Riding High Page #2

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- Ready?

- Sure, I'm ready. Flashy.

What kind of socks

are you wearing this time?

What difference does it make?

Dan, you've got to change them.

Quickly, where are the black ones?

They'll be under the table

all night anyhow.

If you got to know

Broadway Bill personally,

I'll bet you'd be crazy about him.

Did I ever tell you about his mother?

- She was blind, you know?

- Blind?

Yeah, stone-blind.

Beautifully bred mare, though.

Put those on, and hurry.

She had quite a problem

when the little colt arrived.

Naturally, she wanted to be near him,

but she couldn't,

because she couldn't find him.

It was pitiful to watch her.

She'd start in a little circle, and

the circle would get larger and larger.

She'd cover every foot of that field,

but that little rascal, he'd just stay

a step ahead of her all the time.

She couldn't reach him, and at night,

boy, at night,

what a ruckus she'd raise!

I'd have to get up, find Broadway Bill,

take him in to her. But I licked it.

You know what I did? I got a bell.

An ordinary dinner bell.

I tied it around his neck.

Solved her problem.

- She'd hear the bell, find the colt.

- Clever.

Put the other one on.

After a while,

an amazing thing happened.

You won't believe this,

but this is absolutely true.

That little colt, he realized that

something was wrong with his mother.

And he wouldn't leave her side.

Gee, I can remember we used to turn

the colts and the mares out.

They'd head lickety-split

for the field, just kicking,

playing, buckjumping,

but not Broadway Bill. No, sir.

He'd stay with her, and he'd lead

her every step of the way, over rocks,

around the ditches and the ruts

until he got her safely into the pasture.

You'd just have to love a little egg

like that, wouldn't you?

- I don't blame you.

- That's him.

Out in the barn,

that's Broadway Bill!

Well, then a lot of bad breaks

came along.

Couldrt win a race, horses got sick,

lost a few of them,

and up to my ears in debts.

Then you came along,

asked me if I had a winner.

So in three days, I sold the whole kit

and caboodle of them, you remember?

Paid off my debts and proposed to you

every hour on the hour.

Promised to quit racing

and followed you here to Higginsville,

but I couldn't come without

Broadway Bill.

I figured maybe after

our kids grew up,

he'd make a nice little horse

for them to hack around on.

Whitey... Couldrt leave old Whitey,

not after all we'd been through

together, working and starving.

So Broadway Bill's a 3-year-old now,

and he's a runner!

- Maybe a great runner, Maggie.

- Oh, it's a wonderful story, darling.

But, as you say,

you're through with racing.

And if you think that old mare's

got a problem,

I've gotta get you to that meeting

on time or be disowned. Come on!

Maggie, wait, wait.

Let's duck the meeting tonight.

- Duck the meeting?

- Yeah. Let's you and I

go somewhere and just sit

under the moon together and talk.

I want to talk about a few things.

Father would throw a royal fit.

You know we've got to go.

Why? What difference does it make?

He does all the talking anyhow.

We just sit there

with our heads on hinges.

"Yes, J.L. Of course, J.L.

Oh, you're so right, J.L."

I'd like to go to one of those meetings

with a stiff neck sometime.

- Throw the whole thing out of tempo.

- Oh, Dan, stop.

Father has great plans for you.

That's why the others are all so jealous.

Yeah, "the others". Look, let's go over

and stand in front of the house

and throw rocks at the meeting.

What do you say?

- Dan, it's almost 7.

- Well, do you want to throw rocks?

No. And neither would you

if you had any sense.

Remember, you'll be calling those

meetings someday. Now, come on!

We can't afford to be late again.

You know Father. Come on!

"Yes, J.L. Yes, J.L."

- Good evening, Mrs. Early.

- Good evening, Johnson.

- Good evening, Johnson.

- Mr. Early.

- J.L.'s in the study.

- Thank you, Johnson.

Well, right on the dot.

"Never Late" Early, they call me.

No more stale jokes.

And don't be so scared of him.

Who's scared?

Good evening, J.L.

- Evening.

- Father.

Well, right on the dot.

"Never Late" Early, they call me.

Henry.

Hi.

Evening, Father.

Don't scold me. I'm on time.

- Good evening, Mrs. Winslow.

- Good evening.

- Mr. Winslow.

- Good evening, Johnson.

- J.L.'s in the study.

- Oh, thank you, Johnson.

You may not be the smartest, Arthur,

but you're the best-looking.

Thank you!

- Good evening, Father.

- Evening.

J.L. Evening.

- Good evening, Johnson.

- Good evening, Miss Margaret.

J.L. Is in the study.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Dan.

- Hello, Dan, I see you made it.

- Oh, she went to the whip on me. Hi.

- Father.

- J.L.

- We're late.

- Well, that's my fault.

There was sort of a hassle

down at the box factory.

You see, we had this big box...

- We'll get started.

- We...

- How do I get out of this box?

- Leave Higginsville.

Still in there punching, aren't you?

What's on the agenda for this evening?

Oh, soup, cold lamb

and the financial report.

Sounds exciting.

Say, would there be such a thing as

- a slug of whiskey around the house?

- In this house?

Isn't anything ever changed

around this mausoleum?

- Yeah, bedspreads and underwear.

- The daily double.

Any of you got ulcers yet?

Well, here's hoping.

The purpose of this meeting is to elect

him permanent member of this board.

Now that he's to become

a permanent member of this family.

But first, some good news.

Acme Lumber Company.

Bought it today at our own figure.

- Very good, J.L. Very good, J.L.

- Fine, fine, J.L. Fine. Fine. Fine.

10:
05 this morning, it became the

Higgins Lumber Company. Approved?

- Why, of course, J.L. Splendid!

- Seems like a wise move, J.L.

- You approve?

- Huh?

Oh, naturally, J.L. Top-hole, J.L.

Of course, J.L.

Present has no active head.

It shall remain so.

Courage, men.

It'll remain so until empty chair

is suitably occupied.

If you mean me, Dad,

you're wasting your time.

- What's that?

- You might as well forget it.

The man I marry won't care

for the lumber business.

- Don't be impudent, Alice.

- I'm sorry.

That's OK, J.L.

You're still batting...

...750.

- Maybe only 500.

Dinner.

Meeting's opened.

Higgins Enterprise is doing fine,

except the Higgins

Paper Box Company.

Sales, way below normal.

Higgins Special, nationally known,

off 22 percent.

- Mr. Brooks, any explanation?

- Maybe paper bags are catching on.

Could be.

Maybe it's off gallivanting

with a ridiculous horse.

Father!

Let's get back to

the paper boxes, huh?

Yes, indeed, let's.

You came to this town

over a year ago. Penniless,

questionable background.

Racetrack profession, I believe.

"Reformed gypsy", you said.

You and Margaret wanted

to get married.

I was not impressed.

I got mine the hard way.

Ulcers.

But we decided upon

a probationary period.

I put you at the head of

the Higgins Paper Box Company,

the most successful

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