"How's that?" " Hey, Mary, your bloomers are showing." "What do I care?" "Mary!" "I hate black bloomers, don't you?" " What color are yours?" " Pink." "Bob, come here." "I've got something to tell you." "Don't go, Bobby." " Lf you do, I'll be mad." " Oh, yeah?" "All right, Bob, I'll meet you." "You know where." "I know where you're going, Mary." "Children, children, order!" "Order." "Now, ready." ""Look forward and not back," ""look out and not in," ""look up and not down," ""and lend a hand. "" "Willie Goldberg, would you keep quiet?" "Willie Goldberg?" "Oh, I'd like to be your mother for just about two minutes." " I'll speak to Pop about that." " Order!" "Has anyone seen Mary Keaton?" "She was here this morning, and I'm sure I saw her in the yard a few minutes ago." "Did you want to say something, Vivian?" "Why..." "Why, no, Miss Blazer." "Where did you get these, Max?" " Oh, my mom smokes them all the time." "Boy, it's a good thing she don't roll her own." "Yeah, it is." "Say, Max, that's a nice piece of goods you got there." " Yeah, pretty swell." " Nice suit." "You've got a good suit yourself, Willie." " I got two pair of pants with this suit." " Say, how do you like my suit, Willie?" " It's all right." " You bet it's all right." " Aren't you scared?" " No, why should I be?" " I'll bet Mary is catching it all right." "It serves her right." " I feel sorry for her." " Well, I don't see why." "Mary, look at me." "If I permit you to join your classmates out on that platform, will you strive to do your best from this day forward?" "Will you listen to this fine mother of yours and do what she expects of you?" "Yes, sir." "All right, then, take your place." "Thank you, Mr. Gilmore." "I'm sure Mary will not disappoint you." "She's not a bad girl, Mr. Gilmore." "She's just not serious enough." "She's too full of fun." "I am the last person to disapprove of fun at the right time." "But there is also a time for work." "Hello, Mr. Gilmore." "The first diploma tonight will be awarded to Miss Phylis Fraser." "Now, I take pleasure in graduating the class prophet, little Willie Goldberg." "Four score and seven years ago when our forefathers brought into this continent a new nation..." "Now I shall award a diploma to the girl earning the highest marks ever attained by anyone in this school." "The class valedictorian, Miss Ruth Westcott." "Lastly, but not least," "I shall award a diploma to the girl voted by her class the most popular, Vivian Revere." "Rise!" ""Look forward and not back," ""look out and not in," ""look up and not down," ""and lend a hand. "" "Good luck to all of you." " Thank you, Mr. Gilmore." "Oh, Ruth, what are you going to do now?" " I'm going home." " I mean, about school?" " Are you going to high school?" " I can't." "I think I'll go to business college so I can learn to work." "Are you going to high school?" "Oh, no." "Mother said I could go to an exclusive boarding school." "Gee, that's fine." "I wonder what will happen to Mary." "Oh, she'll probably go to reform school." "Will you stop reminding me of heaven when I'm so close to the other place?" "What's the matter, Mary?" "Don't you like our little hotel?" "Oh, I think it's swell." "The ventilation is great, my room has a southern exposure, the rates are cheap, but somehow or other, the atmosphere is too confining." "Don't let it get you down, kid." "At least we don't have to wait in line for a bowl of soup like they do outside." "Don't be always a-stewing, dearie." "You only get your insides in an uproar." "And for what?" "You're in and you're gonna stay in until they get even with you for busting the rules." "Yeah, I'm in all right, but that don't mean I have to like it." "I'll bet you a red herring against a case of pre-war Scotch it was some man that got you pushed in here." "Well, don't sit around figuring the worse things you'd do to him if you was Mussolini." "Just make up your mind not to get tangled up with a man again." "Any man." "Girls!" "It's 9:05." "Oh, so it is, Lady Diana." "My watch has stopped." "Remind me to have James take it to the jewelers in the forenoon." "Lights go out in three minutes." "What was that song about heaven?" "Go on, Vivian, read us some more." ""Gloria tried to resist him, but in vain." ""The tone of his voice, the satanic gleam in his