanksgiving.

You sure you'll be here?

You can bet your hat on it.

I haven't missed

a Thanksgiving at home since...

Since last year.

I didn't miss it.

I was just a little late is all.

I know.

So we sat down without you,

and we had our dinner...

and it was the last ever with

Mama, and you weren't there.

I won't miss this one.

How about it?

I'll see.

Now, remember, this one.

Miss Satterly.

Satterfield, and it's "Mrs."

Don't forget now.

OK, Sarge.

You must understand,

Mr. North...

your daughter made

no mention of a menagerie...

no mention whatsoever.

Well, go Satterfield...

I'm sure she wasn't

trying to conceal...

Naturally, naturally...

but we must be honest

with each other, Mr. North.

Utterly and completely honest.

Of course.

Right from the beginning.

I couldn't agree

with you more, but...

We must face facts.

Some people have a feeling

for animals, others do not.

I do not.

Well, that's too bad.

I have managed to live

my life without them...

and they without me.

I'm afraid it's too late

to change.

Houses are for people...

and the woods are for animals.

But you're an animal,

Mrs. Satterfield.

Beg pardon? What?

People are animals.

It's a zoological fact.

Animals are not people.

You have me there.

I'm not even sure

they want to be.

I'll be happy

to report immediately...

but the raccoon... out.

Any other livestock,

fur, fins, or feathers... out.

Out.

-Out?!

Out!

But, Pa...

Sterling, why don't you

take Rascal and Wowser...

into the kitchen

and give them their supper?

Yes, sir, but...

Go ahead, son.

Yes, sir.

Good night, go Satterfield.

Come on, Wowser.

Oh, I'll be happy to take over

if those conditions are met.

Thank you, gice Satterly.

Satterfield, and it's "Mrs."

Ah, yes, "Mrs."

A pleasure, Mr. North.

A genuine pleasure.

Good night.

-Good night.

Well, Sarah,

I've got a decision to make.

Who will it be?

Mrs. Satterfield?

She'd break your son's heart.

How about Mrs. Delaney?

The sad one?

Or Miss Endicott?

Abigail. Good influence.

Or Mrs. Mc-what's-her-name?

Trouble is, you've left

footsteps that nobody can fill...

light and quick and tiny...

but nobody can fill them.

So we decided

to keep house for ourselves.

Not the way Theo

would have wanted, maybe...

but the arrangement suited us.

And, for the moment,

we agreed that, uh...

what she didn't know

wouldn't hurt her.

There's a pot of stew...

cooking on the back of

the stove for tonight's supper.

Cy said for you to come over and

have Sunday dinner with them.

Yes, sir, I know.

Oh, you're off to a good start

on that canoe, son.

I still haven't figured out

a way to bend the ribs.

Well, best way would be

to soak 'em, I guess.

I've got to get started.

I've got one hundred miles

to make before dark.

Garth!

Pa?

-Huh?

What's it like

up where you're going?

Lake Superior?

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