Tobacco Road Page #6

Hi.

- Morning.

- Morning, captain.

Hey, is this the poor farm?

That's it.

Yeah...

...I thought so.

- What's that?

- That's the bath bell.

- The what?

- The bath bell.

You have to wash up all over

or no dinner.

- Oh, yeah.

- Huh?

All right, Lord,

don't say I didn't tell you.

Whoa!

Hey, mister, mister.

Come here, would you?

- What is it?

- Come here.

Say, you wanna buy

a brand-new automobile cheap?

- This one?

- Yeah, it's brand-new.

It ain't been hardly broke in yet.

- What are you breaking it in with, an ax?

- Ax? Why, no.

That don't hurt it none.

Don't hurt the running of it none.

Why, this car's brand-new.

Cost $800 yesterday.

Say, listen, I tell you what I'll do.

I'll sell you this car right now today

for $ 100 and I'll throw in the wood.

- A hundred dollars, huh?

- Yeah.

And $ 100 I got to have me,

and today.

- What's the great rush?

- Well, mister...

...there's only $ 100

stands between me and the poor farm.

- Are you sure this car's yours?

- Sure, it's mine.

You don't suppose I'd be selling you

somebody else's car, do you?

- Well, I wouldn't know. How's she run?

- Like a $40 mule.

- Move over. Let me try her.

- Yes, sir.

- So long, chief.

- So long.

- Chief?

- Yeah.

- Of police?

- Yep.

You crazy fool.

Where's my automobile?

You shut up, Dude, and listen to me.

- Your car is outside.

- Is it hurt much?

It looks like

the Seaboard Air Line hit it.

But what I ought to do

is to lock you all up...

...for if ever there was a nuisance,

it's you Tobacco Road folks.

You ain't worth

the expense to the county.

You're just naturally trifling,

and I reckon that's all there is to it.

Hush that yowling.

You made me late, and I ain't gonna

put off my Sunday dinner any longer...

...messing around in a family squabble.

So get out of here.

Get in your car and go on down

to Tobacco Road and stay there.

You ain't gonna put him

in a chain gang?

If you don't get out of here,

I'll put you in it.

Why, he stole my overalls and he

broke my automobile and threw... Aah!

Now get out!

Yes, and don't you never think about

getting back in again neither.

You mean you ain't gonna ride me

to the poor farm?

No, this here machine's

mine and Bessie's.

And you nearby ruined it already.

If that's the way you feel about it...

...get out of here

and get off of my land!

It ain't gonna be your land long.

They gonna throw you off it.

What are we chucking rocks

at them for?

They made me mad.

- Did the man come?

- Not yet.

Couldn't you even get me no snuff?

I couldn't get you no nothing.

Ain't nothing much

worth taking anyway, I reckon.

I'm sorry, Ada.

I ain't blaming you.

Well, maybe things

will be better over there.

- Maybe they'Il...

- They sure couldn't be no worse.

Jeeter. Oh, Jeeter.

Jeeter, wait a minute. I ain't mad.

Jeeter, wait. I gotta talk to you,

Jeeter. Wait a minute.

Jeeter, wait. I gotta talk to you.

Jeeter, wait a minute.

Wait a minute, Jeeter.

I ain't mad at you no more.

It's about Pearl. She's gone off again.

You ain't gonna hit me

with a rock?

Don't you understand?

Pearl's gone off to Augusta.

What was you doing to her?

I wasn't doing a thing to that girl

except tying her up with some rope.

She busted loose from me,

and I ain't seen her since.

How you know

she ain't out in the woods hiding?

I tell you, she's gone off to Augusta.

Jones Peabody seen her

and she told him she was going there.

Thank the Lord.

Jeeter, you gotta do something.

That's the way they all went, Lov.

Every darned one of them.

Lizzie Belle and Clara and...

I can't remember

all their darned names...

...there was so many,

but they all done the same thing.

They up and run off down

to the cotton mills in Augusta...

...so they'd have pretty clothes

and a hat to wear.

Maybe she'll come back by herself.

You reckon she will, Jeeter?

Well, I wouldn't trust none of them.

No, they didn't like

living on Tobacco Road.

They didn't like the clothes

their ma made for them...

...so they just all up and went

and run off.

I sure hate to lose her

for some reason or other.

She's pretty.

I used to love to just sit out on the porch

and watch her through the window...

...when she was combing

and brushing her pretty yellow hair.

You know, I was just thinking.

Wouldn't it be a good idea for you...

...to have Ellie May

come down to your house...

...and kind of look after the place

and cook for you?

I don't know

of a prettier sight to see...

...than just to look into Pearl's

pale blue eyes early in the morning.

They is awful pretty any time of day,

but I don't reckon I'll ever forget...

...how pretty they is

just when the sun's coming up.

Well, Ellie May's gotta get married

somewhere...

...and if you don't take a fancy to her,

I don't know where.

Reckon if I was to go

up to Augusta and find her...

...she'd let me bring her home?

Who, Pearl? No, what's the use?

She'd do the same thing over again.

Now, with Ellie May,

that'd be different.

Ada and me is liable

to be going away pretty soon...

...and there wouldn't be nobody here

to look after Ellie May.

You know, you just say the word...

...and I'll have her wash up

and come down.

Oh, she's mighty old for a wife.

Well, you'll get used to that.

What about what all

I give you for Pearl?

Well, with Ellie May,

I'll give you the quilts back.

And say,

you can be sure of one thing...

...she won't be running off

all the time. No, sir.

Well...

...all right.

Tell her to wash her up

and come on down.

Go get yourself washed up and go down

to his house and fix up for him.

Crazy fool! You...

Look what you done to my automobile!

I ought to put you in the chain gang.

You damaged my car.

You just about ruined it already!

I'm gonna kill you, you crazy...!

Pearl's gone.

Ellie May, do you want to go?

Yes, Ma.

Hey, it's Mr. Payne.

How are you, Mr. Payne?

Go on, Ada, get him a drink of water.

You've come for the money?

How you gotta bust in talking business

right away the minute the man comes?

Get him a drink of water first.

How are you, Mr. Payne?

I'm sure glad to see you.

Make yourself right at home. Ada, Ada,

get Mr. Payne a glass of water.

Come on.

Well, I hope you've managed

to get the money, Mr. Lester.

Money. Money.

No, sir, I ain't, and that's a fact.

You know, it looks as though

I'm in a whopping bad fix...

...and no fooling.

You know, Mr. Payne, why,

it looks like the good Lord...

...don't want us

to grow things in the earth anymore.

If he did,

he'd be more careful about it.

Yeah, he'd make the rich people

loosen up...

...and lend us farmers some money.

Mr. Payne don't care nothing

about what you think about that.

Mr. Lester, why don't you go on up

to Augusta and get work in the mills?

In the mills?

Why, I wouldn't work

in them darned mills.

That's a place for women.

Winding string on little spools

and things like that.

No, sir, not for me. I wouldn't...

I wouldn't go up there

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