The Children's Hour Page #5

it with you, now or ever.

What is she talking about?

What does she mean?

Where did you get this idea?

This can't do any of us any good.

Can't do any of us any good?

Listen, this is our lives

you're playing with.

Our lives!

That's very serious business for us.

Can you understand that?

Yes, I can understand that. And I

can understand a great deal more.

You've been playing with a

lot of children's lives.

That's why I had to stop you.

I know how serious this is for you,

how serious it is for all of us.

I don't think you do know.

You came to find out if

I'd made the charge.

You found out. I made it.

Let's end it there.

I don't want you in this house.

I'm deeply sorry this had

to be done to you, Joseph.

- Amelia, you've done a terrible thing.

- I've done what I had to do.

You know I wouldn't have

acted until I was sure.

What they are is possibly

their own business.

But it becomes a great deal more than

that when children are concerned.

But it's not true!

It's just not true, not

one single word of it!

We're standing here defending

ourselves against what?

Against nothing. Against a

lie, a great, awful lie.

I'm sorry. I can't believe that.

Don't get the idea we'll

let you whisper this lie.

You made it, and you'll

come out with it.

We'll make you shriek it.

And you'll do it in a courtroom.

Tomorrow, Mrs. Tilford, you'll

have a libel suit on your hands.

Don't do that, Miss Dobie.

- It frightens you, doesn't it?

- Yes.

I'm frightened for you,

because I know it will bring

you nothing but pain.

It was wrong of you to

brazen it out here tonight.

It would be criminally foolish for

you to brazen it out in public.

It's already quite

public, Mrs. Tilford.

Five hours ago, we had our

lives decently to ourselves.

Now we have nothing left but

the dirt you made of us.

The dirt you made for yourselves!

This thing is your own.

Go away with it.

I don't understand it.

I don't want any part of it.

Take it out of here.

Clean your house, Joseph, and

in time, count yourself lucky.

You have understood nothing.

These are my friends.

When we clean house, the three

of us will clean it together.

Maybe we should clean your

house for you, Mrs. Tilford.

Where's Mary?

Under no circumstances.

I wouldn't allow that.

That's where you really got it.

How could you believe a child

saying something as awful as that?

And how could a child that age

even know about such things?

She could hardly invent them.

She's a bad girl, your Mary.

She always has been.

I'll have no more of this.

All I wanted to do was

get those children away.

That's been done.

You've been in my

house long enough.

Get out!

The wicked very young.

The wicked very old.

Let's go home.

When three people come to you

with their lives spread out on a

table for you to cut to pieces

the only honest thing you can do

is give them one last

chance to come out alive.

We want that last chance. If you're

honest, you'll give it to us.

Mary!

Sit down, dear.

I'd like to tell you something.

Everybody lies all the time.

Sometimes they have to,

sometimes they don't.

I've told lies for a lot of

different reasons myself, but...

There was rarely a time when,

if I'd had a second chance

I wouldn't have taken back

the lie and told the truth.

I'm telling you this because I'm

about to ask you a question.

Before you answer the question

I want to tell you that

if you've made a mistake

you must take this

chance and say so.

You won't be punished.

- Do you understand all that?

- Yes, cousin Joe.

Were you telling your grandmother

the truth, the exact truth

about Miss Wright and Miss Dobie?

Yes, cousin Joe.

We're not through, Amelia.

Why don't you like Miss

Wright and Miss Dobie, Mary?

I do like them. They

just don't like me.

They're always punishing

me for everything.

- Why do you think they do that?

- Because they're...

Tell your grandmother

why you were punished.

Because Peggy and Evelyn heard

things and they took it out on me.

- That's not true!

- Heard what, Mary?

Mrs. Mortar told Miss Dobie there

was something funny about her.

She said she had a funny

feeling about Miss Wright.

Mrs. Mortar said that was unnatural.

That's why we got punished, just because...

That is not the reason

they were punished.

My aunt is a stupid woman.

What she said was unpleasant,

but it was only said to annoy me.

It meant nothing more than that!

What do you think Mrs.

Mortar meant by all that?

Stop it.

I don't know, but all the

girls would talk about it.

When Miss Wright visited Miss

Dobie's room late at night.

And funny things did happen.

We'd stay awake and listen, and

we'd hear strange, funny noises.

- I'd get frightened.

- Be still!

No, you don't want her still now. What

else did you hear? What did you see?

I don't know.

- They were just things.

- What things?

- I don't know.

- She doesn't know?

- I saw plenty of things.

- What?

One night they were in

Miss Dobie's room late.

And I looked through the keyhole,

and they were kissing and...

Like what I told you.

That child is...

Ask her how she could see us again.

I was leaning down by the keyhole.

There's no keyhole on my door.

What?

There is no keyhole on my door!

It wasn't her room, Grandma.

It was Miss Wright's room!

How did you know anybody

was in her room?

I told you. We heard them.

Everybody heard them!

My room is at the other end of the house.

It's impossible to hear anything from there.

What is this?

Why did you say you saw

through the keyhole?

I'm so mixed up! Everybody's

yelling at me at one time!

I did see them! I did see them!

Mary, I want the truth.

Whatever it is, Mary.

We're finished here. We've

cleaned your house.

- Let's go home.

- Wait.

Please, wait. Stop crying.

I want the truth.

All right.

It was Rosalie who saw them.

She told us all about it.

I only said it was me so I wouldn't

have to tattle on Rosalie.

You ask Rosalie.

She said it was when

the door was open.

And she told us all about it.

Agatha!

Get Rosalie.

Yes, ma'am.

You deserve whatever

you get, Mrs. Tilford.

I don't know anymore.

Maybe it's what I do deserve.

Rosalie...

Mary says there's been a lot

of talk at school lately

about Miss Wright and Miss Dobie.

Is that true?

'Can

I don't know what you mean.

That things have been

said among you girls.

What things?

What was the talk about?

Don't be frightened.

I don't know what she

means, Miss Wright.

Mary has told her grandmother

that certain things at school

have been puzzling you

girls, you in particular.

Arithmetic puzzles me.

- I guess I'm just not very good at...

- No. That's not what she meant.

Mary said that you told her

that you saw certain...

certain things happen between Miss

Dobie and myself late at night.

Once when the door was open,

you saw us together in my room.

Oh, Miss Wright,

I didn't. I didn't.

- I never said any such thing.

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