eye," ""his warm breath upon her cheek routed her resolution completely." ""Feeble cries of, 'No, no,' came to her lips but were never uttered," ""for his powerful arms crushed her to him." ""Her temples throbbed with pain" ""and then suddenly she went limp with submission" ""and her mouth melted into his." ""She was lost in a fever of pain and pleasure. "" "Well, that ends Chapter 6." "Wow!" "I wonder what they'll be doing in Chapter 10." "That's all for today, girls." "Hand in your work at the desk." " Everything all right?" " Gee, I look like an octopus." " How much longer do I have to fry?" " You'll be out of here in a few minutes." "Gee, I had a funny experience today." "Bumped into a kid I haven't seen in 10 years, Ruth Westcott." "We used to go to Public School 62 together." "Is she in the show business, too?" "Nope, just a stenographer and probably eating three meals a day while I have to live on the hot air these producers put out." "But you're getting a lucky break in this new show, aren't you?" "Oh, sure." "Three weeks rehearsal and two weeks work if I'm lucky." "The lady in the next booth heard you saying that you went to Public School 6210 years ago." "She says she went there, too." "Now don't tell me I'm gonna meet another one." "You tell her I'm Mary Keaton, the worst girl in school." "She'll remember me." "Sounds like old home week." "Funny, meeting two people in one day you haven't seen for 10 years." "Makes me feel like a kid again." " Hope I don't break out with the measles." "She says she knows you." "Her name used to be Vivian Revere." "Oh, I remember her." "She was the class beauty." " Is she still pretty?" " In a mud pack?" "Tell her I'd love to see her." " Well, I've got to give her a facial first." "It won't take long." "Vivian used to be a ritzy little devil." "I wonder if she's changed." "Well, it's been nice seeing you again." "I'll look forward to hearing from you, sometime this week?" " Did you keep Ruth's number?" " Yes." "Well, bring her along." "We'll all have lunch together." "Sure and dish the dirt." "You know, I didn't like you much as a kid." " No?" " No." "Maybe it's 'cause you wore pink pants." " Remember old Blazer, our teacher?" " Oh, yes." "I used to sit up nights thinking of a way to cut her throat." " Three on a match." " What's the difference?" "Will there be anything else?" " Lf there is, don't tell me about it." "Well, all in all, I've had a great day." "In fact, it's been darn near perfect." "I'm certainly glad you got that job in the show." "And treated to a swell luncheon." " Little Mary's doing all right for herself." "I sincerely envy both of you." "Now look who's talking, will you?" "Did you get a flash of that 50-foot kiddie car outside with the Russian grand duke for a chauffeur?" "I wish I could get as big a kick out of it as you got out of this luncheon." "It must be a grand feeling to have everything you want." "If it is, I never had it." "Oh, I suppose I should be the happiest woman in the world." "Beautiful home, successful husband and a nice youngster, but..." "Add it all up and it spells herring!" "Is that it?" "Somehow the things that make other people happy leave me cold." "I guess something must have been left out of my makeup." "I think I want things passionately, and when I get them, I lose all interest." "If wanting things make you happy, I should be turning cartwheels right now." "Maybe life's been too easy for you, Vivian." "I wonder." "But it's you I really envy, Mary." "Your independence and your courage." "Oh, I've had to go into port for repairs a few times." "I accepted the first man who really wanted to marry me." "I thought it meant comfort and security." "You're doing all right for yourself." "That thing on your finger isn't a pop bottle, you know." "But didn't you love him, Vivian?" " I thought I did." "Maybe I do still." "Maybe it's my fault that things have turned out to be rather, well, tiresome and pointless." " But you have a child?" " Yes, a boy." "Three-and-a-half and a darling." "What does your husband do?" "He's a lawyer, one of the most prominent in the city." "But let's talk about you, Ruth." "What are you doing?" "I won't be doing anything if I don't get back to the office." "I've been here an hour and a half." "Well, let's go then." "Oh, will one of you girls help me up, please?" "Well, goodbye, girls." " Goodbye." " Goodbye, Vivian." " Some people get all the luck." " I wonder." "Molly!" "Molly!" "Junior." "Junior, where are you?" "Stop!" "There's something big and black out there." "Nonsense, you get right back into bed." "You better look out." "There, hear it?" "Silly boy, that's just a branch tapping against the window, see?" "There we are." "Goodnight." "Let's play horsy." "Let's play horsy." "We'll play horsy in the morning." "Now you lie down and go to sleep." "But I don't want to go to sleep." "Oh, please try to go to sleep." "Goodnight." "Don't go away." "There's nothing to be afraid of." "Go to sleep like a good little boy." "Tell me a story." "Now stop this nonsense and go to sleep." "But I'm thirsty." " Gee, that was good." " That's enough now." "Goodnight." "More." "Don't turn out the light, Molly." " I wonder if anything's wrong?" "Stay here a little longer." " Is Junior sick?" "No, Mrs. Kirkwood." "The wind outside woke him and now he won't go to sleep." "Now, listen here, young man, you get right down there and go to sleep." "Hear me?" "There you are." "That's a good boy, now." " Goodnight." " Goodnight, Mommy." "Goodnight, Son." "Don't go, Daddy." "Come along, Bob, and let Junior go to sleep." "I'll be there directly." "Now what's the idea, young man?" "Why don't you go to sleep, huh?" "Look, I didn't mean to break it, Daddy." "You didn't break it, Son." "Look, it's a trick hat." " Here, you try it." " Okay!" "That's a boy." "Now you go right to sleep so you can get up early and we can go down and look at the goldfish." "I want to see the one with the fat stomach." " How is he, by the way?" " You mean Oscar?" "Yes, speckled old Oscar." "Oh, he's fatter than ever." "Tell me the story, Daddy." "The one about the big fish that jumped over the boat." " Goodnight, Son." " Goodnight, Daddy." "Just what is it, Vivian?" "I know you're asleep with your eyes open." " What do you mean?" " Why do you avoid me?" "Have I done anything to offend you?" "No, it isn't you." "I don't know what it is." "I just seem fed up with everything." "I've noticed that, but I thought it was just a mood that would pass." "So did I, but it hasn't." " Oh, what's the use of talking about it?" "I don't understand you, Vivian." "I've done everything in my power to make you happy." "I try to give you everything you ask for, let you do as you please." "I know." "Maybe you've been too good." "I might try beating you every morning before breakfast." "That might prove effective." "No, but seriously, dear, there must be some solution." "Can't we get together?" "I wish to heaven we could." "I've had the willies for months." "Everything depresses me, even this house." "Sometimes I think, if I could only get away." "That's an idea." "Let's go away." "I can get away from the office for a while." "I think maybe I've been sticking a bit too close." "Haven't given you enough of my time." "We'll go abroad and forget about everything." " Just have a good time." " That wouldn't help things much." "It would be the same thing, whether it was here or Paris or Rome or Vienna." "Just a change of background." "Would you rather go alone?" "Would you mind?" "I'd mind, of course, but if you think that's the best way to work it out." "What about Junior?" "I think I'd like to take him with me." "Well, I'd miss the little fellow, but maybe it's best." "Well, we can talk over the details in the morning." "Goodnight." " Goodnight." " Goodnight, Bob." " Sure you have everything?" " I think so." "You don't sail till midnight." "Shall we take a little sprint around the deck?" "I'd rather not if you don't mind." "I wanna get Junior to bed." "I don't wanna go to bed." "I wanna stay with Daddy." "You're going to be a big boy now and take care of Mumsie, and I'll be seeing you in a few weeks." " Be sure and take care of Oscar." " You bet I will." " I'll feed him every day." " Oh, no, every other day." "Do you wanna kill him?" "Come on, Junior, it's way past your bedtime." " I wanna undress myself." " All right, if you think you can." "Well, I hope you're going to get along all right without Molly." "It'll be sort of fun taking care of him myself." "Maybe that's just what I need." "Come in!" "This telegram came just after you left the office, Mr. Kirkwood." "Mr. Stevens said you'd want to see it tonight." "What is it?" "It's that Wainwright Chancery case in Cleveland." "It's all in a mess." "They've upset the settlement we reached last summer." "Business, business." "It won't even let you see me off in peace." "I'm sorry." "I'll have to go." "There's a train leaving the Grand Central at 12:10." "It gets you there at 9:00 a." "m." "Anything else, Mr. Kirkwood?" "Make reservations and meet me at the station." "Right." "Well, a pleasant journey, Mrs. Kirkwood." " Thank you." " I hate leaving you like this." "That's all right, dear." "You just go ahead." " Well, Son, shall we say goodbye?" " Bye, Daddy." "Don't forget, every other day!" "I won't forget." "Goodbye." "Bye, Daddy." "You've been awfully sweet about this, Bob." "Now just forget about everything and enjoy yourself." "I'm sure when you get back, you'll feel better and have a happier outlook." " I hope so." " Goodbye, dear." "Goodbye, Bob." " Cable me as soon as you arrive." " I will." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." " Vivian!" " Mary Keaton." "Of all people." " Mary Bernard, the stage name, you know." "Oh, that's right." " How are you?" "I'm glad to see you." " Well, I'm glad to see you." "I was just about to break out with a case of acute lonesomitis." "Oh, we'll cure that, won't we?" "Oh, pardon me." "Mrs. Kirkwood, Mr. Michael Loftus." " How do you do?" " How do you do?" "And Mr. Jerry Carter." " How do you do?" " How do you do?" "Well, this is quite a coincidence going abroad on the same boat." "Oh, I'm not going." "No such luck." "We just came down to see the Merrill's off." "Gonna give them a farewell party in their stateroom." "Won't you join us, Mrs. Kirkwood?" "Well, that's awfully sweet of you, but" "I'm afraid I can't leave my little boy." "Well, you could get the stewardess to look after him." "Sure, he'll be all right." "Well, all right." "I'll join you as soon as he's asleep." "Well, make it snappy now, and we'll show you what a real send-off's like." "Come on, Jerry." " We'll be waiting for you." " I'll be there." "I love it." "I wish I was going along with you, Mildred." " So do I." " Me, too." "Here, let me get you another drink." " Hey, how about a drink for Vivian?" "Oh, for Vivian." " Oh, for Vivian." " There you are, darling." " Well, here's looking at you." " At me?" "Yeah, and liking it, too." "Uh-oh." " To Vivian!" " To Vivian!" "If you don't expect to have a good time, why do you go?" "On the other hand, why not?" "You're a funny one." "I can't figure you out." "Why not?" "What's so funny?" "I can tell you're a real woman." "Not one of those stuffed brassieres you see on Park Avenue." "Why, you've got all the works that make a woman want to go and live and love." "But you're only making passes that'll never get you anywhere." " How do you know what I do?" " I can tell." "Say, you don't know what life is." "But I suppose you could show me." "I never met a man yet who didn't ask to try." "Yeah?" "Well, listen, you'll keep on stalling and backing away and then someday they'll quit asking you." " Oh, I'm getting too old, is that it?" "Oh, darling, I didn't say that." "Why, to me you're the most marvelous girl in the world." "But you don't know me." "We've only met tonight." "Oh, tonight or an hour or 10 years." "What's the difference?" "It's now that matters." "Vivian, don't turn your back on life." "Take it." "Take it while you can." "Where are we going, Mommy?" "Where are we going?" "Junior." "But where are we going?" "All ashore that are going ashore." "Lowering the baggage!" "Stand by the gangplank." "Take it away." "And the hotels?" "We searched every register for the day after the sailing." "Naturally, she wouldn't use her own name." "You're assuming, Mr. Kirkwood, that she's deliberately hiding?" "Of course." "No, that's all, Randall." "Put as many men on it as you see fit, but show results." "Yes, sir." "Oh, yes, Phil, of course she went deliberately." "Really, sir?" "You mean Mrs. Kirkwood was dissatisfied or unhappy?" "I'm afraid she was, Phil, but there's one thing she shan't do." "She shan't make the little fellow suffer." "Poor little shaver." "Just one more, darling, and then you'll have to dress." "That's right." "Mommy, I'm hungry." "Is Mommy's little