Theodora Goes Wild Page #7

Theodora, you're stalling.

Why, Michael Grant, I'm not stalling.

Listen, do you know

what avenue you're on now?

No, I don't. Tell me about it.

Well, you're on Park Avenue...

How'd you get here if you didn't know?

Oh, homing instinct. Like a pigeon.

Now, please listen, Theodora.

You go right down Park Avenue,

then you turn to the right

until you come to Madison.

Oh, never mind. It's too late.

Will you please go in another room

or go sit down some place?

I'll go sit down some place.

-Hello, Father.

-Michael.

-Hello.

-Agnes.

Hello. I wasn't expecting you.

You disappoint me, Michael.

Running out of town without telling

your family anything about it.

Where were you?

Who's this?

Miss Lynn from the Stevenson Office.

She's brought material for drawings

that I'm to make.

My father, Miss Lynn.

-How do you do?

-How do you do, Mr. Grant?

-How do you do?

-How do you do? I'm Mrs. Grant.

Oh, yes. My wife, Miss Lynn.

Where did you say you were?

-ln the country, sketching.

-Very pretty.

He will sketch.

Did you drift back to town accidentally,

or did you remember that I'm giving

a reception for the governor on the 20th?

Of course I remembered.

And of course you'll be there with Agnes.

-With Agnes?

-With Agnes.

Now, look here, Father,

this pretense of a happy marriage

has gone on long enough.

It's been washed up for five years,

and I'm sure Agnes is just as sick of it

as I am.

If not sicker.

I thought it was agreed there would be

no divorce as long as I held public office.

If Agnes is agreeable,

I don't know what you're kicking about.

-Yes, I appreciate...

-You gave me your word.

And that's the way it's going to be.

You owe that much to the name of Grant.

Especially after your choice of a profession.

Now, you know

what's expected of you, Michael.

Come, Agnes.

-Good day, miss.

-Oh, goodbye.

I can scarcely wait

for the governor's reception, dear.

-Toki, bring me some coffee, black.

-Got some nice lemon pie.

Well, it's all clear now, isn't it?

You know something, Michael?

What you need is an artist's model.

-A what?

-An artist's model.

Why, I haven't the slightest use for a model.

Well, the right one

might be a great help to you.

-I don't want a model.

-Don't struggle, Michael, you've got one.

-Who?

-Me.

-What in heaven's name for?

-What for?

Certainly what for?

Well, to mow the lawn, transplant things,

a little plain and fancy whistling, you know...

Oh, I see. It's a joke.

That's very funny.

You mean I did some gardening for you

and so you're...

Yes, I'm going to return the favor

and do a little modeling for you.

-That's very funny.

-You see, you're living in a jail, too.

-You can't call your soul your own.

-Oh, come now.

Why, it's true.

Why, you're a clear sad case, my boy.

Tied to a woman you don't love.

And so afraid of Papa

you can't do anything about it.

Now, wait a minute.

If you are trying to find any similarity

between your situation and mine,

oh, no, you couldn't mean that, really.

-Finally, your whole outlook was wrong.

-And yours?

Mine? Well, I'm simply in a position where...

Well, I was brought up

with pride of family, that's all,

-to respect the old boy.

-I see. And you love me, Michael?

You know I do. I meant every word I said.

And when I'm free, darling,

the world is ours.

And when will the world be ours, about?

Well, just give Pop time to serve his term

as Lieutenant Governor.

He won't run for office again, I'm sure.

That means that within two years...

Michael! Two years for people of our age

is a lifetime.

Oh, no. It may seem that way, Theodora...

Why, it's true. It's right.

Why, if you had any courage,

if your outlook were right, why, you could...

My, how you need a model.

Here, wait a minute, Theodora.

Will you please discuss this with me

like a normal human being?

-Well, just a moment, please.

-What are you going to do?

Hello, those boxes and things that were left

in the foyer downstairs.

Will you please send them up

to Mr. Michael Grant's apartment?

What boxes? What things?

Some new outfits I just bought.

Wait till you see them.

I've got hats. They sit on an angle like this,

I'm telling you.

And dresses,

I'm an open secret down to there.

Where's your tool house?

Theodora, exactly what do you think

you're going to do?

I'm just returning a favor, darling.

How? By moving in here

and breaking a scandal around my ears?

Oh, a scandal is all in the life of a model.

Theodora, either you're mad,

or you're fooling.

Listen to me.

I'm going to handle this in my own way.

If it takes two years, it'll take two years.

You're not going to force a situation

between me and my father and Agnes

by moving into this apartment.

Oh, I'm in. Oh, come in, boys, come right in.

Come right in, boys.

Put them down any place. Any place at all.

My, my! I didn't...

Oh, it's nice of you to come up.

Would you put it down there?

Oh, you're in, huh?

You're going to have things your own way?

Well, we'll see about that.

Toki, Miss Lynn is in.

Pack up my things. I'm out.

Why...

-Yes?

-Miss Adams. Miss Caroline Adams.

Yes, yes, of course.

How are you, my dear?

Fine.

Your mouth's open, Arthur.

Oh, I'm fine, too, thanks.

You might say, "ln the pink."

You can tell that, can't you? It cost enough.

But I didn't come here

to have a friendly visit.

I came here to have a fight.

I'm dissatisfied with the treatment

I'm getting from my publisher. I mean you.

In short, why don't I get

any publicity around here?

-Why, my dear Miss Adams...

-My dear Miss Adams. My dear Miss Adams.

Yes, you sit there and call me Miss Adams.

But who else knows I'm Caroline Adams?

Nobody.

The widest-selling author in the country

and nobody knows anything about me.

Has it never occurred to you

that the sale of my books

might jump enormously if it were known

that I'm fairly young and modern

and halfway respectable?

And if the facts were broadcast

about my life in Lynnfield,

don't you realize

what a story that would make?

-Well...

-No. No, obviously not.

It seems publishers don't care anything

about increasing the sale of their books.

Well, authors do. We've got to live.

A thing like this is darn expensive.

Now, I'll give you one more chance,

Mr. Stevenson Publishing Company.

I want publicity. I want a lot of it.

I want my picture on every jacket

of every book of mine that's sold.

And I want the story of Theodora Lynn

and Caroline Adams splattered

over every paper in every town in the Union.

Will you come in, please, Miss Baldwin?

And bring your book.

And, oh, one aspirin for Mr. Stevenson.

Or shall we make it two?

Holy smoke!

Hello. Hello. Bertha. Get me the Bugle.

Hurry up.

Jed? Jed, listen. Associated Press dispatch

to Lynnfield Bugle.

Wait a minute, Clarence. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. No. Yeah.

Clarence, just a moment

until I catch my breath.

Boys, boys, now don't get excited.

Take it easy, take it easy.

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