"Now I lay me down to sleep." "I pray the Lord my soul to keep." "If I should die before I wake," "I pray the Lord my soul do take." "God bless Mrs Higgins." "God bless Mrs Denham." "And God bless the trustees, and please make us good children." "Forever and ever." "Amen." " Good night." " Good night." " Good night." " Good night." "And God bless my sister, Mary." "Amen." "Please take very good care of my duck and my pony." "Please see that they don't catch pneumonia." "Spunky." "You'll get me in trouble." "What you need, Spunky, is a hot lemonade." "Will you be quiet?" "Spunky, do you like the superintendent?" "What?" "What?" "Do you like Mrs Denham?" "Do you like the trustees?" "Do you like me, Spunky?" "Spunk?" "Good morning." "Nothing must be allowed to go wrong today." "Absolutely nothing." "I hope to please all the trustees, but I'm anxious that we make a good impression" " on Mr Morgan." " I think I understand." "You think?" "Why, that isn't good enough." "Read that, Henrietta." "Read it carefully." "Mr Morgan is our richest trustee." "He's coming here today for the first time." "If he is really pleased with the orphanage, I believe he'll double his donation to us." " Oh, how wonderful." " Exactly." " Seven o'clock." "Call the children." " Very well." "Henrietta, I forgot." "Mr James Wyckoff will be among the trustees who will visit." "I want you to make sure a large bottle of Mr Wyckoffs famous cough mixture is displayed in our medicine cabinet." "I'll see to it." "Elizabeth Blair, what have you got to say for yourself?" "Oh, my goodness!" "Elizabeth Blair, come into my office - at once." "Yes, ma'am." "This is the second time in a month you've been called to the superintendents office." " Yes, ma'am." " The last time you were here, your sister Mary was also brought before me." "You both admitted that you had been singing and dancing without permission." " Yes, ma'am." " Do you know why you are here this time?" " Yes, ma'am." " Then tell me why." "Don't you know?" "Quiet." "Now, Elizabeth, tell me why you are here." " Because I took a pony to bed with me." " Child, you're absolutely uncontrollable." "Yes, ma'am." "I am well aware that your late father and mother were in the theatrical profession and that you came here with no sense of discipline." "I have made every allowance for you." "But when you bring animals into the dormitory, I must act." "That's what my daddy and mummy used to do." " What?" " Act." "Don't be impudent." "Now, your pony and your duck will be sold immediately." "Please, Mrs Higgins, please." "I'll be good, but don't take Spunky away from me, and my poor little duck." "And why not?" "Because my pony and my duck are notjust ordinary animals." "My daddy and my mommy teached them to do tricks on the stage." "And just what is your duck trained to do?" "My duck does a wonderful trick." "My duck can lay an egg." " And just what is so wonderful about that?" " Well, can you lay an egg?" "Oh, excuse me." "Elizabeth, I have decided to get rid of your pony and your duck." " They will be sent away this morning." " Yes, ma'am." "No sniffling, now." " Yes, ma'am." " What?" "No, ma'am." "There, baby, don't cry." "Mary, don't let them." "Please don't let them send Spunky and my duck away." "Oh, darling..." "Now, listen to me, dear." "Listen very carefully to what I'm going to tell you." "All right." "Spunky would be very unhappy if he saw you crying." " I suppose so." " You don't want to make him unhappy?" " Oh, no." " All right, then." "When it's time to say goodbye to Spunky, you'll have to be just as brave as brave can be, so you can make him brave too." "See?" " Spunky and I are such awfully good friends." " I know, dear." "All right, Mary." "I'll try and be brave about Spunky and my duck." "Good for you." "Look, how'd you like to help me get lunch?" "I'd love that." "I like to make things to eat and I especially like to eat them." "Oh, my goodness!" "Singing in the dining room!" "Is this the kind of manners you teach them?" "Of course not, Mr Wyckoff." "They've been told they must be quiet at mealtimes." "Oh, they've been told, have they?" "Well, just telling them doesn't seem to be good enough." "Perhaps a bit of real discipline wouldn't do them any harm." " Have you been told not to sing?" " Yes, sir." "Then why do you do it?" "You're a bad and wicked child." "She isn't a bad and wicked child." "She's just a baby." "She was making the children laugh." "It wasn't her