"Good morning, ma'am." "Sure is a fine day today, isn't it?" "Getting this washing up." "Should've had it up long ago too." "If it's Aunt Dicey Johnson you're lookin' for, ma'am, here I be." "Pinky?" " Pinky, child?" " Yes, Granny." "It's..." "It's me." "Pinky." "My Pinky." "Thank you, Lord, for bringing my child back to me." "She'd be such a far piece and long journey, and this be the morning of her return." " Amen." " Granny." "No fretting', honey." "'Cause you're home safe and sound." "Come on in and let Granny scare you up a mite of breakfast." "Come on." "Come on, sugar." "Come on." "Oh, me." "It sure do me good to see you standin' there." "Just think." "My Pinky baby all growed up and come home to her old granny." " How did you know I'd come back?" " That's why I sent you away, sugar... so you'd come back." "Come back and help the sick, the halt and the needy." "Remember what I say the day I put you on the train?" "I said, "Pinky, baby, no matter how far you go..." ""how much you learn, you gotta bring it all back with you." ""That's why I'm sending you." "Because the Bible say..." "A little leaven shall leaven the whole lump. "'" "Granny..." "Granny, did you ever think I might wanna stay up north?" "There's some things we gotta trust the Lord about, Pinky... some things we can't do ourself." "We gotta depend on him." "Everything just like you left it, sugar." " What is it, Pinky?" " Oh, I wish you'd never sent me away." "You mean, you wish you'd growed up ignorant, no-account good-for-nothin'?" "You wish you'd never learned to read and write and make your way in this world?" "Oh, no, but don't you see?" "Yes, Pinky, I do see." "Let me say something once and for all and never again." "Why is it you write me less and less as time go by?" "Why is it after you go to the hospital, I get no letter at all?" "No." "You don't need to say nothin'." "You think I don't know." "You think poor old ignorant woman like me livin' in a shack like this... don't know nothin', but you're wrong, Pinky." "I do know." "And I know what you done." "And you know I never told you to pretend you is what you ain't." "I didn't mean to, Granny." "It just happened." "But that's a sin before God, and you know it." "It was a conductor on the train." "He put me back in another car... the white one." " But he knowed who you was." "I put you where you belonged." " No." "No, no." "It was after that, when they changed conductors." " Then why you ain't tell the new conductor?" " Granny, I don't know." " I was only a child." " Then what about school?" "What about that?" "Other children talk about their kinfolks, don't they?" "What you say when they asked you about your'ns?" "You tell 'em who your granny is?" "Oh, shame... shame be on you, Pinky." "Denying yourself like Peter denied the good Lord Jesus." "Here." "Get down." "Get down." "That's where you belong." "Now you tell the Lord what you done." "Ask his forgiveness on your immortal soul." "Come on out and get your breakfast." "I don't wanna hear another word from you... i" " About what you done again as long as you live. " "Tom." " Tom." " Tom, please." " Please, Tom." " Tom." "Tom." " Good morning, honey." "You up, I see." " Yes, Granny." "You do this much every day?" "Ain't missed a day 'cept the time I was down sick with pneumonia three years ago." " Here." "I'll help you." " I ain't sent you away for you to come back and take in washing." "Granny, I was awful glad when you stopped sending me money." " What you mean?" " I didn't want you breaking your back for me forever." "Stopped?" "I ain't never missed once." "I give Jake Waters that money... just like I been doin' every week since his pa died." "I gotta see Jake about that." "Kind of superstitious about him." "I'll go see Jake." "I'll get it back for you." "How much do you get for a wash like this?" " Oh, they don't count, far as money goes." " You mean you're not paid for it?" " Course not." "They're Miss Em's." " Yeah." "I can see it's Miss Em's." " You mean to say she doesn't pay you for it?" " Not in cash money." "Miss Em ain't got no cash money." "Besides, she's old now... old and sick." " She has a house full of valuable antiques, hasn't she?" " But they're family things." "Can't sell them." "Besides, why are you so set aging Miss Em?" " She ain't never hurt you." " Look at her house." "Slave-built, slave-run and run-down ever since." "I went through that gate in her garden once, just once, when I was a little girl." "She ordered me out, and I'll never forget it." "Oh, Miss Em ain't never liked children traipsing' around in her garden." "Why, when she had that boarding school, she made them girls play... on the other side of the house." "Guess I'll look in on her now like I do every morning to see if she's all right." "Tom." "Tom." "I'll send him a telegram." "Western Union." "I want to send a telegram." "Yes." "Straight wire." ""Dr. Thomas Adams." ""St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Boston." ""Darling." "All a terrible mistake." ""Returning by the first train." ""Meet me at the station, please." "I love you, love you, love you, love you. '" "Get up there." "Come on, you lazy devil." "Come on." "Can you tell me where Jake Waters lives?" " Right down on the corner." " Thank you." " Hi, Tommy." " Hi." " This where Jake Waters lives?" " Uh-uh." " You're Jake Waters, aren't you?" " Uh, yes, ma'am, I am." " This is my house here." " I'm Patricia Johnson." " Who?" " You know Mrs. Dicey Johnson, don't you?" "I'm her grandchild." "Pinky?" "Well, what do you know?" "Come right in, Miss Pinky." "I'm mighty glad to see you." "Mighty glad." "Yes." " I've come to get the money my grandmother gave you to send me." " Oh, the money!" "Come on in." "I've been tryin' to get over to see your granny, but every time I start over there... something happens to stop me." "Yes, sir." "Mighty busy these days." "Mighty busy." "This won't take long." "I shan't ask you... why you held back the money so long as you return it." "Oh, sure, sure." "Don't worry about it." "Sit down." "Oh." "You know, you've been away a long time." " What about the money?" " You'll get it." "You'll get it." "Every cent of it." "Sit down." "Why'd you come back, Miss Pinky?" "Never figured that you would." " Why shouldn't I?" "This is my home." " Don't give me that, Miss Pinky." "Jake's smart." "He sees things." "Man most likely, huh?" "White man?" "Couldn't tell him and couldn't not tell him, huh?" " Look, Jake, I haven't got all..." " Of course." "Didn't mean to be nosy, Miss Pinky." "Jake's your friend." "He only wants to help you." "Help me by giving me back my grandmother's money." "Oh, yes." "The money." "Well, I never keep much cash money on me." " Keep it all in the bank, Miss Pinky." " Is it far to the bank?" "Bank's closed today." "Saturday." "Very well." "You can give me whatever you have on hand... and I'll tell my grandmother you'll pay her the rest on Monday." " Of course, I never keep much money around the house." " Mind giving me what you have?" "Just a minute." "I'll look around." "This every bit of money I got in the house." "A ten and a five makes $ 15." "I'll tell my grandmother you'll give her the rest on Monday." " Monday." "Sure." " You be sure and come by Monday." " I'll be there, all right." " Jake, what's she doin' with my money?" " Rozelia, you know I didn't..." " What you doin' with my money?" " Rozelia, you know who that is?" "Miss Pinky." " I don't care." " Miss Pinky, that happens to be my money." " Let go of me!" "Come high, don't you?" "Drop that." "Why, you..." "I'll split you open if you don't give me my money." "Hey there." "What's up?" " What's goin' on here?" " Nothin' at all, Captain." " Everything's all right now." " They been botherin' you, ma'am?" "Pull your dress up, girl." " Got a