honey-bunch hungry?" "Here, have some of those." "I don't like those anymore." "Can't I have bread and milk?" "Look, Viv, you'd better order supper sent up for you and the boy, eh?" "There's a party down on the third floor, a friend of mine." "I'll play Santa Claus down there and then I'll come back." "What do you say?" "I don't like that so well." "I'll be back." "All right, Junior, go wash your face." "We'll have dinner." "Come here." "Go on." "All right, I won't be long." "Mommy, do I have to wash my ears, too?" "It's getting kind of late." "No, I'll let you off this time." "Oh, I tell you, Ruth, it just makes my blood boil every time I go up there and see that poor little youngster in such an atmosphere." "It's a wonder to me her husband doesn't do something about it." "How can he find her?" "She's taken a phony name and won't even let the kid out." "Too bad." "Oh, if I ever see anyone off on a boat again, strangle me, will you?" "Don't blame yourself, honey." "It's not your fault she fell for him." "Fell for him?" "She took a nosedive." "Ever since she met him, she hasn't had eyes or ears for anything or anybody else." "Oh, Ruth, we've got to do something." "I'm with you, but what can we do?" "Listen, if I can talk Vivian into it, would your sister mind keeping him here just till Vivian comes to her senses?" "I'm sure she wouldn't." "She loves children, and he'd be happy here with her little girl." "All right." "You talk to her and I'll see Vivian." " Good luck." " Thanks, I'll need it." "You're gonna miss my kissing You're gonna miss me, honey" "When I'm gone away When nights are lonely" "You're gonna miss me only" "Some of these days You're gonna miss me, honey" "You're gonna miss my huggin' You're gonna miss my kissin'" "You're gonna miss me, honey When I'm gone away" "Hello, Mary." "Hello, Mary." "Hello, Mary." "How are you, kid?" "Hello, Mary." "You're just in time." "For what?" "Oh, Miss Bernard, meet Mr. Spencer, Mr. Roy Spencer." "How do you do, Mr. Spenster?" "You're just in time." "We were short a lady." "You're still short as far as I'm concerned." "How about a drink, Mary?" "No, thanks." "I'll only be here a minute." "Vivian, can I see you for a second?" "Why, sure, Mary." "What's on your mind?" "Can we go in the other room?" "Why, yes." " Pardon us." " Why not?" "Oh, what a pal is Mary Oh, what a pal..." "Close the door." "Well?" "Vivian, I'm no puritan, and I'm no killjoy." "I don't mind people having a good time." "I never have." "And I'm no buttinsky, either." "Who said you were any of those things?" "Well, I'm just trying to tell you these things, so you won't misunderstand what I'm going to say to you." "Go on." "Well, what I mean is, it doesn't make any difference what you do, but I think it's kind of unfair to expose the kid to this kind of business." "And what would you suggest?" "Let me take him." "We can get Ruth or someone like that to take care of him." "Ruth has a sister, a widow, and a baby at the house." "They can take care of the two, and they're nice, respectable people." "Oh, they're respectable, are they?" "Well, that would be a change, wouldn't it?" "Well, there may be an idea in what you say." "I'll think it over." "Tell me that you'll let me go through with it." "Just till you decide what you want to do permanently." "Will you, Vivian?" "Please." "You'll never regret it." "Well, let's have a drink and maybe I can make up my mind." "A drink has worked wonders on you before." "Come in." "There's a Miss Bernard to see you." "Something about Mrs. Kirkwood." "Send her in." "Hurry." "Get Randall." "Tell him to stand by." "Yes, sir." "All right, Miss Bernard." " Are you Mr. Kirkwood?" " Yes." "Do you know Mrs. Kirkwood?" " Yes, we're old friends." " Where is she now?" "She's right here in New York, and your little boy is..." "Yes, yes." "Is he with her?" "Is he well?" "Yes, he's all right." "He's..." "He's..." "Miss Bernard, for the love of heaven, what is it?" "Now, look here, Mr. Kirkwood," "I'm butting into something that's none of my business." "I don't know what happened between you and Vivian and I don't care, but I do care about your little boy." "Where are they?" "At the Warwick." "She's registered under the name of Mrs. Killroy." "I'm more grateful than I can tell you." "You'd better be pretty