fault." "I told her to sing for the children." "And who are you, young woman?" " Are you an orphan too?" " Yes, sir." "Then what right have you to be here, living on charity at your age?" "I'll tell you what I'm doing here." "I scrub the floors, make the beds, wash, iron and cook from morning until night." " Quiet!" " I won't be quiet." " You're mean and hateful to frighten children." " Report to me after the meeting." "Yes, ma'am." "The rest of you, go to the yard and wait there till it's time for inspection by our trustees." "Yes, Mrs Higgins." " Aren't you going to join us, Mr Morgan?" " What?" " Yes, of course, the meeting of the trustees." " Of course." "Would you mind beginning without me?" "I'd like to look about the place." " But we have important matters..." " I'll join you in a few minutes." " Well, of course..." " Thank you." "She isn't wicked..." " Oh..." "I'm sorry." " Please don't get up." "I just wanted to tell you how much I admired your spunk in standing up for that youngster." " She didn't mean any harm." " Of course she didn't." "I don't think singing that song was such a terrible crime." "I enjoyed it." "I enjoyed your playing, too." "Thank you very much." "Tell me, where in the world did that youngster pick up such a charming song?" " Well, I write them and..." " You write music?" " If you can call it music." " I call it delightful music." "Look here, would you promise not to give me away if I made a terrible confession?" "Of course." "The deep, dark secret in my life is that now and then I compose a bit of music myself." "But isn't it fun, getting a melody and then finding just the right words for it?" "Great." "You know, the happiest days of my life were those I spent studying music under Professor Auspitzer, in Brünn." "Those must have been happy days." "But that isn't all of it." "I love the people in the little Austrian towns." "They're so proud because their music is the music of the world." "It seems that most everyone in those quaint little villages has a "Hello, neighbour" smile." "They love the simple things in life." "The simple things in life." "That almost sounds like the words of a song." "I'll remember the suggestion." "Perhaps someday they might make a song." " Will you do me a great favour?" " Certainly." "I have to run along to the meeting, but I'll be back." "Will you play me some more music?" " If you'd like to hear it and Mrs Higgins..." " I asked to." " All right." " Until later, then?" "And what's this item?" ""Sandboxes and swings"?" "It's a problem to keep them occupied." "When I was young, we didn't have a play problem, because we didn't have time to play." "No." ""Floor runner for the dormitory. "" " What's the matter with the linoleum?" " It's been so cold this winter." "The children have coughed so badly that I've been worried." "No need for that." "Madam, you have no doubt heard of the famous Wyckoffs cough mixture." "Of course." "I have manufactured and sold that cough mixture for many years." "Anyone taking it regularly will never cough." "I would suggest that you lay in a fresh supply." " Very well." " When I was young, I lived in Maine, where the weather was 20 below zero." "In those days, we didn't even have linoleum." "And look at me now." "When I was young, I lived in Maine, where the weather was about a thousand below zero." "No, no, Mrs Denham." "No carpets, no linoleum, no nothin'." "And look at me now." "Madam, is this the kind of respect you teach them?" "!" "Oh, my goodness!" " How dare you take my hat and coat!" " I beg your pardon, but those are mine." " Yours?" " Yes." "Oh, yes." "I see." " This eyesight of mine is bad, you know." " I was only playing." "There, Mrs Higgins." "That's what comes of letting them play." " Ridiculing their benefactors." " I'm sorry." "It seems to me that this child is absolutely incorrigible." "Every time I see her, she's making a disturbance." " She is rather a problem." " Problem?" "She's the sort of problem that might be better solved at a public institution." " We couldn't send her away." " I say you shall send her away!" "I say she'll have to go to a public institution." "She'll have to do nothing of the kind." "If she's sent away, I shan't contribute another cent." " Now, Mr Morgan, you can't..." " Oh, yes, I can." "Mrs Higgins, I'd like to talk to you and to this little girl privately." " Your office would be the best place." " Why, of course, Mr Morgan." "Young lady, I've got a great