Strangers in the Night Page #4

Perfectly natural.

But there must be some reason Mrs. Blake

keeps putting me off.

There must be something

the matter with Rosemary.

Something that her mother's

afraid to tell me.

Chances are, she is visiting

friends or way at college.

No, I don't think so. There

is something... I've got it!

- You've got what, Johnny?

- The portrait.

Leslie, I thought I recognized that

technique.

I know somebody who could tell me about

Rosemary.

Good morning. Is Dr. Ross in?

Yes, but she has a patient

in her office now.

- If you'd have a chair.

- Thank you.

I'm positive it was Paul Arnheim.

You see we went to school together.

When you mentioned college a while ago it

gave me his name, Paul Arnheim.

Since he painted the girl, he knows her.

I'm going to San Francisco

to have a talk with him.

What's the matter Leslie? Cold?

No. Somebody just walked over my grave.

Leslie. Listen to me.

You know I'm so keen about finding

Rosemary?

I have to find her to tell her

I'm not in love with her.

Because I'm in love

with someone else.

Johnny...

Ivy!

Ivy!

Yes, Hilda, what is it?

Tomorrow morning, get me the address

of the Medical Association.

What you are going to do, Hilda?

You're not going to hurt Dr. Ross?

You mustn't plan anything to harm her.

What you're planning to

do is wicked and evil?

There is only one wicked thing I know Ivy.

I will not permit anyone to come between

Rosemary and Johnny.

I don't care who it is. Dr. Ross...

- Or you. - Hilda, think

what you're saying.

Answer the phone.

Mrs. Blake's residence.

Yes.

- Very well, I'll tell her.

- Who is it?

It's Mr. Meadows. He

won't be back tonight.

He is going to San Francisco.

Give me that phone.

Hello. Johnny? Johnny?

Hello?

Johnny? Hello?

Whatever she's done, or whatever she does,

she is really not responsible. Please

remember that, Dr. Ross.

Hilda Blake is a very sick woman.

Ivy Miller

Good morning, Hilda.

It's a lovely morning, isn't it?

Yes, it is. Good morning.

Hello?

Yes, this is Mrs. Blake's residence.

Hello, Dr. Ross.

Yes, this is Miss Miller speaking.

I just called to see how you are feeling?

Good. You'll just keep on

taking the prescription.

No, there's nothing else

I can think of at the moment.

Are you sure there's nothing else?

Nothing else?

- Who is it, Ivy?

- It's Dr. Ross.

She wants to know how I'm feeling.

That's all.

Thanks for calling, Doctor. Goodbye.

Oh, very thoughtful of her.

You must have a great deal

of confidence in Dr. Ross.

I do have.

Take that away.

- You think she will help you?

- Oh, yes.

- In what way?

- In many ways, Hilda.

Light the fire Ivy.

I don't think the doctor will

help you very much, Ivy.

Why not?

You seem very sure of yourself tonight.

Something new, it becomes you.

I'm your friend, Hilda.

And yet you defend that Leslie woman.

What's so wrong, Hilda?

Have you forgotten that Johnny

is engaged to Rosemary?

Hilda. When will you stop saying that?

- And the letters. What about them? - The

letters. Why won't you face the fact?

The fact is that I have a daughter.

- Hilda, sooner or later...

- Sooner or later. What?

Everybody will know.

Nothing can prevent it.

Not even you, huh, Ivy?

Ivy, darling. You know?

I don't think you're really, very bright.

Hilda...

It's all right, Ivy.

There's nothing to worry about.

We'll talk about this tomorrow, shall we?

I'd like to try to get some sleep tonight.

Good night, Ivy.

Sleep well.

- Who? Who is it?

- It's Hilda.

You sounded so restless.

I thought this milk will be good for you.

You were never so

thoughtful before, Hilda.

I've never realized before that I

had such a good friend in you.

If you's only listened to me, Hilda.

I'm your good friend.

Here Ivy, it'll be good for you.

No, I don't want it.

Don't be foolish.

Ivy, you silly child,

it's only milk. Look.

Why should I want to harm you?

Oh, forgive me, Hilda. Forgive me.

Try to forgive me.

Please, try to forget. Please, do.

Here, drink it.

It'll be good for you.

I am forgiven.

You are my friend.

That will put you to sleep.

Good night, Hilda.

VERONAL CAUTION:
TAKE AS PRESCRIBED.

They will find out anyway, Hilda.

They will find out... anyway.

Dr. Ross!

You seem surprised this

evening, Mrs. Blake.

Didn't Sergeant Meadows

tell you that I was coming?

He isn't here, but...

Please, come in anyway.

He left a message with my nurse.

He asked me to meet him here.

He is in San Francisco.

I guess he expects to be back shortly.

Come in, please.

Why do you insist on staring at me?

I'm sorry Mrs. Blake but

I was not aware of it.

Have you never seen

anybody like me before?

Perhaps you'd prefer that I wait

for the Sergeant in my car.

Excuse me, I've been so

upset these last days.

Johnny's coming to the house and Rosemary

my daughter not here when he arrives.

Children don't appreciate half the

things that parents do for them.

But Rosemary will be here soon and

everything will be over with.

Except my loneliness.

Mrs. Blake, I hope you don't

mind me asking you a question.

Of course, not.

Being a doctor I'll accept your

answer as matter of confidence.

What do you want to know?

Is your daughter by any chance an adopted

child?

Well...

There's her portrait. Don't you see the

resemblance?

It's difficult to say.

What do you mean?

From physiological point

of view, it occurred to me

that you might not be

able to bare a child.

Well, doctor,

I'm certainly glad I'm not your patient.

I could be wrong, Mrs. Blake.

Not quite, Leslie.

Mrs. Blake, Rosemary will never be back.

Johnny, how can you say that?

- Because there is no Rosemary.

- Johnny!

She paid Paul Arnheim 1000 dollars to

paint portray of an imaginary girl.

I saw him this afternoon in San Francisco.

Johnny...

Mrs. Blake, I had to

find your daughter to

tell her that the whole

thing was a mistake.

Rosemary!

Why did you do it, Mrs. Blake?

You were right, doctor.

I couldn't have a child.

Have you ever known what

it is to be lonely?

To want a child and not to be able to have

one?

Have you ever been so dreadfully unhappy

that you permit

nothing to come between you and what you

wanted?

Even it was only fiction.

Yes, I created a daughter.

Out of nothing, nothing from

a great passion to have one.

To work, scheming, pain.

It took lies one more

gigantic than the other

I kept moving from

town to town just as

often as I saw someone

suspected the truth.

And then your letter came, Johnny.

It was the first time, Rosemary had a

beau.

Can you blame me for

encouraging you, Johnny?

For one thing, a few days of the joy of

knowing what it was like to be a mother.

To be loved?

And then when you...

came to tell me that it was her mind you

loved.

You gave me the happiest

day I've ever known.

Because it was my mind you were talking

about.

You were loving me, Johnny.

Can you forget and forgive an old lady?

An old lady's foolish dreams?

I think we can understand, Mrs. Blake.

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