cagey about getting into the Warwick." "If she gets wind of your coming, she might run out on you." "I want to see Mrs. Killroy at once." "You know I'm a friend of hers, so don't push me around." "Where is she?" "I'm telling you I don't know." "Oh, no?" "Where's your boy?" "Here I am, Auntie Mary." "Come and see what I'm doing." "Well, what are you doing?" "I'm fixing this place up for Oscar." "Who's Oscar?" "What?" "You don't know Oscar?" "No." "He's my goldfish, the fat one, like this." "Oh, won't Oscar like that?" "I'm going to write my daddy to send him to me." "He has to have plenty places to hide and plenty to eat." "Daddy!" "My little boy." "What are you going to do?" " I'm taking him home." " You can't do that." "Have you any objection?" "None that I can think of offhand." "Miss Bernard, will you get Junior's things together?" "I'll meet you downstairs." "Randall, will you help her?" "Yes, sir." "Where are the boy's clothes?" " Why should I tell you?" "All right, I'll find them myself." "You're a fool, Vivian." "Take it from someone who's been one." "How can you do this to a man who's been on the square?" "What do you know about being on the square?" "You jailbird." "Thanks." "That's it." "There we are." "Now to me." "Catch." "Whoopee!" "Catch it." "Fine." "Oh, that was a knock-out blow all right." "I give up." " No, Mary." " No, sir." "Better rest a while, Son." "You've got everybody all tired out." "I'm not tired." "Come on, Mary." "Don't be a sissy." "What do you say we build a castle in the sand, honey?" "Okay." "All right, come on." "He's a real athlete." "You're going to spoil him, you two." "He's getting to be a regular little tyrant." "Oh, but an adorable one." "We get a big kick out of him." "And he's becoming very fond of you, too, in these last few months." "I'm glad." "It'll make it much easier when you'll have to live in the same house." "Are you by any chance offering me a job as Junior's governess?" "No." "I was thinking of offering that to Ruth." "She seems so happy with youngsters." "I had a much harder job in mind for you." "Well, trot it out." "I'm used to tough ones." "Mary, I'm going to be free tomorrow." "Free?" "My divorce will be granted, but I don't think my freedom will mean much if you don't share it." "Why, Bob..." "Whoopee!" "Help!" "See that car?" "Sure." "Why?" "That's been coming here now for three years." "Even the rich guys are learning senses." "Used to be that one of them fellows would turn in a job like that every year." "But here's the gag." "This belongs to a guy named Kirkwood, big lawyer downtown." "His wife used to come here in it all the time." "One day, she met a girl that she knowed at school." "They were sitting in adjoining booths to each other." "That was maybe a couple of year ago." "Them things will happen." "My wife's cousin went to Niagara Falls..." "Yeah, but listen." "The girl she met in the booth, see, is now riding around in the car." "Hey?" "Yeah." "She copped the husband, married him and now she's got the car." "This cousin of my wife's..." "But listen, see, standing over there by the window." "Yeah?" "That's the first wife." "Well, what do you know about that?" "Vivian." "Mary, could I..." "Could I speak to you for a minute?" "Why, of course." "Vivian, you seem so..." "So different." "Different?" "You might call it that." "But you look marvelous." "Why shouldn't you?" "We've gone a long way in two years, Vivian." "How's Junior?" "He's grand." "He's a darling, Vivian." "Get in the car and I'll tell you about him." "No, thanks." "That's a little too much." "You're crying." "Goodbye." "What did you want?" "Oh, what does anyone want?" "Mary, I'm..." "I'm desperate." "It wasn't easy to wait here and beg from you, but I've got to do something." "You're broke." "Mike, too?" "Mike never had anything." "We've used up all I had." "My rings went long ago." "There's nothing left." "Thanks, Mary, you've been..." "I'll never forget it." "Come home with me, won't you?" "No, thanks." "I'm sorry, kid." "That's all right." "Did you get it?" "How much?" "$80, that cheapskate." "Hello." " Hello." " Hi." "Hello, Harve." "Ace has been expecting you." "Yes, I know." "I should have been in last night." "Yeah." "Why, I did the best I could, Harve." "Ace'll understand that, won't he, Harve?" "He'll