The Little Foxes Page #9

The note will be amortized in 60 days.

Yes, I...

Oh, that's right. So it will.

Leo's facts seem

to be a trifle hazy.

It ain't the facts that are hazy.

It's Leo.

Sam, I forgot my insurance policies.

I want to take them with me.

When was the last time

you opened this box?

About three weeks ago

to clip the coupons.

- Why? Anything wrong?

- No, I...

I thought there was a policy missing,

but I found it.

I think I'll go home now,

and I'll take the box with me.

All right, sir.

Good-bye.

Bye. We hope to see you

back again real soon.

It sure is good to see you.

Uncle Horace, forgot

to ask you how you're feeling.

Much better.

Thank you for being so solicitous.

Don't you worry about the bank. We'll

keep everything in apple-pie order.

That's nice.

That Mr. Leo acting mighty sweet.

Like his mouth's filled

with melting butter.

Yes.

- Cal?

- Yes, sir?

- I want you to do something for me.

- Yes, sir.

After you take me home,

I want you to walk back to the bank.

I want you to give Mr. Manders

a message for me.

Yes, sir. Only I ain't much good

at toting messages.

My memory kind of gets confused.

This is an easy one. Only you've got

to be sure to get it straight.

Listen carefully.

I want you to go to Mr. Manders,

and I want you to say...

Mr. Horace say for you to be taking

the evening train for Mobile...

and be toting back with you

Judge Sol Fowler, his attorney at law...

- What's he want him now for?

- Is this message for you?

- Go on.

- Now I got to be starting all over.

Mr. Horace say for you to be taking

the evening train for Mobile...

and be toting back with you

Judge Sol Fowler, his attorney at law...

and then you got to fetch him

to our house tomorrow.

- Did he say why?

- Is that all?

Yes, sir, that's all.

Kind of short message, ain't it?

Appears to me, if you got a message,

it ought to have more words.

Mr. Manders, sir, there's something

I got to do, something I forgot.

- Sit down and finish your work.

- But you don't understand.

Sit down!

- You can tell him I got his message.

- Yes, sir.

Perhaps you're tired?

Zan left me instructions

not to get tired while she was out.

- She's mighty firm with me.

- Zan, firm?

- What do you feel about Zan anyway?

- What?

I'm in love with her, I guess.

I mean, I'm not guessing.

I mean, I know I am.

I've never said those words before.

I didn't realize

they'd be so hard to say.

Here's your old green lamp.

You don't gotta sit in the dark.

Do hurry, Mrs. Hewitt.

It's very tiresome standing so long.

Yes, I know it is.

I'm just finishing.

David is a constant visitor

at our house.

Yes, he plays cribbage

with Mr. Horace.

He likes Mr. Horace.

I hope you don't mind

his running in and out.

I don't mind. I've always tried not

to interfere with Alexandra too much.

I didn't like people to interfere

with me when I was young.

I still don't like them interfering.

I do think Alexandra is a little young

to be courted by David.

I'm sure it's nothing like that.

Is that you, David?

- Yes, Mama.

- Come in.

- Good evening.

- We were just talking about you.

Yes, I heard you.

I rather like you.

You've got spirit.

That's good in anyone.

I was telling your mother...

I wouldn't like to think

you were courting Alexandra.

I haven't been doing that.

I'm glad to hear that.

But, if and when I do, I shall not care

whether you like it or not.

Don't worry about that. Horace might

see his lawyer about a lot of things.

Fowler's come down here

a hundred times before.

But he comes in the bank today,

and right after he sends for Fowler.

Nonsense.

Don't worry so much.

It's fine for you

to tell me not to worry.

Always say to myself

I don't like nervous people.

I can't trust them.

Leo, you're one of the people

who bore me.

I'm getting too old

to want to be bored.

I'm just getting so I hate it.

You take your nerves out of here

and go upstairs and take a warm bath.

That will be good for you.

A nice warm bath.

We agreed you were to stay in your part

of this house and I in mine.

This room is my part

of the house.

- Please don't come down again.

- I won't.

I only came down this time

to tell you that...

we have invested our money in Hubbard

Sons and Marshall Cotton Manufacturers.

What are you talking about?

You haven't seen Ben.

When did you change your mind?

I didn't change my mind.

I didn't invest the money.

It was invested for me.

What are you talking about?

I had $90,000 worth of Union Pacific

bonds in this box in the bank.

They're not there now.

Come and look.

Those bonds are negotiable

as money, and they're gone.

Only $ 15,000 left.

$ 75,000 are gone.

What kind of a joke are you playing?

Is this for my benefit?

I don't look in that box very often.

Today, because I decided...

- What are you talking about?

- Don't interrupt me again.

Today, because I decided to do

something, I opened the box and...

Do you think I'm crazy enough

to believe what you're saying?

You don't believe me.

That's good.

For a minute, I thought perhaps

you had taken them.

"Taken them"?

Where are they?

Where did they go?

To Chicago.

I should guess that at this minute

they're with Mr. Marshall.

I think Leo took the bonds.

- I don't believe it.

- This fine gentleman...

to whom you were willing

to marry your daughter...

took the keys

and opened the box.

I'm only guessing, but remember Oscar

made a sudden departure for Chicago...

after you and Ben

had your great fight.

He took with him the bonds

that his son had stolen for him.

And for Ben, too, of course.

- This will make a fine little scandal.

- Couldn't it?

A fine scandal

to hold over their heads.

How could they be such fools?

But I'm not going to hold it

over their heads.

What?

I'm gonna let them keep the bonds,

as a loan from you.

A loan, not an investment.

An investment would mean

a share of the profits.

A loan is simply returned.

Oh, I see.

You're punishing me.

I won't let you punish me.

If you won't do anything about it,

I will.

You won't do anything

because you can't.

You can't make trouble. I shall say

and go on saying I lent them the bonds.

You would do that?

Yes. For once in your life,

I'm tying your hands.

There's nothing for you to do.

Why did you say

I was making this loan?

I'm making a new will...

leaving you exactly

$ 75,000 in Union Pacific bonds.

The rest, and my insurance,

will go to Zan.

In the meantime, Ben and Oscar

will have returned the bonds, I'm sure,

and be very grateful to you.

And that will be the end of that.

There's nothing you can do to them

and nothing you can do to me.

You must hate me very much.

No, I don't hate you.

Perhaps because I remember

how much I was in love with you.

I don't hate you either.

I've only contempt for you.

I've always had.

Why did you marry me?

Because I was lonely

when I was young.

Yes, lonely.

Not in the way

people usually mean.

I was lonely for all the things

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