The Alligator People Page #2

the moccasins would.

And then...

then there's

always the gators.

Dirty, nasty,

slimy gators!

Why did you

have to do that?

It wasn't doing you

any harm.

No? Well, how do you

suppose I got this?

Anyway, baby, we didn't

do him no harm.

- Yes, miss?

- I beg your pardon.

I just arrived

on the train.

- The train was hours ago.

- I know.

- Were you expected? - I did write,

but my letter came back unopened.

- Sol decided-

- What is it, Toby?

This young person,

shejust arrived-

Have her come in.

Come in.

Yes, what is it?

This is your place?

Of course.

Well, maybe

you can help me.

You see,

for a long time...

I've been looking

for my husband.

He disappeared the night

we were married.

I've searched

everywhere.

I've tried everything...

and this

is my last hope-.

But why should you

come here?

At the university

I checked the records.

And at one time,

he gave this as his address.

- The Cypresses.

- What is your name, my dear?

Mrs. Paul Webster.

And you say

that your husband...

this Paul Webster,

gave this as his address?

According

to the records.

Whoever you are, I don't

know what your game is-.- ...

coming here, making up

fantastic stories.

It's the truth. I can prove it.

You can ask anyone-

Why should I ask anyone

or care one way or the other?

Ofwhat possible

interest...

could your sordid

little lie be to me?

I was hoping

your name was Webster.

I am

Mrs. Henry Hawthorne.

- And your husband?

- I'm a widow.

I'm sorry to bother you,

Mrs- Hawthorne.- .

But I had to know.

Perhaps you are

telling the truth.

It really

doesn't matter.

However, I must ask you

to leave at once.

Toby, get ahold

of Manon.

Have him drive her

back to the station.

- But, ma'am-

- What is it, Toby?

There won't be a train

till tomorrow.

Oh, you're right,

of course.

May we offer you

the hospitality-.

Of The Cypresses

for the night?

I don't seem to have

any choice, do I?

Luann.

Yes, ma'am.

Show Mrs.-

What was

your name again?

Mrs. Paul Webster.

Show Mrs. Webster

to the guest room.

Yes, ma'am.

Anything you need

to be comfortable...

just ask Luann.

Thank you.

One minute,

Mrs. Webster.

While you're our guest

for the night only...

I must insist

on one thing.

- Yes?

- Under no circumstances...

will you leave

your room.

As I said before...

I don't seem to have

any choice, do I?

There was something

sinister about The Cypressesi.

As night darkened the house,

all the doubts and fears...

which had haunted

the long, lone/y miles...

of my search returned'

What secret

was Mrs' Hawthorne hiding.

In this strange,

unfriendly house?

Why had she told me

not to leave my room?

Toby! Toby!

Find the drunken fool.

Tell him to stop that shooting.

But, ma'am-

Doesn't he realize

the girl's still here?

I'll try, ma'am.

Dirty, stinking,

slimy gators!

You bit my hand off,

didn't you?

I'm gonna spend the rest of my life

killing gators.

The rest of my life

killing 'em-.

Mr. Manon,

you better stop it.

Huh?

Mrs. Hawthorne says stop.

She says she don't want you

shooting at gators around here...

with that girl here.

The one you brought.

I ain't never gonna stop

shootin' gators.

They bit my hand off,

didn't they?

I ain't never gonna

stop shootin' gators!

No, not never!

Sure, sure.

I know just how you feel.

I don't like 'em, either,

but not tonight. Come on.

Do all the guests

get room service?

I only do...

what Mrs. Hawthorne

tell me, ma'am.

Now, will there be

anything else?

Luann, those gunshots.

What were they all about?

I don't know, ma'am.

I must go now.

Luann, wait, wait, please.

Somebody has to help me.

- How, ma'am?

- Is it true, everything she told me?

Havel come to the wrong place?

I can't- I wouldn't

like to say anything.

Well, can't you

tell me anything?

I can tell you this.

This is a trouble house.

Real deep, big trouble.

Like the old country

woman in Big Bayou say-

Mrs. Hawthorne,

she deal with the evil one.

She got big sorrow.

Just like you'll get

if you stay here-.

Go, child. Please go.

This is a trouble house.

Real deep, big trouble.

Yes.

Oh, thank goodness

you're back, Mark.

Anything wrong, Vinnie?

She's here, Mark.

Paul's wife.

- How did she find us?

- School records.

It was like being struck

by lightning.

We've got to decide what we're

going to do about her.

You wait there for me.

I'll be right over.

- You ready, Doctor?

- Yes.

Poor devil.

You didn't have to hit him.

Quickest,

simplest way, Doctor.

But these are people.

You don't handle them

like animals.

How did it happen?

Only thing I can figure is someone

forgot to wet him down on time.

When he comes to...

give him additional

hydro-spray therapy

Yes, sir.

Mark!

Oh, hello, Vinnie.

We'vejust had an emergency

with number six.

- Is he all right now?

- He's quiet, yes.

But the girl- what are we going

to do about her?

So she found

his school records.

The one thing

we hadn't thought of.

- Such bad luck.

- Not entirely.

I think we both knew...

she was bound to

find out eventually.

It'sjust unfortunate

it happened to be so soon...

when we need time.

So much time.

If she should tell anyone, the police,

it would spoil our last chance.

Do we have a chance?

I don't really know.

I feel so helpless, Vinnie.

We know so little.

So little.

What about

the cobalt treatment?

I said reaction to X ray

was encouraging.

Massive radiation from cobalt 6O

might be even more effective.

Well, you have the cobalt bomb.

It arrived today.

But don't you see,

Vinnie?

Before I can take the chance

with a human being...

there must be

months of tests-.

Hundreds ofanimal

experiments.

We took a chance

once before, Vinnie.

No one knows better than you

the tragic result.

I have confidence in you, Mark.

Every confidence.

You'll have time.

All the time you need.

The girl will leave

on the morning train.

I'll be over before that

to talk to her.

I'm as anxious as you

are to have her go...

but we must make

absolutely sure...

that she doesn't know

anything.

G,'

Somehow I seemed

drawn to the music.

A theme that I had

heard before...

somewhere.

Who else lived

in this strange household?

Who could be playing

in the dead of night?

I couldn? rid myself

of the premonition.

that each step

was taking me closer...

to the secret contained

in this shadowy house.

I had to know.

I had to find out.

Who was he,

this man who had been playing?

And why would he run away

into the swamp...

when he saw me?

Muddy footprints.

yet there had been

no rain.

And the piano keys-

Still wet...

from his fingers.

What's she doing here?

I don't know.

She came on the train today-

- No notice, no warning.

- And you let her stay?

What could I do?

I couldnT turn her out in the swamp.

Do you think

I wanted her here?

There's no train

until tomorrow.

- How'd you find out?

- She was in the hall.

Downstairs?

I locked her in her room.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes