The Great Man's Lady Page #5

All your life

you've swallowed your pride

and gone back to him.

You can do it again.

All aboard.

Oh, I almost forgot.

I got something

for Mary.

Oh!

I got Ethan a horse.

A what?

It's on rockers.

Little one.

It's up on the roof.

Oh, Steely!

All aboard.

Whoa!

Giddyup!

My sweet babies.

You know, if they

were alive today,

they'd be 76 years old.

My children, 76.

Goodness, I must be

the oldest woman

in the world.

Mrs. Hoyt.

Hmm?

Perhaps you're tired.

Steely thought

I was dead, too.

That's why he went up

to Virginia City.

One snowy night

way back in 1860

or '61...

Whiskey.

Leave the bottle.

Look out.

Save your money, stranger.

Have another bottle on me.

When Ethan Hoyt

buys drinks,

he buys them all.

That right, boys?

That's right, Ethan.

Million-dollar Hoyt!

A mountain of silver

and Ethan Hoyt on top.

You hear that, stranger?

A mountain of silver

and Ethan Hoyt on...

Stop where you are.

Take your hand

out of your pocket.

You know

I never carry a gun.

Drop that bottle.

I only came to

tell you something.

Then start talking.

It's about Hannah.

What about her?

She's dead.

He killed my wife.

That's what he did.

My wife, Hannah.

I know now what you meant

when you said,

"Come back in 100 years."

A hundred years

of greatness,

heartbreak, sorrow.

Only in spots, girl.

That's the way life goes.

You get used to it

after a while.

Hello, Martha.

Hello, John. How are you?

Glad to see you.

Oh, there's Mary.

Be with you

in a minute.

The lady's bag.

That's it.

One more bag.

I thought

you were dead.

I am.

Ethan thinks

we're both dead.

Ethan?

He shot me.

Where is he?

He went back

to Hoyt City.

Hannah, he's married.

He married again.

To whom?

A girl named

Martha Dawson.

Hmm.

It's all my fault, Hannah.

I sent you on that stage.

I wanted to go.

I'll win some money.

I'll send you back east.

No.

But, Hannah,

he doesn't know

you're alive.

Better this way.

I can't stop him now.

He's doing what he wanted.

What I want him to do.

To build a great city.

To be a great man.

He will be, Steely.

I can't stand in his way.

Hannah, you can't

do this to yourself.

I don't matter.

But if my babies...

I buried them, Hannah.

Where?

Where...

Where little angels sleep.

Then we're all dead

for him. All four of us.

That's how

it was meant to be.

Steely.

Yes?

That's the boat

to San Francisco.

You said it was

too late one time.

Now it's too late

for anything else.

One of our very finest

show places, sir.

Just as modern

as 1868 itself.

A credit to the city

of San Francisco, sir.

Erected by

Mr. Steely Edwards.

Save your oratory

for the Senate.

For the Senate.

You say the woman

who calls herself

Hannah Hoyt works here?

That's right,

Mr. Sempler.

Well, come along.

No, let me

handle this,

please.

And why?

Because if Steely Edwards

knows what you're after,

you'll never get

past the door.

Come right in, gentlemen.

Try your luck

with Steely Edwards.

Friends of mine, Steely.

From the east.

They're interested in seeing

your establishment.

Delighted to

show you around,

Senator.

You know, gentlemen,

it's a peculiar thing.

But the more I tell people

that the game is crooked

and they can't win,

the more they seem

to enjoy losing.

Of course we let them

win once in a while.

But they lose it right back.

If it isn't faro,

it's hazard or three-card

monte or roulette.

Fascinating game,

roulette.

You can't lose

without trying, gentlemen.

Why not test your luck?

Delighted.

The special table

with the most beautiful

croupier in the business.

She'll help you lose

your money with

the greatest of pleasure.

But she won't help you

spend any of it.

No more bets,

gentlemen.

Keep your eye

on the little ball.

Don't expect miracles,

gentlemen.

Lose with a smile.

Excuse me, sir. Hannah?

Father.

Is there some place

we can talk?

Steely, take my place,

please.

All bets down, please.

All bets down.

Forgive this clutter.

It's Steely's office.

I straighten it up

myself every day,

but you know how men are.

Oh, tell me

all about yourself.

About sweet old Delilah

and Bettina and Persis, too.

I bet you married one of them.

Which one, Mr. Cadwallader?

"Mama says."

I mean Bettina.

Father, I'm so glad

to see you.

Now stop it, Hannah.

There's a time and place

for everything.

I came here

with a business proposition,

nothing more.

A what?

Everyone thinks you're dead.

So did I, until today.

I want you to

remain dead, legally.

But I...

I don't know

what you mean, Father.

You still call yourself

Hannah Hoyt?

Yes.

I don't suppose

you're married to this

Steely Edwards fellow?

I'm married to Ethan Hoyt.

But he's married to

J.B. Dawson's daughter.

I know it.

He has a fine reputation.

Fine home.

Two fine children.

Two children?

So I want you to

change your name and go away.

Far away somewhere.

I'll make it

worth your while.

It means

everything to me.

Everything.

Then if you won't do it

for me, do it for Ethan.

You owe it to him, Hannah.

He got nothing

but wild ideas

from you and failure.

He's come a long way

without you.

The least breath of scandal

would ruin him.

Dawson and I need him

in Congress.

He's running against

a hothead from Hoyt City.

A dreamer who thinks

that building Hoyt City

is more important

than building a railroad.

Why, great Scott,

if Ethan's not elected,

I hate to think what

it would mean for all of us!

Please go.

I might have known.

Get out.

For the last time...

Get out of here!

Get out!

The house wins, gentlemen.

The house always wins.

What's the matter?

I'm going back

to Hoyt City, Steely.

No more bets, gentlemen.

Ethan?

Double O.

The game is

against you, gentlemen.

You can't win.

Better luck

next time.

Better luck yourself,

Steely Edwards.

My friend Ethan Hoyt

says that if he's not elected,

the Western Railroad Company

will change its plans

and cross the river

10 miles south of here.

This is a threat, folks.

Ethan Hoyt never

used to talk like this.

He used to say

like all the rest of us,

"Give us the railroad

on fair terms

or we'll build one ourselves."

Now he tells us,

"Boys, give the

Western Railroad

"three-quarters of everything

in sight, or we'll ruin you

and your city forever."

Oh, if I only had

the silver tongue

of Ethan Hoyt...

I object to that last remark

as a mean and

unprincipled slander!

I meant no slander, sir.

If the word "silver" bothers

your conscience in any way,

suppose I say "golden."

If I had a golden voice

like Ethan Hoyt's,

I would use it

to tell the truth.

I would use it

to speak for all of us.

We're the little people,

but we're trying

to build something big.

Ethan Hoyt.

Friends, I beg your indulgence

for just a few final remarks

in reply to

my old friend and rival

for Congress, Hank Allen,

who reminds me of a dog

I had when I was a boy.

The dog's name

was Hank, too.

Well, one day Hank...

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