knife, Chief." " Okay." "Get it." "Well, I reckon it's just as well we come up when we did." "Uh, just what was the trouble, ma'am?" " I don't care to make any charges." " Just a minute, if you please." "I reckon you're a stranger in this part of the country, but this fella Jake..." " Did he molest you in any way, ma'am?" " No." "No." "And the girl." "What about her, ma'am?" "She even so much as thought of threatening you, we wanna know about it..." "Or if she give you any of her impudence." " Shut up, girl." " Excuse me, sir, but why are you two white men "ma'am-ing" her?" "She's nothin' but a low-down colored gal." " Tried to steal my man." " Make him stop!" "Make him stop!" "You heard what she said." "He's got to slap her down, unless it's true." "Yes, it's true." "I'm colored." "My grandmother's Mrs. Dicey Johnson." "Mrs. Dicey Johnson!" "I oughta slap 'em both down, Chief." "Nah." "Hold it." " Why, I think I'll be going now." " Go?" " You ain't goin' anywhere till I tell you." "Get in that car." " I'm under arrest?" " What do you think?" " On what charges are you holding me?" "You heard what I said." "Get in that car." "Don't worry." "I'll fix it." "I know the judge." "Let me handle this." "It looked like there was gonna be some trouble, and I searched her." "Then I took this knife off her, Judge Walker." "It was in her garter." "So I just brought 'em all in." " Is this your knife?" " She's the one started trouble, comin' takin' my money." " That'll do." "Find anything on the other one?" " Didn't search her." " Nothin' there, Judge." " She had plenty time to throw it away." " Rozelia, I could send you up for this knife business." " Yes, sir." "And I will if I hear one more word about this matter... about a knife or razor or any trouble." " Is that clear?" " Yes." " Now, go." " Thank you, sir." " As for you, Jake..." " Yes, sir." "I was just..." "You've been in this kind of trouble before." " After this, keep your hands off other people's money." " No, sir." "Never touch a nickel that ain't mine, sir." " I'm going to let you off this time." " Thank you." "Much obliged, Judge." " But next time will be the last." " Yes, sir." "Thank you." "Now it's to you, Pinky." "If Jake owes you money and doesn't pay it, let me know." " I'll see that he does." " Thank you." "I remember years ago, after your mother died." "I remember when Dicey sent you away to school." "Aunt Dicey's a good woman." "I've always thought highly of her, and I'd like to be able to think well of her grandchildren." "I've done nothing, Judge Walker, and I'm telling you the truth." " I'm not saying you aren't, but..." " But because I'm colored, you don't believe me." "You're not sure." "That's it, isn't it?" "How'd you make out up yonder?" "I graduated, then I took three years' training as a nurse." "Oh, I didn't know." "You managed to do all that on what Dicey could send?" " Yes." " Hmm." "I won scholarships." "I worked, waited tables." "I got along." "Oh, that's good." "That's very good." "All the more reason... you should keep on being a credit and comfort to your grandmother." "You've had advantages which are denied to most members of your race... people like Jake and Rozelia, for example." "Just try to keep out of trouble." "That's all." "Thank you, sir." " Pinky." " Yes, Granny?" "Why don't you try and..." " Going somewhere, honey?" " Just for a walk." " Evenin', Sister Johnson." " Come in, Jake." "Stop sneakin' in here behind me like that too." "I told Miss Pinky I'd drop around, so here I is, man of my word." "Good." "Pinky give me the $15 you give her, said you'd be here to give me the rest." "I guess she was kind of riled after that little run-in." " Run-in?" "What you mean, run-in?" " Oh, nothing." " You workin' mighty late, Sister Johnson." " Oh, I reckon I'll die... with the shoes on my feet and that old smoothing' iron in my hand, good Lord willing." "You're a worker from way back yonder." "Yes, sir." " I always admire a good worker." " Look who's talkin'." "Well, there's work and then there's work." "My biggest work, I do with my brain." "Liable to get top-heavy overworking that brain, eh, Jake?" "That's the way to rise up in the world." "No more being the skim milk for Jake." " He's gonna be the cream on top." " Cream gotta be cream first before it rise." " Where you goin', Sister?" " I gotta take this wash back to Miss Em's." "Oh." " Give me that." " Don't you want me to read it for ya?" " Give it back, I say." "It's mine." " I can see..." "I can see that." "Give me that letter!" "Not gonna read this letter to nobody." "Well, you burned it up, didn't you?" "That ain't gonna stop nothin'." "I got a feeling that a fast letter coming like that is a shadow moving before." " Think so, Jake?" " Folks is coming, they come treading' on their shadows." "Course, I can stop him." "Got his name and address right here in my head." "Didn't I tell you I worked with my brain?" "I can write a letter to him." "Say, I never seen no colored man write like that." "Two stamps on the letter and his name and address in the corner with "M.D." after it." " That means doctor." " You think you'd be doing right?" "You wanna keep Miss Pinky, don't you?" "I'll send him a telegram." "That'll stop him just like that." "Don't you worry, Sister." "Jake's gonna take care of everything." "Course, telegrams cost money, and I like to do everything business-like." "That'll be a deductible item from what I owe you." " Evenin', ma'am." "Can we give you a lift?" " No, thank you." "Excuse me, ma'am." "You must be a stranger around here." "We can't let no white girl... walk by herself through this here nigger section." " I live in this section." " You what?" " I said I live here." "Now, just let me alone." " Lives here?" "What do you know?" "Who'd ever figure that?" " That's the whitest dinge I ever saw." " Look at that swamp rabbit go." " What do you say, let's go get her?" " Boy, let's go now." "We ain't gonna hurt you, baby." "Don't be afraid, baby." "We ain't gonna hurt you." " We just wanna have a little fun, baby." " Take it easy." "Come here, honey." "No!" "No!" "Stop!" "Stop!" " Please!" "Don't!" "Don't!" " What a build on her." "Let's see your face, baby." "Hold up your face." "Oh, you're pretty." "You're pretty." "You're real pretty." "What's the matter, baby?" "You want a drink?" "Hey, Al, give me that bottle." "Come back here, gal!" "Come on back here, gal!" "Ah, let her go." "Pinky?" "Pinky?" "Pinky?" "Pinky?" " Pinky?" " Granny?" "Yes." " What you got the door locked for?" " Granny, what is it?" " What's wrong?" "Tell me, Granny." " It's Miss Em." "Miss Em, honey." " What's the matter with her?" " Oh, Doc Joe say it's her heart again." "Her heart give out." "It happened while I was puttin' the linen in the closet... talkin' to her when she took her spell." "So I run down to the corner fast as I could, phoned Doc Joe." " He picked me up on the way back." "He come that fast." " Her heart?" "How old is she?" "Oh, a year or two older than me maybe." "Course, she never allow that to my face." "Lord, I kinda hoped you'd take me before you took Miss Em." "I kinda hoped you would." "Thy will be done." " Everyone has to die, Granny." " You're right, baby... but the least we can do is ease their passing'." "I'm so glad you're here." "Seems like the Lord sent you here out of pure goodness." " Me?" " I say, "Doc Joe... " I say, "Never you mind. "" "And was I proud to say it." "I say, "Never you mind, sir." "My Pinky's here, and she's a good nurse. "" " So he's sittin' there waitin' for you right now." " You told him I'd nurse her?" "Course, honey." "Doc Joe say everything depend on good nursing." "He say she gotta have a trained nurse, and he can't lay his hand on one for love or money... if Miss Em had the money, which she ain't." "Then tell him to keep right on looking." "I'm not interested." " But she'll die." " Then let her die." " Pinky!" " I didn't mean that, but, Granny, try to understand my side." "I only came back here because I hadn't anywhere else to go." "I'd forgotten what it was like." "I've been away a long time." "I've known another kind of life." "I've been treated like a human being." "Try to understand..." "like an equal." "Don't you see I can't go back into that house?" "Haven't I had enough without that?" "Pinky." "I worked long and hard to give you an education... and if they done educated the very heart out you... everything I've worked and slaved so hard for is wrong." "Now, hear me!" "You're goin' up to Miss Em's!" "You're gonna take good care of her, like the nurse you is... or I swear on the Holy Bible, I'll rip the livin' daylights out you!" "Yes." "I'm going away." "I should never have come back here." "Here." "Let me help you." "Kind of wrinkled." "Reckon I'd better run the smoothing' iron... over it before you pack it." "Kind of pretty too." "Must take a heap of studying, learning to be a nurse." "The course is three years, as you know." " Miss Em didn't have no training at all." " Why should she?" "Her kind never learns anything useful." "Didn't stop her from nursing me, though, when I was down sick with pneumonia, fixing' to die." "Miss Em nursed you?" "I'd like to see that." "Where you been living, child?" "What sort of stuff they teach you up yonder?" "Have I put in all my work on you for you to turn out to be nothin' but low-down trash?" "Yes, Pinky." "Miss Em did nurse me." "If you don't believe me, ask Doc Joe." "Miss Em stay here, sleep in your little room." "She cook for me, feed me with a spoon, wash my poor, tired body." "Even emptied my slops like she was my loving servant." "Now she's fixin' to die... and my own grandchild done hardened her heart aging her." " Doctor." " Oh, yes." "Glad you could come." "She's at pretty low ebb." "Under the hypo right now." "No fear of disturbing her." "Oh, yes." "Pinky, isn't it?" "A nurse." "Of course." "Your granny's talked a lot about you, but I didn't realize that..." "Uh, some things I've jotted down here for you." "Really not very much we can do right now." "She's reached the age where the mechanism begins to slow down." "If she has another attack..." "Have you ever given a hypo?" " I'm a graduate nurse." " Yes, yes, of course." "Well, I'm very glad to leave Miss Em with a graduate nurse." "No phone in this house, and I'm pretty hard to get hold of... so it'll be a matter of using your own judgment." " I understand, Doctor." "Your hat." " Oh, no." "Here." "Yes." "Thank you." "You know, of course, that Miss Em can't afford to pay for a trained nurse." " Or do you?" " I know, Doctor." "Might be some of her old pupils could pay you something." "Most of them still live..." "No, Doctor." "It isn't a question of money." "I'm doing it for my grandmother." " Well, I'll look in tomorrow afternoon." " Good night, Doctor." " Who are you?" " I'm your nurse." "Dicey's girl, Pinky, aren't you?" " Yes." " Why didn't you say so?" "Come over here and let me see you." "You didn't call yourself Pinky when you were off up yonder, did you?" " No." " Speak up." "What name did you go by?" "Patricia." "Pinky's better." " What are you doing there?" " Dr. McGill left some pills for you." "You didn't think I'm gonna take any more of Joe McGill's stupid dope?" "They'll relieve the pain, Miss Em." "You are in pain?" "Course I'm in pain." "What do you think?" "That you die in ease and ecstasy?" " What's this thing on my feet?" " Hot water bottle." "Take it away." "I won't have it." "Brick's much better." "Over there on the hearth." "Put it in the embers." "Go to the wardrobe." "Open the door." "Look on the second shelf." "You'll find a bit of blanket to cover the brick." "Take your hands out of there." "I said the second shelf." "Miss Em, I'm not dishonest, if that's what you're implying." "Furthermore, I don't have to..." "Miss Em?" "Miss Em!" "Miss Em." "Now, make tracks, y'all." "Don't wanna see hide nor hair of ya... till tomorrow." " That you, Pinky honey?" " Yes, Granny." "Miss Em ain't..." "No." "She's better." "Praise the Lord." "Dr. Joe's with her now." "He said for me to come on down and get some rest." "You're supposed to sit with her for the rest of the afternoon." " Then you get some sleep, honey." " I don't feel like sleeping." "What you doing with my clothes?" "With you being so busy and all, I reckoned I'd unpack for you." "Put them back." "They can stay packed till I leave." "It's only a matter of a few days, at the most." "Doc Joe say that?" "A few days?" "I can see for myself." "Oh, for heaven's sake, Granny, it's only a mean old woman." "She's been driving me and nagging me ever since she woke up this morning." "She do that?" "That's good." " What's good about it?" " Then she do feel better, sure enough." "Miss Em start feelin' better, the more "coniferous" she act." "Pay no attention to her worrisome ways, sugar." "She don't mean nothin' by it." "She means to put me in my place and keep me there... just as she's kept you all these years." "Oh, Pinky child, when folks is real friends, there ain't no such thing as place." "Hello?" "Anybody home?" "Miss Johnson?" "I beg your pardon." "You're Miss Pinky Johnson?" "Yes, sir." "You're looking for me?" " I'm Dr. Canady from over in Leesburg." " How do you do, Doctor?" "My wife and I heard you were here." "We'd like you to come over to the house to dinner." " Well, that's..." " If you'll just set the date... any night that's convenient." "I'm on a case now, and after that, I'm going away." "When you come back then." "Your being here is the best news we had in a long time." "We had some girls over in Leesburg, high school graduates... with no chance for regular training." " With your help, we can set up a real nursing school." " It's out of the question." "i" " You see." " Excuse me." "How are you and your family these days?" " Fine, thank you, Aunt Dicey." " You see, I..." "I'm not planning to come back." "I see." "I have never been north." "I took my M.D. at Meharry." "I was tempted to go, of course, but I felt my job was here." "These girls I was telling you about, it's gonna be kind of hard to disappoint them." "I'm sorry, but my plans are all made." "Well, good luck to you, Miss Johnson." "Get the feet." "Mind that candlestick." "My great-grandfather bought that when they sold Thomas Jefferson's things." "Things." "Hmm." "They last longer than people." "This furniture was made to present to Henry Clay... if he was elected, but the voters thought different... and Grandfather bought it at auction." "Look what you've done." "My best brooch." "Well, you've looked at it long enough." " What do you think of it?" " It's very nice, Miss Em." "Don't be evasive." "I want the truth." "What do you think of it?" "It's one of those rather clever imitations one can buy in the chain stores for a dollar." "Ninety-eight cents." "Any fool would know that." "Now, go dust that center table." "Bring me a pitcher of water." "Miss Em, I've already done those things, and you know it." " Don't be impudent." " It isn't impudent to say what's true." "I'm a trained nurse, and I won't be spoken to like that." "You don't like it here:" "why did you come?" "Because my grandmother said she'd whip the living daylights out of me if I didn't." "That Dicey." "Nobody like her." "Did she really say that?" " That's the sort of answer you want to hear, isn't it?" " No." "I prefer the truth." "You forgot that fire screen." "Don't be so upset." "I'll be dead soon... and you'll be free to go back north again." "Going to give up your nursing when you get back up yonder?" "Nursing's my profession." "In certain places, a nurse is treated with respect." "Nobody