This Time for Keeps Page #5

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-Thank you.

But I learned many years ago,

to my sorrow, that looks are deceiving.

Oh, yes, I guess so.

Good heavens, children, relax.

I`m only going to ask some questions.

Only three questions, in fact.

Now, Mr. Johnson--

-Would you call me Dick?.

-l`m sorry.

I don`t hold to this modern habit

of flinging Christian names about.

Yes, ma`am.

First, I want to hear about

your war record.

Well, there`s not much to tell about it

except for its length.

-Three years, I believe.

-And four months and two days.

Nora tells me that you were a private.

Oh, first class.

I worked up to a sergeant once.

It was a long hard pull up,

but a regular shoot-the-shoots down.

Well, from your record,

l`d judge that you`re honest, anyway.

Now l`d like to hear about any women

in your life.

Me?. I mean, me?.

Oh, l`m not asking about your past.

I`d hate to think of Nora marrying

any grown man who didn`t have a past.

I want to be certain that no woman

has a right to come between you and Nora.

Well, no one would.

No one would at all.

GRANDMA:

Probably more chance than anything else.

Will you be able to support Nora?.

NORA:

Grandma, you promised not to.

I have an income from a trust fund,

so that part`s all right.

It`s not all right.

Trust funds, stocks, bonds,

bank accounts, annuities.

I have lived long enough to know

that those can vanish in a night.

But talent, young man...

...that`s something one keeps.

NORA:
Oh, Dick has talent.

-Be quiet, Nora. I`ll judge for myself.

Well?.

Would you like for me to sing?.

Unless you`d be more

entertaining turning cartwheels.

Well, my throat`s kind of dry.

[SlNGlNG] Grandma`s favorite song is

""Apple Blossom Time.""

Thanks.

May l--?.

Certainly.

[SlNGlNG]

I`ll be with you

In apple blossom time

I`ll be with you

To change your name to mine

Some day in May

I`ll come to say

Happy the bride

The sun shines on today

Oh, what a wonderful wedding it will be

What a wonderful day for you and me

Church bells will chime

You will be mine

In apple

Blossom

Time

Thank you.

Quarter of a century

since I first heard that tune.

Come, Deborah, it`s your bedtime.

But, Grandma,

you haven`t said whether it`s all right.

Use your brains, Nora.

Should I be taking Deborah up to bed

if it weren`t?.

-Say good night.

DEBORAH:
Good night.

-Good night.

-Good night.

-Good night, Nora.

NORA:
Good night, Grandma.

Good night, Dick.

Good night. Good night.

And thank you.

[CHATTERlNG]

FERDl:

Places.

Nora`s up on the board in this number,

Luci. You dive off in the eighth bar.

That`ll be all today, girls.

What`s the idea of stopping?.

That understudy needs plenty of work.

Ferdi.

Sit down, Ferdi.

I tried to save her from this.

Maybe she knows he`s engaged.

May not be as serious

as you think, Ferdi.

She took him up to see Grandma.

Well, what do we do?.

We`ll have to tell her. But how?.

We can`t just slap her in the face

with this.

Do you think I should phone her?.

I don`t know.

Let me think how to handle it,

will you, Gordon?.

Sure, Ferdi.

Giddyup.

DEBORAH [SlNGlNG] : Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh

[WHlSTLlNG]

[SlNGlNG]

Cuddled cozy in a sleigh

On a snowy, snowy day

S`no wonder they fell in love

Love

[SlNGlNG]

S`no wonder they fell in love

Silently they thanked each flake

For the lovely lucky break

S`no wonder they fell in love

He said, ""Please, just one kiss

Better not refuse to

Don `t you know in the snow

It`s no use to ""

She could not resist his charms

So she froze there in his arms

Snow makes you cuddle

Snow makes you huddle

S`no wonder they fell in love

DEBORAH:

All the world was like a dream

Covered up with whipping cream

S`no wonder they fell in love

Love

S`no wonder they fell in love

Ever since the ride began

He was her good-humor man

S`no wonder they fell in love

He said, ""Dear, please confess

Darling, don `t refuse to

Don `t you know in the snow

It`s no use to ""

DlCK:

Then they rode away from view

And the tracks read ""I love you ""

DlCK & NORA:

They both were heading

For easy sledding

S`no wonder they fall in love

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

-Sorry you can`t stay for the show.

-So am l.

I`m a fan of that beautiful

Nora Cambaretti.

Thank you.

Would you like my autograph?.

Nora....

What is it, Dick?.

Oh, l`ll see you later.

Well, of course,

but is there something wrong?.

No, nothing wrong.

I have some things to do tonight,

that`s all.

Oh, I see.

Goodbye, darling.

Bye, Dick.

[RlCHARD SlNGlNG

lN DlSTANCE]

-Hello, Peter.

-How are you, Mr. Johnson?.

Tough, Peter, tough.

All ready to open fire on my dad.

He won`t mind anything you do.

He`s so pleased.

And may I add my congratulations?.

Congratulations?. How did you know?.

-You couldn`t know.

-But everyone knows.

Don`t tell me you haven`t seen the paper.

Who did this?. How did this happen?.

Why, I don`t know, sir.

Didn`t you?.

It`s no use blaming anyone except me.

I did it, Ferdi.

He didn`t wanna go see Grandma.

I rushed him into it.

From the very first,

I guess I rushed him into everything.

He could have told you.

Yes, he could have told me.

Dick doesn`t like to hurt people.

-You didn`t know that, did you, Ferdi?.

-I didn`t know that.

He never once really said

that he loved me.

Or talked about us together.

But I felt so sure.

Don`t think about it, Nora.

There`s something to be said

for Grandma`s way, isn`t there?.

Waiting until you`re asked.

Your grandma never waited for anyone,

man or woman.

She would have left herself

a place to hide.

She`s pretty, isn`t she?.

Seems so strange.

I`ve gone so many times

to hear him sing.

Dick`s father, I mean.

I even mentioned him to him once.

Must have all seemed very amusing.

[SOBBlNG]

Don`t. Don`t, Nora.

-Oh, Ferdi.

-He isn`t worth it.

[KNOCKlNG]

Come in.

It`s all arranged.

I`ve just phoned Mrs. Fields.

-l`ll drive you there.

-Thank you, Gordon.

I still think Nora should go home

to Grandma.

Oh, no. No, Ferdi.

I couldn`t do that. Not yet.

I`ve had the same couple at the lodge

for 1 0 years, Ferdi.

They`ll take good care of her.

Well, goodbye, Ferdi.

-Come and see me when you can, huh?.

-Sure.

Goodbye, Nora.

Look after things, will you, Ferdi?.

I`ll drive back tonight.

And that goes for doormats too.

Where`s Nora?.

Gone.

Then she saw this?.

Well, congratulations.

Did Nora see this story?.

Story?. Isn`t it true?.

Of course it isn`t true.

You mean you`re not engaged

to marry this luscious young beauty?.

Well, yes, I am, but--

That`s enough.

I don`t wanna hear any more.

Ferdi, did you ever try to break

an engagement to a perfectly nice girl?.

It`s a rotten thing to have to do.

You could have told Nora about her.

I tried to. Tried to a dozen times.

But I just couldn`t.

How could I ask Nora to wait...

...while I crawled out of an engagement

to another girl?.

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