understand that." "I don't know, Loftus." "He's pretty dumb sometimes." "Yeah, dumb like a fox." "For one thing, he expects a check to lay there when he puts it down." "Yeah, and mine bounced hard, did it?" "Did it bounce?" "You drop a golf ball, see, from the top of the Chrysler Building." "Will it bounce?" "Come on." "But honest, Harve, really." "I did the best I could." "Ace ought to know that..." "Harve tells me you want to see me, Ace." "Yeah?" "I'm sorry about that check, Ace." "You know I'd been drinking." "I thought I could cover it." "Yeah?" "I brought you what dough I could raise." "I'll get the rest to you if you give me time." "Here." "$80." "I'll get the rest, Ace." "No kidding, I will." "No kidding!" "You give me a bum check for close to $2,000, and you try to square it with $80." "No kidding!" "Please, no, Ace." "Ace, please." "Give me a break, will you?" "I swear I didn't mean to take you, Ace." "Boys, Harve, tell him I'm a right guy, will you?" "Please tell him." "Now that's for nothing, and it's only a sample." "From now on, be careful." "Please, Ace, please don't, will you?" "Please." "I..." "You get that dough, every cent of it, do you see?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I'll get it, Ace." "I swear I'll get it." "Dunlap, you say?" "He said his business concerned Mrs. Kirkwood." "What?" "The present Mrs. Kirkwood, he said." " Send him in." " Yes, sir." "All right, Mr. Dunlap." "I'll come right to the point, Mr. Kirkwood." "I need money desperately." "It's no exaggeration when I say it's a matter of life and death." "Well?" "I need $2,000." "I'm not a money lender." "But I think you'll lend it to me." "What makes you think so?" "Did you know your wife's real name was Mary Keaton and not Mary Bernard?" "I did." "But you didn't know that as Mary Keaton she served a term in the reformatory for grand larceny, did you?" "I think you'll lend me the money now, won't you, Mr. Kirkwood?" "You wouldn't want me to sell that story to the newspapers, would you?" "No, I wouldn't." "And you won't." "In the first place, no newspaper, reputable or otherwise, would buy it, because if they printed it, I could take their shirt for libel." "Let me give you a lesson in elementary law, Mr. Dunlap." "The truth is no justification for a libelous article printed without cause." "Oh, yeah?" "Well, I'll call your bluff, Mr. Kirkwood." "If you make one move against my wife or me," "I warn you, I'll break every bone in your body and then throw you in jail." "Now, get out!" "You're not through with this." "Bunk." "Get out!" "And it was such a terribly important matter that I told Junior we ought to stop on our way and ask Daddy about it." "I'm sure that was right, Miss Westcott." "You may go in now." "Come on, honey." " Here you are." " Hello, Daddy." "Hello, yourself." "How are you, Commodore?" "I'm okay, Daddy." "Say, Daddy, I wanted to ask you something." "Shoot, big fellow." "Did you say I could have anything for my birthday that I wanted?" "That's what I said." "Anything, did you mean?" "Oh, well now, if you should want a real locomotive or an airplane to fly in," "I might have to back out, but anything within reason, sure!" "Is a yacht in reasons, Daddy?" "Oh, well, now..." "Oh, I mean like this." "Big sails and everything." "Oh, why, sure." "Miss Westcott, take him over to Harlow's toy department and get him the biggest, finest yacht you can find." " Thank you, Daddy." " That's all right, big boy." "Don't go too far, sailor." "Okay." "Hello, Junior." "Hello, Uncle Mike." "Say, that's a fine boat you got there." "My daddy gave it to me for my birthday." "Look, Junior, you remember your mother, don't you?" "Of course I do." "Well, then, look, Junior, you want to help your mother, don't you?" "She's in trouble." "She wants to see you." "Must I leave my daddy?" "Well, only for a little while." "Well, I'll tell my Auntie Ruth." "Oh, no, we can't wait for that." "Well..." "She's right over there, Junior." "Oh, gee." "She's crying for you." "Well, all right." "All radio cars." "All radio cars." "All radio cars." "Apprehend on sight Robert Kirkwood, five-and-a-half, son of Robert Kirkwood, lawyer." "Medium height and build, dark hair and eyes." "Also, hold for questioning Vivian Kirkwood, also known as Killroy or Revere." "But