The Woman on the Beach

438 dash 1445, holster...

38-caliber revolver, 21...

44 L dash 2 dash 3 dash 5 dash 45...

...4 dash C dash 175,

ammunition 38-caliber...

You had that nightmare again?

Yeah.

But this one was different!

Different and worse.

They're coming back again every night.

And I can't stand it, Chief!

There's something about

this ocean I can't stand.

You won't have to much longer...

You'll get discharged in a week.

We all will!

When they let me out of the hospital...

...they said:

"Lieutenant, your wounds are all healed.

You're sound in body and mind".

But my head!

Let's face it, I'm not well!

Morning, sir.

Good morning, Greg.

Nice day!

Evans reports a fog rolling in...

Have the stable saddle up Blackie.

I want him after breakfast.

And tell the Chief I'll go over the

personnel reports with him at 14:00.

Aye-aye, sir.

Good morning, Chief.

Good morning, sir.

Eve!

Can we get married?

- Sure.

Didn't I say yes a long time ago?

No, no, I mean right now. Tonight.

All right, Scott.

Anytime.

I'll always love you, so I guess it doesn't matter how soon we begin together.

Be all right if I pick you up at eight o'clock tonight?

Yes.

And I think you'd better wear a dress, just this once!

Ashamed of me already, huh?

Sure, but I love you. Chaplain doesn't though, and...

I think he might like a dress.

You're not going right away?

I have to relieve Chief Wernecke.

Hello, Mary.

- What's this about my husband?

I'm on my way to relieve him for chow.

Don't be in a rush. It'll do him good to miss a meal.

Honestly, I'll be glad when he's discharged...

...just so I can thin him down a little bit.

We're going to be married.

Well, I should think you would be!

I mean tonight.

- The sooner the better!

What is this? A conspiracy?

I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll wash your hair for you this afternoon.

I bought some new fancy shampoo stuff.

What have you got there?

- Chocolate cake.

Well, how about a piece?

- No, this is for Ollie.

You should see the ship model he made for my youngsters.

But this is a celebration!

- I know, but this is for Ollie.

I'll bake you a cake for your wedding.

Ollie! Chocolate cake!

You're not nervous, are you?

- No, no, but...

This isn't the way we planned it, is it?

I was gonna be through with the Thompson boat...

and you were gonna be through with the service.

You said you'd help me with this awful bookkeeping...

get rid of that stack of papers, and...

...and then, when everything was all clear...

we'd be married.

And have a long, long honeymoon...

...out on Cedar Island.

Just you and me.

No worries.

And when we were ready...both of us ready...

...we'd come back here and work together.

And it would still be like a honeymoon.

We're going to do all that.

We'll just be married a little sooner, that's all.

Gosh, I wish Dad was alive right now.

He taught us lots of things besides boat building.

I even wish my brother Bill was here.

He was always better at these accounts than I am.

If there was a reason, Scott...

If one of us were going away tomorrow for a long time...

But there isn't a reason. Is there?

No.

No, there's no reason.

Of course you're right, I...

I want everything to be perfect too.

After all, a couple more weeks can't make any difference.

Before we get married I'll hand you my discharge papers.

For heaven's sake, don't give any more papers to me!

I'll drop over tonight and we'll clean up that mess together.

Goodbye.

- Bye.

And tell the Chaplain I'll have a white satin dress made specially for him!

What do you do here every day?

I'm gathering wood, some firewood. That isn't forbidden, is it?

I wouldn't use that wood.

Why not?

Because it belongs to this...

If you're so afraid of ghosts, Lieutenant...

...what about that jacket you're holding?

What do you mean about...ghosts?

I was merely suggesting that you might be afraid of them.

But I'm not, I...

I was just wondering about this...old wreck.

That's interesting.

What is?

That a person like you should be afraid.

But I...

- It's obvious, Lieutenant.

Your objection to my taking the wood from this old rig.

The way you looked at that lifejacket as if it was something out of a bad dream.

You even looked at me as if I were a ghost.

What are you, anyway?

- Really, Lieutenant...

Oh I'm sorry, I...

I didn't mean that.

Excuse me, I'm stupid.

Would you let me carry your wood?

- Do you know where I live?

Naturally. I'm supposed to know everything around here.

Everything, Lieutenant?

- No, not everything, but...

Houses and people who live in them, things like that.

That's not hard, is it?

- No, it isn't.

The hard thing I guess is to know yourself.

Yes, that is difficult. Anyway, what's the use?

Thanks very much, Lieutenant Burnett.

I hope I didn't take you too far out of your way.

Not at all. How did you know my name?

I see you ride by on the beach every day.

You certainly took your time deciding to talk to me.

Bring the wood in here. I'll build up a fire and make some tea.

Will you give me a hand?

This is a piece of a rutter. A rutter from a lifeboat.

When the ghosts get too insistent, you have to get rid of them.

But how?

As long as you struggle against them, you never will.

They'll torment you constantly.

But if you stop fighting them...give in...

...they'll soon go away.

- Give in?

What happens to you?

You find a kind of peace.

You don't care anymore.

I ought to know.

From what I've heard it hasn't been easy.

Easy?

It's not hard to guess you were torpedoed.

It was pretty bad. Very bad.

But have you ever had everything and then suddenly had nothing?

Nothing but ghosts?

Oh...Why should I bore you with this?

You're not. I think I understand.

We're pretty much alike, aren't we?

Yes.

Yes, perhaps we are.

You're the first one who seems to know what I feel.

I ought to...

...yes, I...

This is ridiculous!

You better go now, Lieutenant.

Go on.

Yes, I...

Goodbye, Mrs. Butler.

Tod, this is Lieutenant Burnett from the Coast Guard station.

He helped me carry some wood.

- Oh, good.

Lieutenant, this is my husband, Tod Butler.

I'm glad to know you, Mr. Butler.

I got a kid out at the station who's nuts about art...

He tells me you're the greatest painter in the world.

I used to be a painter.

I've often seen you walking on the beach.

Unfortunately, Lieutenant, I cannot say the same.

Won't you sit down?

- Thank you, I...

I was just leaving.

- That's too bad...visitors are rare!

Yes, sometimes we don't see a living soul for weeks.

Before you go, Lieutenant, let's really meet each other.

Ordinarily, two people just look and each knows what the other's like.

These days with me it's different.

I have to replace that look with a lot of boring questions.

Are you a young man, Lieutenant?

Yes, of course you are. I can tell by your voice.

Born in the Middle West.

And tall...about 6'3", I'd say.

And what color hair?

- Dark.

Dark.

A good-looking young man like you...

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