Since You Went Away Page #15

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I've come out of it.

I buy your

"Home sweet home" idea,

but I want

to do something about it.

Well, say something.

Don't tell me that glib

Tony Willett's at a loss for words.

Well, Annie, my girl,

I'm afraid you're right.

I hope you'll think

I was right, too, Tim,

and that someday you'll be

interested in reading this diary.

And I hope you won't be

too shocked when you hear

that I'm actually training

for work in a shipyard.

Yes, tremendous changes

have taken place

in the pampered woman

who was your wife.

It's hard even for me to realize

I'm studying to be a lady welder.

And doing very nicely,

so it seems.

Oh, Tim, I love it so,

and I have such admiration

for all these people.

There's one woman

I can't wait for you to meet.

Her name is nothing like we ever

heard at the country club.

It's Zofia Koslowska,

and she likes me

because she thinks I helped her

through a most awful

and tragic Ioneliness.

I wish my little boy had lived

so he could have seen America.

I used to read to him

about it every night

when the shades were drawn

and the sound of heavy boots

marching down the street

made my poor little Janka shake

until I thought

his bones would crack.

And then we'd pray together

that God would let us go to the

fairyland across the sea.

If only he could have been with me

the day I went all by myself

to the Statue of Liberty

and read what it says there

for the whole world to see.

Do you know it?

Anne Hilton, did you ever read it?

No. I'm sorry to say,

I don't know it.

I'll never forget it.

I know it so well here

because I feel it so much here.

It says...

"Give me your tired,

your poor,

"your huddled masses

yearning to breathe free,

"the wretched refuse

of your teeming shore.

"Send these, the homeless,

tempest-tossed to me.

I lift my lamp

beside the golden door."

You've helped light

that lamp for me, Anne Hilton.

And then, Tim, she said

the most thrilling thing

that has ever been said to me.

She said...

You are what I thought

America was...

what I meant when I prayed

with little Janka.

And as in my own small way

I help here in the shipyards,

I hope I may be worthy

of her words,

just as each night I pray

that always I may be worthy

of those other thrilling words...

... the first time

and every time since

that you've said,

"I love you."

Now remember,

don't start until the door opens.

And when it does,

let 'em have it.

What's the matter?

You look reluctant.

It ain't that I don't trust you,

but I'd like to have my money first.

You've got

a very suspicious nature.

All set? Lieutenant Solomon,

clear for action.

Aye-aye, sir.

Jane, Colonel, come on.

Somebody's here. They're singing!

- I'll be down in a minute.

- Come on, Colonel!

"Silent night, peace on earth,

goodwill toward men."

I didn't want to wrap this

in a box with fancy ribbon,

but I knew

you'd like to have it.

Thank you, Janie.

Merry Christmas.

- Who's next on your team?

- Colonel Smollett.

Get going, Colonel.

You're our anchorman.

We've given you a nice easy one.

Please don't be patronizing.

I can act it.

- All right, go.

- We've only got a minute and a half.

You might wait

until I've read it.

- Have you read it? Time.

- Let's go, Colonel. Anchors aweigh.

- That is not it.

- Please, Colonel.

- Two words.

- It didn't say to talk.

What difference does it make

if I say "two" or hold up two fingers?

Come on, Colonel,

it's a half a minute already.

Is it an animal?

Come on, Danny Williams,

give him a question.

Is it a quotation?

Army mule.

They're being very stupid, Colonel.

You're giving

a wonderful performance.

Do something else.

Rolling stone.

No talking, Colonel.

Colonel, don't get sore.

Just try doing what you did before.

If we don't guess it,

we'll give up.

Anybody could guess that.

You can't guess, Fidelia.

No fair.

We can afford to be generous.

Let them have Fidelia.

- Bottoms up.

- Thank goodness!

- Was that it?

- Certainly that was it.

I'm glad you weren't on their

team the whole time, Fidelia.

- How'd you guess it, Fidelia?

- It weren't nothin'.

I'm just naturally...

psychopathic.

Come on, don't be nervous.

Come on.

Mother, Gladys wants

to say something.

Well, hallelujah!

Bring her in!

This is Gladys Brown, everybody.

She's a friend of mine.

- Come in, Gladys.

- She wants to say something.

Come on, Gladys,

it isn't hard. Honest.

Merry Christmas.

Well, she made it anyway.

I have big plans

for her next year.

Yes, she could be

the class orator.

Come on, everybody,

coffee and sandwiches.

Congratulations, sir.

I thought you acted very good.

It was nothing really.

Gee, that was fun.

The colonel's a good sport.

Yes, we all adore him.

Fidelia, when did you start

specializing in this bird food?

You won't tell anybody?

There's a chicken leg I saved for you.

- That's more like it.

- Sneak out by yourself.

You'll find it

on the second shelf in the icebox.

It's a wonderful party.

It's Tony. He brings life

to any party.

Tony's doomed to go through life

as everybody's darling.

Even to his men?

Well, they don't think of him

as darling, exactly.

Hero worship's more like it.

I'll bet he didn't tell you he's been

recommended for the Navy Cross.

No, really?

He'll make jokes about it,

but he's very proud of it.

I want to talk to you,

John Paul Jones.

What have I done now?

The Navy Cross...

that's what you've done.

Yes, he told me.

Do they give you a ribbon?

What does it look like?

What are the colors?

- It looks just like that.

- Stop it, Tony.

This is an old one.

It's last year's model.

He'll joke about it,

but he's really very proud of it.

Well, he said

the same thing about you.

- If you people will excuse me now.

- He did, did he?

Never mind about him.

I want to talk to you.

I wish Solomon would stop

acting as my press agent.

- What do I do with this?

- What do you suppose?

- Finish it, you wastrel.

- I could use milk with it.

Honestly. I never knew heroes

were so helpless.

Here, look out.

Tony, I'm really

very angry with you.

I have to find things out

from a stranger.

Didn't think you'd be interested.

Of course not.

No, all I want to know

is if you found any new

sugars in Sicily.

I don't want to shock you,

but it's no wonder

those Italians can paint.

There was a dame standing

in the middle of the street

with a big tub of spaghetti,

and she had... she had...

Never mind what she had.

I have a little imagination.

Yeah. Well, even

as I looked at her,

I thought, "She's good,

but what are all the women

in the world compared with Anne?"

Tony, will you never stop?

I'll never stop, Anne,

as long as I can dream about you.

If you ever thought that dream had

a chance of coming true, you'd...

I'd what, Anne?

Finish it yourself.

You make it pretty tough for me.

I'd feel I'd been wrong

about you all my life.

I'd have to go looking

for a new ideal.

It's a little late for that.

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