The Trip to Bountiful Page #5

The last person in Bountiful

was Miss Callie Davis.

She died day before yesterday.

That is,

they found her day before yesterday.

She lived all alone,

so they don't know exactly when she died.

Excuse me.

- Callie Davis?

- Yes, ma'am.

They had the funeral this morning.

Was she the one you were gonna visit?

Yes, sir, that's the one.

She was my friend. My girlhood friend.

- Is there a hotel here?

- Yes, ma'am. The Riverview.

- How far is it?

- About three blocks.

What'll you do now, Mrs. Watts?

I'm thinking, honey.

It's come to me what to do.

I'll go on.

That much has come to me. I'll go on.

I feel my strength and my purpose

strong within me.

I will go to Bountiful.

I will walk the 12 miles if I have to.

Now, Mrs. Watts, what are you gonna do

if there's no one there this time of night?

Oh, yes. I guess you're right.

I think you ought to wait until morning.

Yes, I guess I should.

And then I can hire somebody

to drive me out.

You know what I'll do?

I will stay at my own house,

or what's left of it.

You put me in a garden,

and I get along just fine...

with the help of my government checks.

- Mrs. Watts.

- What?

The man says there's a hotel not too far

from here. I think I'd better take you there.

Oh, no, thank you.

I'm not gonna waste my money on hotels.

They're high as cats' backs, you know.

I'll just sleep right here on this bench.

I'll put my coat under my head

and my purse under my arm...

My purse!

- Honey, did you see my purse?

- Why, no! Excuse me!

This lady left her purse on the bus!

All right, I'll call ahead about it.

- How can you identify it?

- It's a plain brown purse.

- How much money?

- 35 and a pension check.

- And who was the check made out to?

- To me.

- Mrs...

- Mrs. Carrie Watts.

All right.

- I'll call up about it.

- Thank you. You've been most kind.

How long will it take to get it back?

Well, depends.

If I can get ahead of the bus at Don Tarle...

they can send it back on the Victoria bus

and it should be here in a couple of hours.

Thanks. It's awfully kind of you.

- Try not to worry about the purse.

- Oh, I won't. I'm too tired to worry.

Be time enough to worry

when I get up in the morning.

Why don't you see

if you can go on to sleep now?

No, I thought I'd stay up and see you off.

No, you go on to sleep.

Oh, I can't go right off to sleep now.

I'm too wound up.

I don't go on a trip every day of my life.

You're lucky.

The bus hasn't gotten to Don Tarle yet.

Now, if they can find the purse,

it'll be here...

around 12:
00.

Make you feel better?

Yes, it does. Of course,

everything has seemed to work out today.

Why is it that some days everything works

out and then other days nothing works out?

What I mean is, I have been trying

to get to Bountiful for over five years.

Now, usually Jessie Mae and Ludie'd come

and they'd find me...

even before I got inside

the railroad station good.

Today, I got inside both the railroad station

and the bus station.

I bought a ticket.

I seen Ludie and Jessie Mae

before they saw me.

I hid out, and I met a pretty friend like you.

I lost my purse, and now

I have somebody finding it for me.

Guess the Lord's just with me today.

Wonder why the Lord's not with us

everyday? Sure would be nice if He was.

Well, maybe then we wouldn't appreciate it

so much on those days when He is with us.

Or maybe He's with us always,

and we just don't know it.

And maybe I had to wait 20 years

cooped up in the city...

before I could appreciate getting back here.

Blessed assurance

Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste

of glory divine!

Heir of salvation

purchase of God

Born of His Spirit

washed in His blood

Isn't it nice to be able to sing a hymn

when you want to?

This is my story

this is my song

Praising my Savior

all the day long

This is my story

this is my song

Praising my Savior

all the day long

I am a happy woman, young lady.

I am a very happy woman.

I still have a sandwich left.

Will you have one?

- Well, you sure you don't want it?

- No, I'm full.

I'll just take a half.

- Take the whole thing.

- No, just a half. Thank you.

You know, I don't eat much.

Particularly if I'm excited.

- I came to my first dance in this town.

- Did you?

Yes, ma'am. It was the summertime.

And my father couldn't decide whether

he thought dancing was right or not.

But my mother said that she danced

when she was a girl...

and so I was gonna dance, and so I went.

The girls from all over

the county came for this dance.

And it was at the Opera House.

I can't remember what the occasion was,

but it was something special.

You know something, young lady?

If my daughter had lived...

I would have wanted her to be just like you.

Why, thank you.

Yes. Sweet, and considerate,

and thoughtful, and pretty.

Thank you.

You better get your suitcase, miss.

The bus will be up the road.

He won't wait this time of night.

I was just telling my little friend here...

I came to my first dance in this town.

- Is that right?

- Yes.

And I've been to Harrison

quite a few times in my life. Shopping.

- Goodbye.

- I'm so sorry, darling. Good luck to you.

Good luck to you. Many good things.

You gonna stay here all night?

Well, I have to.

Everything I have is on the bus.

We can't go anywhere without money.

I guess that's right.

Do they still have dances

over at Borden's Opera House?

No, ma'am. It's torn down.

They condemned it, you know.

Did you ever know anybody in Harrison?

I knew a few people when I was a girl.

Priscilla Nytelle. Did you know her?

No, ma'am.

Nancy Lee Goodhue?

- No, ma'am.

- The Faye girls?

No, ma'am.

I used to trade in Mr. Ewing's store.

I knew him to speak to.

- Which Ewing was that?

- George White Ewing.

- He's dead.

- That so?

- Been dead 12 years.

- Is that so?

He left quite a bit of money.

But his son took over his store

and lost it all.

Drank.

Oh, is that so?

One thing I can say about my boy,

he never gave me any trouble that way.

Well, that's good.

I got one boy that drinks,

and one boy that doesn't.

I can't understand it.

Raised them the same way.

I know.

I've known of other cases like that.

One drinks, other one doesn't.

A friend of mine has a girl that drinks.

I think that's the saddest thing in the world.

Isn't it?

- Well, good night.

- Good night.

- Come on, Roy, wake up.

- Jesus!

Hello, Sheriff.

You're working too hard, Roy.

How long has this old woman been here?

About six hours.

She get off the bus from Houston?

Yes, sir. I know her name. It's Watts.

She left her purse on the bus.

I had to call up to Don Tarle about it.

You have her purse?

Yes, sir. Just came.

She's the one, all right.

I got a call from the Houston police

to hold her till her son can come for her.

She said she used to live in Bountiful.

The poor thing's sleeping so sound,

I don't have the heart to wake her up.

Tell you what. I'm gonna go over to my

office. Call Houston, tell them she's here.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes