Since You Went Away Page #9

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Where is Superman?

I beg your pardon?

Pages 9 to 12 inclusive

are mysteriously missing.

- Where's the other one?

- Brig? It's a little early for her.

The other egg.

That's the only one we have.

There's getting to be a shortage.

I guess the hens are...

busy with war work.

Coffee.

Do you mind

being talked to at breakfast?

I most certainly do mind.

- It's about Bill.

- About whom?

Bill. You remember,

your grandson.

Yes, indeed, I do remember.

What about him?

He's a nice boy.

A most interesting

observation, Miss Hilton.

I'm afraid you don't

understand him.

He really needs you to help him,

like a mother.

He has an inferiority complex, and...

Young woman, I have

handled men for 35 years,

and I don't think I require

any instructions on the subject,

least of all

about my own grandson.

I was only trying to help.

He respects you so much.

Then I'll thank you to do the same

and stop your intrusion

in my affairs.

If you only knew

the first thing about psychology,

you'd know better than

to try to browbeat him.

Colonel Smollett,

if you'd only listen.

You may advise your mother

that henceforth

I shall have a decent

breakfast downtown for 40 cents!

I think you're a rude,

mean, horrible old goat!

Mother!

Oh, beautiful

for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountains' majesties

Above the fruited plain

America, America

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good

with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea

It is now my pleasure

to introduce the class president...

Miss Becky Anderson.

Class president!

Class pinup girl...

I heard all about

how she got elected.

That's not fair, Brig.

Becky's a very bright girl.

Becky's one of the brightest

and most attractive girls in town.

I wouldn't go so far

as to say that.

No, ma'am.

Ladies and gentlemen,

honored guests,

my subject for this occasion

is women's place in the war.

Golly!

- There's Pop!

- I see him!

- Where? I don't see him.

- He was in a jeep.

You imagined it.

- No, honestly.

- Yes, Mother, really, it was Pop.

Why did I fall asleep after staying

awake through that double feature?

Let's wait and see it again.

- Quiet.

- Be quiet yourself.

I beg your pardon.

- Mr. Mahoney.

- Good evening, Mrs. Hilton.

- Sit down.

- I'm sorry.

- How are you, Mr. Mahoney?

- I'm fine, thank you.

- Hello, girls.

- Good evening, Mr. Mahoney.

Jones City, Nebraska, turns out

to greet Sergeant Tommy Blair

of the Army Air Forces.

Tommy, seated between

his proud father and mother,

joyfully receives

the plaudits of his hometown.

- You say it's animal?

- That's right.

And its home

is in the Middle West.

And it makes a noise like a lion

but it puffs like a locomotive.

Better give up.

You agreed if you hadn't

guessed it by the time we got home...

I know... it's Soda.

No. Brig guessed that long ago.

All right, I give up.

It's Colonel Smollett, silly.

Mother!

What's that?

- Mother, what do we do?

- Is he dead?

- It's Bill!

- Goodness.

Bill Smollett,

what were you doing there?

The poor boy

was just guarding the house.

I guess I just dozed off.

- You scared us half to death.

- I'm sorry.

Won't you come in just for a moment?

Jane has to get to bed.

Mother, may Bill and I take a walk

for just five minutes?

All right, Jane.

Make it ten minutes.

But remember,

that doesn't mean an hour.

- Thank you, Mother.

- Good night, Mrs. Hilton. Thanks.

Good night, Bill.

Gee, I'm sure sorry

I missed your graduation, Jane.

It's not your fault

you couldn't get off.

- I would've if I could've.

- I know you would've.

- Shall we go this way?

- That would be fine.

- Or this way?

- Okay.

No, I think

the other way is better.

- How are things at the field?

- They're fine, thank you.

- How's everything with you?

- Just fine.

I want to get a war job,

but Mother won't let me.

I think she's right.

You ought to stay home...

No, it isn't that at all.

Mother wants me

to go to college.

Gee, that would take

four years, wouldn't it?

If I go.

- You don't want to go?

- No, it's so silly.

If I were three or four

years older, I could be a Wave.

Or a Wac.

Or a nurse.

That's what I'd rather be most.

That would be swell

if I was wounded.

You shouldn't say such things.

I won't be wounded.

I'll be killed.

Jane, would you care?

Well, of course I'd care, silly.

- Well, gee, that'd be fine.

- What would be fine about it?

Well, I thought that if...

What I mean is I would be glad

if you were sorry if I were killed.

What good would that do

if you were dead?

Yeah, I guess you're right.

I don't ever want to hear you

talk like that again.

Okay.

I'm sure sorry

I missed your graduation.

The ten minutes aren't up yet.

- What's the matter?

- A wire from Pop.

From Pop?

Is anything wrong?

He's gonna be someplace

for an hour between trains

and wants us to meet him there.

Hurry! We have to catch a train!

Show your tickets, please.

- Did I get your ticket?

- Yes. My daughters are back there.

If we keep stopping, I'll miss

the biggest deal of my life.

Well, I'm in no hurry.

I've got plenty of time

from now on.

Tickets, please.

Yes, I got yours before.

My husband's never

even seen the baby.

- Did I get your ticket?

- My mother has it.

I think babies are just about

the cutest things there are.

- What's his name?

- Dwight Eisenhower O'Brien.

- And after the Germans came...

- Tickets, please.

And after the Germans came,

we did not get

any milk or any meat at all.

Serving only two meals a day

on these trains is outrageous!

Tickets, please.

Can't we do anything

to get this train going?

Those supply trains

have the right-of-way.

We're going to meet my pop!

He's in the Army.

If this train is late, we may not

see him before he leaves!

Don't you think those tanks

had better get through

if you want him to come back?

Captain Hilton!

Captain Timothy Hilton!

Well, he said the lobby.

Sorry, ma'am,

he didn't answer the page.

I can't imagine...

Oh, here.

What'll we do?

We're so late.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, ma'am.

Sorry, there's nothing available

until October.

Are you sure there's no message

for Mrs. Hilton?

I'm quite sure,

but I'll look again.

Maybe he hasn't

gotten here yet.

- Pop's always so dependable.

- It wouldn't be his fault, silly.

- You have the right hotel?

- Yes, definitely.

Yes, here it is...

"Mrs. Timothy Hilton."

No, I'm sorry.

We're all filled up.

I can't help it

if he is with the OPA.

- We missed him.

- Mother.

"I know you'll understand

how heartbroken I am

"that my orders wouldn't

permit me to wait.

Kiss the kids for me."

- Is there something wrong?

- No. No, thank you.

"The only address I can give you

is APO number 805,

care of Postmaster,

San Francisco."

Army Post Office.

Mother, that means we won't

be seeing him before...

Oh, Mother!

No, no. Sorry.

No reservations until October.

I'm afraid she's

awfully heavy for you.

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