your mother lives upstairs, Junior." "She's waiting for you." "Oh, all right." " What's this?" "I had to do it, I tell you." " Do what?" " You aren't crying, are you?" "Why, no." "Uncle Mike said you were." "Why, no." "I'm all right, Junior." "What is this, Mike?" "I'll explain later." "I tell you I had to do it, Viv." " Who is it?" "Come on, let us in." "Open up." " Who is it?" " It's Harve." "Open up." "How's it, Loftus?" "What do you want here?" "Ace happened to be listening in on the radio." "Radio?" "Yeah, he likes those short-wave police calls." "They give him ideas." " I don't understand." " You'll find out." "There's a lot more in this deal than 2,000 bucks." "Ace figures we might as well all cut in." "Say, you got a nerve busting into my flat like this." "Get out!" "Uh-oh." "Go on, get in that room and shut up." "You mustn't hurt my mama." "Okay, I'll bear that in mind." "You've got to find him, I tell you." "You've got to find him!" "Open up here." "Open the door." "Go on, give it to them." "Give them the show!" "Give them the show, boys!" ""Page 2, Column 4."" ""This incident, verified by two witnesses," ""occurred within half an hour after the kidnapping," ""and the police are confident" ""Dunlap was at that time taking the boy to a hideout somewhere" ""in a crowded tenement section nearby. "" "You sap!" "Could I help it if the kid started to cry?" "They're swarming around like alley cats over a fish head." "I wish Harve would come." "I wish she wouldn't do that." "Stay here." "Is my mamma sick some more?" "Now, stay there!" "Now, wait a minute." "Open up." " Did you get the dough?" " No." "What a runaround." "What happened?" "We drove by the place in a laundry truck, me peeking out of a hole in the side." "Say, I spotted four dicks I knew by sight." "No telling how many more were staked out." "Was the package there?" "Sure, and 18 bulls ready to grab any sucker that gets within 10 yards of it." "Two cops, going in the cigar store across the street." "And I just left there, bought these." "They're coming out again, getting in the car." "Did you get anything for her?" "She's clean out of it." "How could I?" "I tell you the heat's on enough to curl your shoe leather." "The cops are three deep on every corner." "So what?" "Lay low." "Wait, try again." "Ace is working on a better plan." "She ain't going to get any better." "Are any of us?" "And I cannot give you the news for which you are waiting." "The Kirkwood child has not been found." "The 10th day since the kidnapping passed without any tangible result, although the police continue to run down every clue." "In the state capital..." "I tell you this." "We've got to do something and do it quick." "That's right." "But why pick on me?" "Why make me the goat?" "Because you're the guy that has to do it." "Junior." "Junior." "Well, come on, out with it." "What do you want?" "It's got to be you, Loftus." "I can't do it." "I can't do it, I tell you!" "In cold blood." "I can't do it." "It's got to be you." "You brought him here." "He knows you." "You'll be the first one he'll identify if we duck out and leave him." "We can't stay here." "No grub, no chance now of getting any." "The cops getting closer every minute." "If we split and go out one by one, we've still got a chance to collect the dough." "No." "No, I won't do it, I tell you." "I won't do it." "A kid in cold blood." "I'll kill myself first!" "I'll kill you!" "You can't make..." "Junior, Junior, wake up, darling." "Do you hear me?" "Yes, Mommy." "Look, sweetheart, we're playing a game, see?" "You must run and hide." "Hide under Mama's bed." "Quick." " Hide and go seek?" " Yes, darling." "Hurry." "But you're crying, Mommy." "But I'm happy, darling." "I'm happy." "Hurry." "Quick." "Don't peek, Mommy." "See what that daffy dame is doing." "Get her out of there and lock her in the bedroom." "Oh, please, God." "She's daffy, all right." "She thinks she's going somewhere." "She's daubing herself with lipstick and getting most of it on her nightgown." "Oh, yeah?" "Open that door." "Come on, the cops will be here in 10 seconds." "Can't you figure what she used that lipstick for?" "Hurry!" "Boys, the Kirkwood boy's on the 4th floor." "Hurry!" "And my own dear Mama, wherever she is," "God bless her, and keep her safe from harm." "Amen."