idea." "Would you like me to tell it to you?" " Yes." " Elizabeth." "Excuse me." "Yes, sir." "That's better." "Now look here." "Here's the secret." "How would you like it if you and I got to be very, very good friends?" " I don't think I would like it, sir." " Why, Elizabeth!" "I would like to talk to Elizabeth alone." "Do you mind?" " Of course not." " Thank you." "Tell me." "Why wouldn't you like to be friends with me?" " Oh, just because." " Just because?" "You've got to give me a much better reason than that." "Well, it's just because when grown-ups come to visit us we have to say "Yes, ma'am" and "No, sir" and smile all the time." " Can you keep a secret?" " A secret?" "Mm-hm." " I won't tell anybody." " Shake." "Now, here's the secret:" "You don't have to say any of those things to me." "You see, all this business out here is new to me." " My regular business is being a lawyer." " What's a lawyer?" "If you ever get into trouble, a lawyer is a person who gets you out of trouble." "Oh, my, I could use one almost every day." " Tell me, what's your name, sweet?" " Elizabeth Blair." "Elizabeth Blair." "I've got a much better name for you than that." "If I had my way, I'd call you Curly Top." "That's what my daddy used to call me, and my mommy too." "They did?" "I'll bet you're just as wise as wise can be." " Well, I can recite." " Recite?" "Recite what?" " Oh, poems." " What kind of poems?" ""Before I was a little girl, I was a little bird." ""I could not laugh, I could not dance, I could not speak a word." ""But all about the woods I went and up into the sky." ""And isn't it a pity I've forgotten how to fly?"" "I think that's the loveliest poem I ever heard." " I know more." " Go right ahead." ""I wake in the morning early, and always the very first thing," ""I poke out my head, and I sit up in bed, and I sing and I sing and I sing. "" " I know more." " I'll bet you do." "But listen, I've got a friend that..." " Oh, I bet that isn't true." " What?" "You said you had a friend." "I bet you have lots of friends." "Curly, you are an old flatterer." " Is that something bad?" " Of course not, darling." "Now, look here." "I'm pretty sure this friend of mine would like you." "I think he'd like to give you a beautiful home, lovely dresses to wear, dozens of dolls, and send you to the grandest kind of school and all sorts of nice things like that." "How could your friend do all that?" "I thought only daddies could do such nice things." "Well, being a lawyer, that's where that comes in." "You are too young to understand, but I could arrange with my friend to legally adopt you." "All I want you to tell me is how you'd like it if my friend could do those nice things for you." " Would you want him to?" " I don't think I could do it." "You couldn't?" "Why not?" "Do I have to say right off?" "You mean you want time to think it over?" " Could I come back and tell you in a while?" " Why, of course." "I'll wait for you right here." " Promise?" " Promise." "Cross your heart?" "Mary!" "Mary!" "Oh, Mary!" "Mary!" "Mary!" "Mary!" "Mrs Denham, suppose that youngster had a real chance in life." "Suppose someone gave her everything money can buy." "Of course, we always hope our children may be adopted." "But Elizabeth's case presents a special problem." "You see..." "There's no human problem that can't be solved by kindness." " By Jove, Mrs Denham, I'll do it." " You mean that you'll adopt Elizabeth?" "On one condition." "She must never know that I'm her guardian." "Why not?" "Because she's always had to give thanks for every mouthful." "She's never gonna have to be grateful to me." "From now on, she's going to have all the lovely things in life, just because she has a right to them." " But the child will have to be told something." " That's right." "Let's see." "I've got it." "Tell her that I'm acting for a client." "We'll say that she's being adopted by a man by the name of..." " Let's call him Hiram Jones." " Oh, Mr Morgan..." "Before you go on, there's something about Elizabeth that you must know." "Come in." "Well, have you made up your mind?" " You haven't?" "Why not?" " Could I tell your friend?" "My friend?" "Oh!" "You mean Mr Jones." "Hiram Jones, hm?" "What is it you want to tell him?" "I would like to tell him that I'd love to go and live in his house if my sister could come too." " Your sister?" " Yes, my sister, Mary." " She works in the kitchen." "There she is." " This is Mary Blair, Mr Morgan." "We've