Summer and Smoke Page #3

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Now let's try a scale.

[Singing scale]

[Telephone ringing]

Hello.

Mr. Gillam? Yes?

Yes. You're sure?

Betty Lou, that's all for today.

I'll see you on Monday.

All right. Good-bye, Miss Alma.

Mr. Gillam,

I believe the hat is here.

Yes, I think so.

Oh, would you do that, please?

I'll... I'll stop by tomorrow.

Yes, thank you.

Father!

Yes, Alma, what is it?

That was Mr. Gillam

on the telephone.

She took a hat this time.

He pretended not to notice.

In order to save us

the embarrassment,

So we'll have to

pay for it... $14.

Mother, I have a

thousand things to do,

So would you go out and sit

quietly in the garden?

All right.

Bring out the picture

puzzle for me...

Now.

Very well, Mother.

Come along.

Look who's there.

The boy you spy on.

Mother, hush.

Hello, cavalier!

Afternoon,

Mrs. Winemiller, Miss Alma.

Why did you call him that?

Because he's dashing.

Because he looks as though

he should carry a sword,

Fight duels,

Sweep ladies off their feet,

Rescue.

The pieces don't fit.

The pieces don't fit!

Here, Mother.

Now be good.

Please be good.

How are you, stranger?

I'm pretty well, Miss Alma.

How are you doing?

Surviving. Just surviving.

Isn't it fearful?

Well, you seem

unusually laconic.

Or perhaps I should say.

More than usually laconic.

I had a big night last

night, Miss Alma.

I'm just recovering from it.

Give me a hand, will you please?

Thank you.

I should drench you.

Why, Miss Alma?

On the 4th of July,

You said that you

would take me riding.

In this magnificent automobile.

All these afternoons

I have been patiently waiting.

And hoping that you would

remember that promise.

What are you trying to say?

Just reprimanding you, sir.

Castigating you

verbally, as it were.

Well, what about, Miss Alma?

It is customary for neighbors.

To call on each other

from time to time.

That's mighty sweet

of you, Miss Alma,

But the preacher don't like

me, and that's a fact.

But I am inviting you.

Uh-huh.

I told you in one of my letters.

About our little cultural group.

We are the last spark of

civilization in Glorious Hill.

Yeah.

I... we would like very much.

If you could come.

Sure. I'll do that sometime.

Tonight?

We're having readings

and refreshments.

Lemonade?

Well, for the others,

But for you, sir,

I would even produce.

A bottle of apricot brandy.

Apricot brandy?

Please come.

What time? 8:
00.

I'll be there.

Miss Alma!

Well, I will

see you then... John.

It's a date, Miss Alma.

[Door opens]

Hello, Nellie.

Oh, Miss Alma.

Your lesson

isn't this afternoon.

I'm so excited. I have

to tell somebody.

Tell what?

I'm going away to school...

To a private school.

Why, Nellie.

Isn't it the

wonderfullest thing?

And all because of him.

Him?

Well, you know how it

is about my mother.

She brings home

traveling salesmen.

To drink and play poker...

All of them looking like pigs.

Well, the other

night he was there.

Somehow, the first

thing you know,

He was in my room,

And I was asking him

about the facts of life,

And then he told mother I

should be in boarding school.

And now it's all arranged.

The facts of life?

Well, if a doctor doesn't

know, who would?

John Buchanan?

Dr. Johnny.

Was with your mother?

He wasn't her beau.

He had a girl with him.

Mother had somebody else.

Who did he have?

Some loud thing

with a "Z" in her name.

Zacharias?

Rosa Zacharias?

That was it. They didn't stay.

She dragged him off to

the Moon Lake Casino.

Her papa owns it.

Nellie, dear, I appreciate

your dropping by.

To tell me your news,

But if you don't mind, I...

I'm afraid I have

things to do now.

Johnny!

Johnny!

Nellie, please don't

have him catch us spying.

Ha ha ha!

Show Nellie how you spy on him.

Mother!

She stands behind the curtain.

And peeks round it.

Be still!

Alma's in love! Alma's in love!

Nellie.

Nellie, please go.

Yes, Miss Alma.

Bye.

If ever I hear you say

such a thing again,

It will be the last straw.

Do you understand?

Spy! Spy!

Yes, you understand.

You act childish, but you

have a devil in you.

God will punish you!

I will punish you, too.

I will take your

cigarettes away from you.

No more ice cream, either.

I am tired of your malice.

I am tired of your malice.

And your self-indulgence.

Won't listen!

Won't listen!

Will listen!

People wonder why

I am tied down here.

They pity me.

They think of me as

an old maid already,

In spite of the fact

that I'm young,

Still young.

And it's you.

It's you.

You have taken

my youth away from me.

Oh, I wouldn't say that...

I'd try not to even think it...

If you were just kind.

I am kind. I am kind.

I could spread out

my life like a rug.

For you to step on,

and you'd step on it,

Which is what

you have always done.

Now you dare lie about me.

In front of that girl.

You do spy on him.

You do spy on him.

Back it goes!

It goes now!

Fight! Fight! Stop it!

Go upstairs!

Spy!

I said go upstairs.

What happened, Alma?

I'm sorry, Father.

I behaved badly.

Over a hat...

With a plume.

[Knock on door]

Yes?

Good night, Father.

Going out again?

Yes, sir.

I don't suppose

I could persuade you.

To stay home this evening.

I have an engagement.

Indeed. Engagement.

With the tramps of Moon Lake?

Not exactly.

Well, I'm relieved you

have the courtesy.

To spare me the exact details.

Well, the, uh, details.

Might surprise you, Father.

I'm too old for surprises, John.

I'm meeting a few

friends in town.

At 8:
00 I'm paying a

call at the rectory.

On Miss Alma.

Well, well.

All right?

John, son.

Yes, sir?

I'm going to Lyon tomorrow.

We've had a fresh

outbreak of the epidemic.

They need me.

There are other doctors.

They need me, son,

And they could use

a good bacteriologist.

At the moment, I'm a

doctor on leave...

On leave from ice packs,

quinine, and bedpans.

Well, I wish I could

persuade you...

But you can't force-grow a man.

No, sir, that's

something you can't do.

If it'll help,

I'll handle your practice

while you're gone.

I don't think they'd trust you.

I've already invited Dr. Hodges.

Then good night, sir.

Roll the dice, Johnny!

Here we go.

Last one, fellows.

You can't leave!

All right. All right.

Shoot those dice.

Roll them. Come on.

Nine!

Nine!

Pass me the bottle.

I'll take two.

I move that the minutes

be adopted.

All in favor?

Aye. Aye.

Opposed?

So be it.

Well, inasmuch as our

specially invited guest.

Has failed to render

himself visible,

I suggest we begin.

Hear, hear.

This is the moment.

We have all so breathlessly

been awaiting...

Cynthia Thornton's

historical romance.

It's entitled

A Most Sacred Trust.

"Chapter one. Pale blue

spring hung gossamery.

"Over the fair, flowering,

dappled fields of Tuscany.

"Were one to patiently

close the eyes,

"One might imagine satyrs.

"Dancing through

the spring green woods.

And blowing the pipes of Pan..."

Come on!

Shoot those dice!

Eight!

Honest, fellows, I'm going.

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