The Clock Page #5

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That's a long ways away.

Alice?

Do you like me a little bit?

Joe, I'm sorry. I'm so sleepy.

Why don't you try

to get some sleep, then?

Really?

Night.

Good night, baby.

- That you, Al?

- Did you hear, they played our song?

Say, he don't sing it half as well as you do.

These are a couple of friends of mine.

This is Alice, and this is Joe.

This is Mrs. Al Henry.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

I'm pleased to meet you.

Well, how was the run today?

- Who did that?

- It was just a drunk. He didn't mean it.

- It was...

- What happened to the other fella?

- He...

- Is he dead?

No, of course he ain't dead. He's all right.

- Well...

- Well, I guess he's all right by now.

- Let me tell you what these kids did.

- What?

Well, I passed out

when the slot machine hit me.

- What!

- But it... Oh, no, it was nothing.

They delivered all of the milk.

- They did?

- Every drop.

Well, I think that was mighty nice of them.

- It was fun.

- I do, indeed.

Well, I bet you're just starved by now

if you did that.

Oh, no, you mustn't go to any trouble.

It isn't any trouble.

I got everything all ready.

I tell you, I know you milkmen

and your appetites.

- You know, for a little skinny fella...

- Sit down. Sit down.

- ... he can eat more than most six people.

- Move over, Sleepy...

- I always say...

- ... and let the fleas alone.

...you know, I spend more

than half my life cooking.

Cooking!

She can mix you up the finest glass

of ice water you ever drank,

and that's her limit.

Al. Come on, children.

I bet you'd like to wash up.

And you!

- Twenty-two years...

- Makes the best corn-cakes you ever had.

- Why don't you take your coat off, Joe?

- This is fine, Al.

Don't stand on ceremony.

Liberty Hall here.

My flower's all wilted.

- Can I help you?

- Yeah, if you will, dearie.

- All right.

- About half of them now, I guess.

- Fine.

- Look out. Watch yourself. They're hot.

- Okay. They're beautiful.

- Al?

- Yeah?

- One egg or two?

- One.

- What's the matter, don't you feel good?

One at a time.

- Bring the coffee, will you, too, dear?

- All right.

- There you are, ham and one egg.

- And as pretty as a bride and groom.

- Here. Put it here.

- You folks married?

No.

Well, of course, lots of young folks

are getting married these days.

Yeah, a lot of guys in my camp

are getting married.

I suppose they... Here, butter one of these

while it's hot, will you?

I suppose they're young,

and they don't know

what's gonna happen to them next.

Sure. If two people want to get married,

leave them do it, I say.

Well, I think you have to know somebody

a long time before you get married.

I mean, you don't want to do something

as serious as that just in a minute.

Well, now, look, wait a minute.

I think you can find out just as much

about somebody in a minute

as you can by knowing them

a whole lifetime.

Know what she was doing

when I first seen her?

- Now, Al... Now, now, that's enough.

- No, what?

Cooking butter cakes in Child's window.

No, really?

And the minute I laid eyes on her,

I knew she was for me.

Yeah, and it took him three weeks

to get up his courage to come in.

- Then he had to bring his uncle with him.

- It wasn't my uncle. It was my cousin.

- Oh, well...

- Yeah, it was my cousin, Michael Henry.

He's clerk of the court for Judge Forbes.

I was pretty sure of myself, but I thought,

you know, bringing a clerk of the court in,

I'd make an impression.

I don't know, though. I...

I don't think it's fair to the girl,

a soldier getting married.

'Cause he doesn't know

what condition he's gonna come back in.

He may not even come back at all.

Look, Joe, if people thought about

all the things that could happen,

they'd never do anything.

Ain't I right, Em?

Well, I think if a girl and boy love

each other and want to get married,

all the talk in the world

ain't gonna stop them.

Never has yet.

Hey!

- Well, what's the matter?

- Company first. Company first.

Well, look, they got some, ain't they?

Yeah, but they delivered the milk,

didn't they?

If they delivered the milk, they can reach.

They still got arms.

That's just exactly like his Uncle Henry.

Those Henrys.

It wasn't my uncle, it was my cousin.

Well, your uncle, your cousin,

what difference does it make?

- It's Michael that's the one that can eat.

- Well, I never saw such eating...

I never saw such a place in my life

to try and get something to eat.

- Well, take it. Take it.

- All right. Thank you. Thank you.

We go this way to the subway.

- What are you thinking about?

- Al Henry and his wife.

They're lovely people.

I was thinking about what he said,

about how you can learn so much

about a person in just a little while.

Yes, I guess so.

Then it wouldn't really make

so much difference

how long a person knew another person,

would it?

No, it wouldn't, I guess.

What are you thinking about?

Something you said before,

about a soldier not marrying

because he doesn't know

what condition he'd come back in.

Yeah.

Well, I think if two people

are really in love,

that wouldn't make any difference.

Wouldn't it?

Of course, they don't see the problems.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry, I mean.

Joe.

- Joe, I don't want to leave you today.

- Well, then, why do it?

Why can't we have

this one last day together?

Couldn't we?

I suppose I could tell them

at the office that...

- I could find some excuse.

- That'd be...

Pardon.

- That'd be wonderful.

- No, no. We have to change here.

I have to go up to the office and show

them where some things are in my desk.

You wait for me,

and I'll come as soon as I can.

- All right, I'll wait.

- All right.

Let them off, please. Let them off.

All right, step lively, everybody.

- Don't push.

- All the way in.

- Don't push.

- Step lively, everybody. All the way in.

Step lively. All the way in.

Step lively, folks. All the way in.

That's all.

Wait a minute. I've got to get on there.

- Not now, buddy. Next train.

- Wait!

- Wait!

- Get back there, buddy.

Do you want to get hurt?

- What's the next station, mister?

- No English.

Could you tell me

what the next station is?

The next station? Well, let me see.

This is Grand Central...

Mister, could you tell me

what the next station is?

14th Street.

Did you see a girl get off the train

a little while ago?

Well, I see a thousand girls

get off trains, fella.

Is this the next stop after 42nd Street?

- Next Express stop, yes.

- Express?

- Well, what's the next local stop after?

-33rd.

Well, how do I get there?

Take the stairway to the platform

and go across.

And these are the actual statistics.

There are five boroughs in New York,

with a total population of 7,454,995.

Bronx, 1,394,711.

Brooklyn, 2,698,285.

Manhattan, 1,889,924.

Queens, 1,297,634.

Richmond, 174,441.

Making a grand total of 7,454,995.

Did you want something, miss?

- I'm looking for a soldier.

- Any particular one?

My friend.

We got separated in the subway.

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