deserves respect as long as she pretends to be something she isn't." "How I live my life is my own business, Miss Em." "Course it is." "It isn't your husband's business or your children's." "You can go now, Pinky." "I'll be all right till your grandmother comes." "You can't dismiss me as you did when I was a child and you drove me out of your garden." "Oh, you remember." "Yes." "Very clearly." "What do you want me to do, stay here and live this sort of life when I don't have to?" "Just prove you're addicted to the truth, like you pretend." "Wherever you are, be yourself." "What am I then?" "You tell me." "You're the ones that set the standards, you whites." "You're the ones that judge people by the color of their skins." "By your own standards, by the only ones that matter to you, I'm as white as you are." "That's why you all hate me." "What should I do?" "Dye my face?" "Grovel and shuffle?" "Say "yes'm" and "no'm"?" "Marry some man like Jake Waters?" "Carry a razor in my stocking?" "Nobody hates you, Pinky." "Don't just stand there." "When you leave the room, go quickly." "I hate dawdling." "Pat!" " Oh, darling." " Oh, if you only knew what I went through finding you." "What's wrong?" "What got into you, running off like that?" " How did you find me?" " I got your old address from the nuns' school... and then that crazy telegram came, signed Pinky Johnson." " Why "Pinky"?" " I didn't send you any wire." "Come on." "Come on up to the house." "What's it all about, Pat?" "I can see you're working, but why here?" "Why didn't you want me to know?" "What are you doing, charity work?" "No." "I live here." "Is that it?" "Is it because you were ashamed of telling me you lived in a place like this?" "I often wondered why you never spoke about your home and family, but..." "Don't you know who lives in this kind of house?" "Come on in." "Come here, Tom." "There's an old colored woman who can't read or write... a washerwoman people around here call Aunt Dicey." "There's the basket she carries her clothes in." "There's the ironing board." "And those are the heavy irons she heats on that old wood stove." "Year in and year out, she's washed and ironed... and carried her clean clothes to people's back doors... through rain and cold and the heat of summer." "And she saved her money and lived on scraps white people gave her." "Why?" "For me." "So she could send me off to school... so I could learn to be a nurse." "So her granddaughter would be spared the kind of life she's had to live." " Her granddaughter?" " Yes." "Her granddaughter." "Me." "Now you understand." " Pat..." " My name is Pinky." "She's coming." "Tom, please... please go." " I don't want her to find you here." " I've got a car." "We'll drive." " No." "No." " Not until you tell me the whole story." "Come on, Pat." "And then, that day at the hospital, I met you for the first time." "At first, I tried to keep you away, even to the point of being rude." "That's true, isn't it?" "Remember?" "But you wouldn't give up." "I thought I could take the chance of seeing you, being with you." "I'd never been in love." "I never dreamed it would ever be serious." "When I found it was, a kind of daring came over me, with your love." "So I thought I could have everything." "For a few weeks I believed it... until you wanted to get married right away." "Remember?" "You said I'd have to make up my mind sometime." "Then I realized what my decision would have to be." "So I ran." " Poor Pat..." " I'm not looking for pity, and don't tell me it doesn't matter." " I couldn't stand that." " I won't lie to you." "Of course it matters." "It makes... makes problems, important problems." " But let's try and face them like rational people." " Rational." "What's rational about prejudice?" "I don't think I'm prejudiced." "I'm a doctor and I hope enough of a scientist... not to believe in the mythology of superior and inferior races." "It is a tricky business, though." "You never know what exists deep down inside yourself." "I want to be absolutely sure nothing like that exists inside of me." "You'd be so easy to hurt, Pat." "In this case, too much kindness could easily be misunderstood... and hurt worse than cruelty." "A man should be able to lose his temper and cuss out his wife... once in a while without her misunderstanding the reason." "That's why I didn't give way to my impulse when you first told me." "I wanted to sort of hold myself under a microscope a little bit longer... till I could be sure I was right." " What do you mean?" " I've got two reservations on the plane from Birmingham." "I don't know." "I don't know." " Come on, Pat." "We've got an hour to catch our train." " No, no." "Wait." "Wait." " Darling, I love you." " Tom, we can't..." "Wait..." " I couldn't help myself, even if I wanted to." " I don't know." "I don't..." "That's the important thing." "The rest of it we can work out between ourselves." "It'll be our secret." "Nobody else will ever know it." "Here." " Come on." "We'll stop at your house and pick up your things." " Tom, I can't go with you now." " Why not?" " Not now." "I'm on a case." " Let them get somebody else." " This isn't just a case." "It's a debt that has to be repaid." " That's the true reason?" " Oh, I swear it is." "I'm through with running away." " You're being honest?" "You promise you'll come as soon as you can?" " I'll take the next train." " If you don't, I'll be here wanting to know why." " Oh, I will!" " George, you still drive too fast." " Yes, ma'am." "Well, shut off the engine." "About time." "Oh, so you're the one." "I'd heard you were light, but I'd no idea you were..." "Well, you're practically white." " What is it that you want, please, ma'am?" " I'm here to see Miss Emma." " I'm sorry." "She's not supposed to receive visitors." " I'm her cousin, Mrs. Wooley." "Oh, yes, Mrs. Wooley." "Well, if you'll wait down here, I'll see if Miss Em can see you." " How is she?" " She's improving." "Won't you have a chair, please?" " Miss Em, I'm afraid..." " I know." "Let her come up." "But don't leave me alone with her." " She'll wanna be alone with you, Miss Em." " Well, I don't." "i" " How is my dear Cousin Em today?" "" "Well, I'll find out." "Sit in that chair." "If I knock over the bell, tell her I have to have an enema or something." "Get rid of her." " But Miss Em, I've just started your luncheon." " Do what you're told, honey." " Oh, Mrs. Wooley, Miss Em can see you now." " I know." "I can hear." "Cousin Em, what do you mean, gettin' sick like this?" "When you're 80 years old, you expect to be sick." "Sit down." "Now, now." "Naughty, naughty." "Eighty years young is what we say." "I don't." "It's old, and I won't have it minimized." "Takes a lot of livin' to get there and pure, cursed endurance." " Eighty years young indeed!" " Yes, yes, Cousin Em." "Of course." " That's all now." "I'll be sitting here with Cousin Em." " Stay there, Pinky." "She's a trained nurse." "I want her there in case I have a spell." "Oh." "Now, tell me, dear." "Are you being taken care of?" " What can I do for you?" " Nothing." "Jeffers and I have been away on holiday, and we didn't know a thing until yesterday." "I said to Jeffers, "I'm gonna see Cousin Em tomorrow no matter how busy I am." "I just have to know whether she's getting every single thing she needs. '" "And Jeffers said to me, "Melba, that's just like you." "You can never rest..." ""till you know you've done your duty." "And if you can take a little sunshine into the life of that poor old soul, you'll... "" "Cousin Em?" "She's napping'." " Or is she doped?" " Just tired." "She's been very ill." "Well, I'll just sit here till she wakes up." "Oh, Pinky, I do believe I forgot to tell George to put the brake on my car." "Go down there and make sure it's on." " Cousin Em..." " I never nap, and I'm not doped." " My goodness, she's whiter than I am!" " Prettier too." "Well, it just gives me the creeps." "Seriously, Cousin Em." "I gotta talk to you alone." "It's important." "I came in to warn you about this girl, Pinky." "My new maid, Rozelia, knows all about her." "Now, Melba." "I'm not gonna soil my ears by listening to kitchen gossip." "But for all you know, lying' up here in bed, she's stealin' you blind." "Oh, Melba." "I think I left my brooch over there on the bureau." " See if it's still there." " Well, I certainly will." "I most certainly will." "That's just what I been talking about." " Oh, is this it?" " Yes." "i" " Well, thank goodness." "It's still here." " Oh." "Mrs. Wooley, George says your brake is still on." " What do you think of the brooch?" " Hmm?" "Oh!" "Oh, it's lovely, Cousin Em." "Priceless." "A real antique." " Why do you ask?" " Oh, I know you like jewelry." "Just wanted to be sure." "I was thinkin' of makin' my will." "Oh, Cousin Em, you mustn't think of such a thing." "Why, it isn't as if you had a lot of relatives." "Jeffers and I are the only two you got." "And I know how strongly you feel about keepin' things in the family." "What an idea to make a will." "Why, you'll live years and years, dear!" "Pinky's a nurse." "She graduated from one of the best hospitals up yonder." "Let's ask her." "Think I should be makin' my will?" "Well, if you were ever gonna make a will, Miss Em, it's time you were getting it done." "There, Melba." "There's a nurse's opinion." "Very sensible... especially as it agrees with my own." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Wooley." "Miss Em must rest now." "Well, she looks fine to me, and besides, we haven't finished our little visit yet, have we?" "I do feel a little queer." "Maybe I have another fit comin' on." " Fit?" " That's the way they start." " Then I go clean out of my head." " Oh." "Well, in that case, I guess I had better be on my way." " Oh, you going?" "But you'll come back, won't you?" " Oh, yes, dear." "I'll be in first thing next week." "I certainly will." "And no more nonsense about making a will, you naughty girl." "No more nonsense!" "Stop that." "I won't have you laughing at my relatives." "Sorry, Miss Em." "She's not a blood relative, is she?" "She married my cousin, Jeffers Wooley." "He's my first cousin, once removed." "He nearly removed himself clean out of the family when he married her." "Jeffers never did have much sense." "His father wanted him to study law." "Didn't have the brains for it." "Took up insurance." "Tried to sell me a policy." "Life insurance, he called it." "I asked him if it would insure that I should live one day longer that the Lord allows." "He said it didn't, so I said, "Well, call it death insurance." "You oughta be ashamed mentioning it to one of your own family. "" "Why are you standing there for?" "Do you want tea or milk with your lunch?" " Coffee." " Miss Em, you know the doctor said..." "I said coffee, and make it strong." "Yes, Miss Em." "And, Pinky, when you bring my tray... bring me paper, pen and ink." "When you've washed the dishes, you can take the rest of the afternoon off." "I don't like to leave you alone, Miss Em." " Then send Dicey over." " She can't stay long." " This is her afternoon to take the wash into town." " Don't argue." "Do as I say." "Don't want you back here till after 5:00." " Yes, Miss Em." " Make that coffee strong." " I want the spoon to stand up in it." " Yes, Miss Em." "Miss Em!" " Miss Em!" "Miss Em." " Why am I in bed for?" " Thought I was sittin' in a chair." " You've had another attack." "You've been up and doing too much." "Whose business is it if I do too much, I'd like to know?" "Nobody's at all if you want to shorten your life." " Flat on her back." " No." "No." "Prop me up." "Give me some pillows." "I'm not gonna lie flat until I'm laid out." " Be soon enough now." " Might as well let her have her own way." "That's all I ever wanted..." "to have my own way." "Here." "Open your mouth." " What's that?" "Dope?" " Open your mouth." "I want some fresh water." "It's stuck in my throat." "No, I said fresh water." "Close the door behind you." "There's a draft in here." "i " " I don't want that girl knowing' my business." "Now, go over there and look on the second shelf... in that book." "No, no." "The other end." "The other end." "There." "Now, open the book." "There's an envelope in it." "Get the envelope." "Bring it here." " That's my will, and I want you to witness it." " Of course." "Surely." " No." "You don't have to read it." "I just want you to sign it." " Mmm." "Here." "You'll have to sign it again... in my presence." " You know my signature." " Sign it again, please." "These things have to be done legally." "Oh, lawyers have more fool rigamarole than doctors." "There." "Now, put it back in the envelope." "Seal it up." "Put it away." "Who's your executor?" " You are." " Me?" " Isn't Judge Walker your lawyer?" " He's retiring." "Aren't you my friend?" "No." "Never mind that now." "I don't need it." "It's gone down." "You didn't think I'm plannin' to die this minute?" "I'll be up to meet my classes right after holidays." "Mm-hmm." "My school..." "What'll the girls be doin' with me in bed?" "Don't you worry, now." "You'll be up and around in a few days." "Try to get some sleep now." "A fine woman." "One of the old school." "Never afraid to speak her mind or take a stand for what she thought was right." " How long, Doctor?" " Can't tell." "Extraordinary vitality, but the last attack..." "Perhaps a week." "Perhaps only a few hours." "Isn't there anything..." "There, now." "You did a good job." "I might even say a devoted job." "Well, I'll stop in first thing tomorrow." " Good night." " Good night, Doctor." "Twenty cents, please." " Somethin' for ya, ma'am?" " Yes." "Do you have any mourning veils, please?" "Right this way, ma'am." "This is our best quality, ma'am... 2.98... and the last we got in stock." "Yes." "That'll be fine." "I'll take it." "I'll allow you're goin' to Miss Em's funeral, ma'am." " They say she had a lot of friends." " Miss Viola." " Come wait on me, please." " Sorry, Ms. Wooley." "Just a minute, please." " I'll be right with ya." " Where's Mr. Goolby?" " Excuse me, please, ma'am." "I only meant I was waitin' on someone." " Mr. Goolby!" "i" " I only have to wrap this and get the change." " Mr. Goolby.!" "Why, yes, Mrs. Wooley, what can I do for you today, please, ma'am?" "Since when has it been your policy to wait on nigras before white folks?" "Why, I..." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Wooley." "I'm..." "I'm sure that Miss Viola just..." "just didn't see you." " Miss-Miss Viola." " Well, I'm..." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Wooley." "I should think you would be." "I'll repeat..." "Since when has it been your policy..." "Now, just what would you be interested in this morning?" "We have some nice broadcloth." " We also have some..." " What's that?" "Well, that's the money..." "the money, ma'am, she gave me... $5.00." " Is that Miss Em's money?" " No, Mrs. Wooley." "Would you mind tellin' me where you did get it?" "I don't care to say where I got it, Mrs. Wooley." "Well, that's all you'll get away with." "You can rest assured of that." "Charge this." "What's going on?" "I'll take my veil now, Mr. Goolby... unless you don't sell to colored people." "I'm in business to sell goods, and your money's good if it's honest money." "It's honest money." "My grandmother earned it... by harder work than selling goods over a counter." "Do you wish to sell me the veil?" "4.98." "Very well, Mr. Goolby." "My change, please." "When are you fixin' to leave, honey?" "Oh, uh... in the morning." "There's a train at 9:00." "Then, in that case, I'm gonna fix ya a nice, hot supper tonight." "Oh, Granny, please don't trouble yourself." "I don't..." "Oh." " Howdy, Aunt Dicey." " Howdy, Doc Joe." " Howdy, Pinky." " Here." "Have a chair, Dr. Joe." " Somebody sick out this way?" " No." "Nobody's sick." "I... got some news for you, and I thought the sooner you knew it, the better." "Copy of Miss Em's will." "She left her pa's law books to her cousin, Mr. Wooley." "Family portraits too." "And her jewelry to Mrs. Wooley." "Good, 'cause Mrs. Wooley sure likes all kinds of geegaws and fixin's." ""To my faithful servant and friend, Dicey Johnson, colored..." "I leave all personal clothing of which I died possessed. "" "Bless her heart." "Sometimes I think she always get her shoes extra big... 'cause when these fit her just right, they pinch my bunion." "And I'm mighty proud to have her clothes too." "Miss Em left you the house, Pinky, and everything in it." "The land too... about 20 acres." ""The remainder of my estate I give and bequeath..." ""to the aforesaid Dicey Johnson's granddaughter, Pinky." ""This bequest being an expression of my genuine regard for her... and my confidence in the use to which she will put this property. '" " That what the paper say?" " Here." "Read it for yourself." "It say it for a fact, Doc Joe?" "That's the way she wrote it." "But if I were you, I wouldn't count on it just yet." "You see, the Wooleys..." "Mrs. Wooley in particular... figured on gettin' all that stuff." "Hear they've already hired a lawyer." "You mean, they're gonna contest it?" "On what grounds?" "Undue influence, I suppose... question Miss Em's sanity, that sort of thing." "There's already been some talk." "So that's why Mrs. Wooley and those men in town..." "Don't you think Miss Em was sane?" "Far as I know, she was." "That last night her mind wandered a bit... but that's not unnatural." "You just keep that if you want to look it over some more." "But I don't believe I'd count on gettin' it." "Better wait and see." "I don't know how the folks around here are gonna take this." "I wonder why she did it." "Ain't you gonna finish your fried chicken, honey?" "Oh, I'm sorry, Granny." "I wonder why she did it." "Well, Miss Em had grown powerful fond of you." "But she should've known better." "Pinky, I've lived in this world a long time... long enough to know for sure if it's somethin' white folks don't want you to have... or somethin' they want for their self... you might as well forget all about it." "But she meant me to have it." ""Expression of my genuine regard for her... and my confidence in the use to which she will put this property. "" " What did she mean?" " That don't mean nothin' where the white folks is concerned." "i - 'Sides, you goin' back up yonder, so why... " " Evenin', Sister Johnson." "Evenin', Miss Pinky." " Hello, Jake." "Well, I just started uptown, and I thought I'd stop by for a while." "Well, Miss Pinky, I hear as how you got some property comin' to ya." " What else have you heard?" " Well, the white folks are sayin'... you kept Miss Em doped all the time." "They say she must have been out of her head, and you must've made her write that will." " It's nonsense, and they know it." " Is or ain't, I don't know." "But it sure spells trouble for somebody." "If I was you, Miss Pinky, I'd stick close to the house for a while." " She's leavin' first thing in the morning." " Goin' back up north?" " Yes." " That's good." "That's mighty good." "Then Ms. Wooley get the property by default." " Everything's fine... no trouble for nobody." " Is that the law?" "Default?" "Well, unless you get a lawyer to file an answer." "Of course, me, I've had considerable dealings with the law, but I ain't licensed." "But even if I was licensed, I wouldn't touch your case... for a stack of hundred dollar bills that high." "I got a nice house and no fire insurance." "And I'm glad you decided to be sensible about this thing." "Because if you hadn't, I was gonna make reservations across the state line... and go fishin' for three or four weeks." "Oh, what is it?" "What is it, child?" "Pinky." "Pinky, tell me." "What are you fixin' to do?" "I'll be staying on for a while, till this business is settled." "Miss Em meant me to have the house... and I'm not gonna give it up to please Mrs. Wooley... or anybody." "Granny." "Can't do it, Pinky." "You know that I'm retiring." "As judge, yes, sir." "But that leaves you free to take my case." "Frankly, I don't want to get mixed up in this." "There's too much feeling', too many tales around about you and Miss Em." " They're not true, sir." " Possibly they're not, but..." "Say, perhaps you could compromise..." "settle it out of court." " I'm sure Mrs. Wooley would be generous." " With my property?" " Court'll decide whose it is." " It won't even come up before the court... unless I can induce a lawyer to act for me." "But you don't want a lawyer who thinks the will was ill-considered and a mistake." "All right, sir." "Good-bye." "Judge Walker, Miss Em was your lifelong friend." "Whether the will was a mistake or not, wouldn't she expect you to help carry out her wishes?" " I'll take your case." " Thank you, sir." "Of course, I'll pay the customary fees." "Oh, no." "There'll be expenses you'll have to meet, but there won't be any fee." "I'm a fool to take your case and the only one who can win it for you... but if I'm gonna get into a fight, it'll be on clean ground." "Come see me tomorrow." "But it was Miss Em who owned the property, and she wanted this girl to have it." " But that isn't the point." "Doc." " It's the principle." "Dr. Joe?" " Come on." "See ya later, Doc." " Be seein' ya, Doc." "Dr. Joe, could you help me..." "help me to find a job?" "I only need a few days..." "to help cover the court expenses... and I can't ask Granny." "She's been ill lately, hasn't been able to work at all." "Might as well face it, Pinky." "I couldn't possibly get you a job now." "A lot of the folks even down on my neck about this thing... blaming' me for puttin' you over there in the first place." " If it isn't too much, I could..." " Oh, no, Doctor." "Thank you." "I'll find a way." "Good-bye." "Hello." "Pinky?" "Yes, Granny?" "Tom." "Darling, come here." "Granny." "Granny, this is Dr. Thomas Adams." " How do you do?" " Pleased to meet you, sir." "I reckon you got things to talk about." "Why on earth are you doing this?" "I needed some money." "Granny was sick." " Could've asked me for it." " No, Tom." "This is something I have to do by myself." "I still don't know what it's all about, Pat... or why you think it's important enough to change our plans." "Quite a stir in the papers up north, Negro papers in particular." "Got a hold of some clippings for you." "I read in one of'em the trial was set for tomorrow." "Read them." ""Negro Heiress Defies Lynch Law. "" "Yes, there... there was a reporter here, but I didn't tell him anything." ""Negro Girl Fights To Hold Her... "" "I had no idea they'd make so much of it." "Why go through with it?" "What for?" "It isn't too late to back out." " The trial's tomorrow." " Let it go by default." "We don't need the house." "I got plenty for both of us." " Be sensible." "Pack, and let's get out of here." " I can't do that, Tom." " What are you fighting for, a run-down house and a few acres of worthless land?" " No." "If I should back out now, I'd be letting Miss Em down." "I can't do that." "I can't let her down." "I can't let myself down or... my people." " They're not your people, Pat!" " What?" "Not really." "There'll be no Pinky Johnson after we're married." "You'll be Mrs. Thomas Adams for the rest of your life." "Tom, you can change your name, but I wonder if you can change what you really are inside." "What's behind all this?" "You haven't really told me." "I don't know." "I'm not being heroic." "I'd hate that." "I just know I have to go through with it to the end." "You see, they're trying to steal the property... steal it from Miss Em as much as from me." "They'll probably get away with it." "But I'm gonna make them do it out in the open... right out in court for everyone to see and hear." "It won't be pleasant, Tom." "They'll lie." "They'll try to humiliate me." "They'll try every trick of prejudice." "But I just..." "All right, Pat." "I'll be there." "I understand." "We also propose to show, Your Honor, that the defendant, Pinky Johnson... colored... is of a violent nature... quarrelsome, a troublemaker... that she is capable of executing the scheme I have described to you... and that she had every opportunity of doing so." "The deceased was unquestionably senile." "The fact that she signed the will twice is evidence of a confused mind." "She was unduly influenced by the defendant as I have outlined to you." "And she was under the influence of drugs... administered by the defendant." "Furthermore, this will was written at a time when... reliable witnesses will prove she was of unsound mind." "May I see that will again, please?" "In view of these things, we therefore ask that the will be set aside... and the property inherited by the next of kin." "I yield to you, Judge Walker." "Your Honor." "I agreed to act for the defendant in this case... because I feared an injustice was about to be done." "Your Honor, apparently my fears were well-founded." "Counsel for the plaintiff has made it perfectly clear... that my client in effect is to be tried because she is a Negro... and because a Negro cannot be permitted to inherit property in this community." "That is a harsh fact, but we must face it." "Though many of us may criticize this bequest..." "I do not believe any of us who knew Miss Em... and most of us knew and loved her... can accept the contention that she was insane." "I do not believe counsel for the plaintiff can prove... that undue influence was exerted by my client." "I think most of us know how difficult it was to influence Miss Em in any respect." "We need not look too far for a motive in making this bequest." "She was a proud woman who'd leave no debt unpaid." "This was a real obligation." "She took the only means open to her of paying for my client's services... through the provisions of her will." "The expressed wishes of the dead should not be set aside... to gratify the greed or the prejudice of the living." "Your Honor, this is a small country town." "We've always thought that what happened here was our own private concern." "This is no longer true... just as it is no longer true that our country as a whole... can exist entirely to itself." "What is done in our courts in cases such as this... has become a matter of moment in the eyes of the world." "Let us examine our conscience." "Let us look into our attitude and our tradition." "Let us take care, lest it be said of us that here... there is neither law nor justice." "Your Honor, we're all anxious to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible... before the temperature of this room reaches the boiling point." "Fortunately, there is one witness who is qualified to testify... on the only matters of pertinence to this hearing... the question of Miss Em's sanity and the question of undue influence." "Incidentally, he will be the defense's only witness." "He was Miss Em's physician, in constant attendance during her last illness." "He was also her confidant, witnessed her will... and is the executor of her estate..." "Dr. Joseph McGill." "Your Honor, I disagree with my esteemed opponent's notions... of what is or isn't pertinent to this hearing." "But I am perfectly willing to have Dr. McGill take the stand at this point." " Very well." "Call Dr. McGill." " Do you think that's..." "Oh, let him put his witness on first." "We'll close with ours." "Dr. Joe doesn't seem to be here, Your Honor." "Well, take a look in the corridor." "See if he's there." " He ain't out here, Your Honor." " Well, that bein' the case... we'll have to proceed with the plaintiff's witnesses." " Are you ready, Mr. Stanley?" " Yes, Your Honor." " Better find Dr. Joe and bring him here." " Yes, Judge Walker." "Money and a man, I believe, is what caused the trouble." "The usual thing." "Well, we picked 'em both up, along with the man they was fightin' over." "Judge Walker heard the case." "That's all I know about it." "Yeah, money and a man." "Thank you." "Your witness." "Chief Anderson, what was the final prison sentence imposed on my client?" " Why, Judge Walker, you know there wasn't any." " So she was cleared." "Is that correct?" " Well, I wouldn't exactly say that." " You wouldn't?" "You generally always let 'em off with a good talkin' to, like you give her." "You know how it is." " If you put them niggers in jail every time somethin' happens..." " That'll do." "Your Honor, this witness's testimony should be ignored and stricken from the record..." " As totally irrelevant to the hearing." " Your Honor, I object.!" "Just a minute!" "The court is capable of deciding any questions of relevancy." "Motion denied." "Call the next witness." "Well, for one thing, on my last visit... this girl simply wouldn't leave the room." "And I could see that Cousin Em actually didn't dare to dismiss her." "Then Cousin Em began to talk about makin' a will." "Well, I tried to cheer her up, but she turned to this Pinky and said, "What do you think?"" "as if... as if she didn't dare to make up her mind alone... which was never like Cousin Em... never." " What did the girl say?" " Oh, she spoke up, bold as you please... and said Cousin Em had better make a will if she was ever goin' to." " That's the part I mentioned to you." " Impudent, yes... but the way she said it..." "a threat too." "And I'm just glad that Cousin Em was allowed to die a natural death in her bed." "I think everyone in this courtroom understands what you mean, ma'am." "Did you notice anything peculiar about her condition that day?" "Oh, yes." "She closed her eyes while I was talkin'." "She kept dropping' off in a stupor." "She was doped!" "And then she told me she was subject to fits... that half the time she was clean out of her mind." "Poor soul." "Poor soul." "Thank you, Mrs. Wooley." "Your witness." "Mrs. Wooley, you have testified that my client's tone was threatening'." "Now, Miss Em must've made some sort of reply if she was threatened." " What were Miss Em's next words?" " I don't remember." "She was doped." "Didn't she say Pinky's opinion was sensible because that agreed with what she thought herself?" "Were you there, Judge Walker, or are you just bein' primed by that girl over there?" " Did you ever hear such..." " Uh, answer the question, please." " Isn't that what Miss Em said?" " I'd certainly remember it if she had." " Mrs. Wooley, do you know the penalty for perjury?" " I object!" "Your Honor, I object to this attempt to intimidate the witness!" "She's answered the question." "She doesn't remember." "And now, if my opponent will stop putting words in the mouth of the dead..." "No personalities, gentlemen." "It's hot enough in here as it is." "i" " Will Your Honor please rule on my objection?" " Objection sustained." "Thank you!" "Didn't I tell you he's a good'n?" "So, Aunt Dicey, you were there in the room when she was writing her will." "Yes, sir." "Sittin' right there... like I always done when my Pinky's out." "And Miss Em was still writin' when I left to take the wash uptown." "'Cause Judge Walker and some is mighty particular when they gets their wash." "I understand, Aunt Dicey." " You know what a hypodermic is?" " Yes, sir." "Did you ever see your granddaughter stick one of those things in Miss Em?" "Yes, sir." "I see her do it twice." " What happened?" " Miss Em... talked to herself for a while." "You mean raved?" "Kind of mumbled, like." "Then she go off to sleep like she a little baby." "Now, just one more question, Aunt Dicey." "What makes you think it was her will that Miss Em was writing that day?" " I know it was, sir." " Well, you see, Aunt Dicey, this is a court of law... and you're sworn to tell the truth before God." "Some of us think this will may have been written at some other time... while your granddaughter was present." "Did Miss Em tell you she was writing her will?" "No, sir, Mr. Stanley." "But you were sitting where you could see the paper she was writing on, weren't you?" "Yes, sir, Mr. Stanley." "Well, now, didn't you see enough of it to know what it was?" "He's going to trap her." "He knows she can't read, and she'll never admit it." " From Dr. Joe." " Come, now, Aunt Dicey." "Let's have an answer." "You know, sir, as well as me it ain't manners... readin' what ain't meant for you to read." "Then how can you swear before God you knew it was her will?" "Now, Aunt Dicey, you answer me the gospel truth!" "Couldn't this will have been written at some other time?" "Couldn't it?" "Couldn't it?" " Yes..." " Couldn't Pinky have helped Miss Em make a will when you weren't around?" " I reckon she could, sir." " Your witness.!" "Your Honor, we'll waive cross-examination of this witness." "All right, Aunt Dicey." "You can step down now." "I have here a note from Dr. Joe in which he says he's going to be delayed." "Now, on the basis of this note, I petition for a brief recess." "May I see this note, please?" " Do I have your permission to read this to the court?" " You certainly have." ""Sorry." "Mary Picken's baby jumped the gun." ""When it gets here, I'll get there." "Joe McGill. "" "Seriously, Your Honor, I object to this petition... or to any legal strategy intended solely to drag out this unfortunate affair... which should have never seen the light of day anyway." "Judge Walker had as much time as we did to summon witnesses... and to make sure they'd be here.!" "As for this note, it's easy to read between the lines." "Naturally, Dr. Joe didn't want to hurt his old friend's feelings here... with a direct refusal to appear as a witness in this unpleasant case." "It's obvious, however, that bountiful nature and the ethics of his profession..." "Have come to his aid." "i " " Oh, this is going to be a long confinement!" "He's not asking for a recess, Your Honor." "He's asking for a postponement!" " Petition denied, Judge Walker." " Thank you, Judge Shoreham." "Any more of that, and I'll have the room cleared." " Have you any further witnesses?" " No more, Your Honor." "I agree with counsel for the plaintiff." " There's no point in dragging this out any longer." " Thank you." "The court has heard all the facts and is ready to announce its finding." "Thank you, sir." "I do not intend to defend the wisdom of this bequest... nor do I intend to base my findings on the conclusions of the witnesses... nor on the hearsay evidence admitted here today." "This will is a legal document." "I have examined it, and I see no reason to doubt that it was written... by a woman in full possession of her faculties." "Moreover, plaintiffs have failed to establish that any undue influence... was exerted by the defendant." "The will is therefore declared to be good and valid... and the executor shall carry out its terms as written." "But Judge Shoreham!" "I want it clearly understood... any attempt to interfere with the defendant or her property... will be answerable to this court." "Court is now adjourned." "Quiet.!" "Quiet, please.!" "Judge Walker, I don't know how to thank you." "Well, Pinky, you won." "You got the house and the land." "And you got justice." "But I doubt if any other interests of this community have been served." "Come on, darling." "Let's go." "All right, Tom." "All right." "Big old houses like this are a drug on the market." "We'll find a good real estate man and turn it over to him." "We'll auction off the furniture and the silver separately." "You know, some of those pieces down there look valuable." "We'll sell them all in your name, so you'll be independent... just in case you decide to run away from me again." "This is... is quite a room." "Yes." "Oh, say, isn't this a beautiful fire screen?" "Miss Em was proud of that." "Martha Washington is supposed to have done the embroidery." "Oh, we can't let this get away from us." "We'll have it sent out to Denver." "Denver?" "Didn't I tell you?" "I..." "I've accepted a position in a clinic there." "But all your ties are in Boston... your family." "Oh." "But the..." " The publicity." " Oh, it's partly that... but I've always thought about moving out west." "Besides, too many people in Boston know, or they might find out." "Pat, you'll love it in Denver." "Some friends of mine are starting this clinic." "They want me to go in with them." "I can't sell the house, Tom." "That isn't why she left it to me... to sell... or why I went through with the trial." "She said, with confidence in the use to which I'd put the property." "Let's be practical." "Her lawyer had it straight when he said she was... merely... merely trying to pay off her debt to you." " Now, if you'll let me..." " No, that wasn't her reason." "She'd have left it to Granny." "She owed her far more." "Miss Em accepted service as her due." "No, she had some purpose..." "something she wanted me to do." "Come on now, Pat." "I know she was a wonderful old woman and all that... and she made a deep impression on you, but she's dead." "Your own life is much more important than her purpose, if she had one." "It's my life she was thinking of." "She told me once to be myself wherever I was." " Well, that's pretty good advice, but..." " But you said yesterday... there'd be no Pinky Johnson after we were married." " How can I be myself?" " It was only a figure of speech." "Now, let's get out of this place." "You're letting the trial get under your skin." " Will you forget it?" " You mean run away from it, Tom." "This time to Denver, running away for the rest of our lives." " You're all confused." " No." "I'm just beginning to understand." "She didn't want me to go." "She didn't want me to pretend." "We talked about it." " Pat..." " That's why she wrote the will." " She thought the house would keep me here." " But she was wrong." " That's why she wrote it." " She was wrong, wasn't she?" "Wasn't she?" "I can't go with you." "I'm sick of lying, Tom." "We wouldn't be happy, either of us." "What do you expect to do, crawl into a closet and live there the rest of your life?" "Close the door and lock it..." "lock everything?" "Pat, look at me." "Look at me!" "Will you come to your senses?" "You've got to make a break, get away from it!" "I don't want to get away from anything." "I'm a Negro." "I can't forget it, and I can't deny it." "I can't pretend to be anything else, and I don't want to be anything else." " Don't you see, Tom?" " No, I don't." "You can't live without pride." "I'm sorry, Tom." "I'll never forget you or what you tried to do." "But please go now." "Don't say anything." "Just go." "What did you mean, Miss Em?" "Tell me." "Come here a minute." "I'm sure you will." " Miss Pinky, you have to do something about Aunt Dicey." " What is it this time?" "She's been at that new sterilizer again." "Every time I sterilize the sheets, she puts 'em back." "Says they ain't white enough." "I'll speak to her about it, but I doubt if it'll do much good." " Lunch is laid out." " All right." "I'll get them in." " Good morning, Miss Pinky." " Hello, Teejoe." " Teejoe is gonna do a little flying." "That right, Teejoe?" " Yes, Dr. Canady." " Well, Pinky." " Hello, Dr. Joe." " Mornin', Doctor." " Mornin', Doctor." " Uh, thought I'd look in on the Freeman boy." " He's in the dining room."