met." "Isn't my sister pretty?" "And she's awfully nice, too." "Mr Morgan, I'm very grateful to you " "I mean, to your friend - for wanting to adopt Curly." "But you see, when my father and mother..." " Darling, could you run outside?" " Must I?" " I think you'd better." " All right." "You see, Mr Morgan, at the time my father and mother were killed..." " Killed?" " Yes, in an automobile accident." " I'm so sorry." " At the hospital, just before they... just before they died," "I promised them Curly and I would never be separated." "I couldn't break that promise, Mr Morgan." "She needs me." "And I need her." "I understand." "I hope you'll thank your friend for us." "Please tell him how grateful we are, but..." "Goodbye, Mr Morgan." " I like that." " Thank you, Aunt Genevieve." " One of your own compositions?" " The melody came to me only this evening." "Quite the nicest thing you've ever done, Edward." "It has real feeling." "Your little nephew has real feeling, my darling, just like anyone else." "I'm going upstairs to write some letters." "I'll come down and kiss you good night before I go to bed." " Promise?" " I do." "All right, it's a bargain." "In the meantime I shall be thinking up at least six new compliments for you." "Edward?" "Edward." " Aunt Genevieve." " Well, I'm waiting." " For what?" " For my compliments, of course." " You promised me an even half-dozen." " So I did." "I shan't be able to keep my promise." "I've been very busy." " Busy." " Word of honour." "I've been playing an old and charming game." "I've been daydreaming." "Just suppose, for example..." "See that painting there?" "But of course I do." "I'll have you know my eyesight's every bit as good as it ever was." "Suppose the figure of that lovely child should suddenly come to life." "Suppose it smiled at you and waved its hand." " What would you do?" " I'd call a doctor." "Now, Edward, now, now, take it easy." "Well, the truth of the matter is, I just love your game." "I'd adore it if the child in that picture could come into this home and actually live with us." "Do you really mean that, Aunt Genevieve?" "There's nothing that makes a home so happy as the sound of a chilïs laughter." " By Jove, I'll do it." " Do what?" "We'll open our place at Southampton." "I can arrange for all the necessary legal details." "You can do all the shopping required:" "Dresses and all the gadgets that go with them." "We'll have a glorious summer." "I'll send the limousine out next week..." " For what?" " For that lovely child in the painting." "Now, Edward, game or no game, you sound to me a little tetched in the head." "I've gone mad, Aunt Genevieve." "Delightfully mad." " I think I will send for that doctor." " I should if I were you." "And before the doctor arrives, let me be the first to congratulate you." " Congratulate me?" "For what?" " My dear, you're about to become a mother." " Bye, Mrs Denham." " Bye." " Goodbye." " Bye, Mrs Higgins." "Goodbye." "Goodbye, Mrs Higgins." " All right, Mister." " Very good, Miss." "Goodbye, Jeanie." "Goodbye, Betsy." " Bye." " Bye." "Henrietta, what are you blubbering about?" "I can't help it." "I'm so happy." "There's no need to be sentimental." "What are you crying for?" "Why shouldn't I?" "Why can't I be happy too?" "Mrs Higgins said that now we're going to live in high society we must always remember to be grand ladies." "Oh, I won't forget." "My word!" "Will you tell Mr Morgan that Miss Blair and her sister are here?" "Hello, Mister." "Elizabeth." "Am I to understand that the livestock are also calling on Mr Morgan?" " They are." " My word!" " A Miss Blair and her sister to see you, sir." " Aunt Genevieve, they're here." "Hello." "Curly!" "Well, where in the world did the menagerie come from?" " They were right behind us all the time." " Right behind you?" "Yes, sir, in the back seat." "Aunt Genevieve, meet our new family." " Mary, Elizabeth, this is Aunt Genevieve." " My dears, I'm very glad to see you both." " Won't you come in?" " Hello." "Hello!" "Oh, Reynolds, will you see to it that our other guests are comfortably taken care of?" "You mean the, uh..." "livestock, sir?" "Right." "Butling to a pony and a duck!" "Now, no nonsense now." "I say, do you understand what I'm saying to you?" "My word!" " How do you like your new home?" " It's wonderful." " Would you like to look round?" " Mm-hm." "But first I would like to see where Spunky and Betsy are going to sleep." "Oh, no, Edward." "Elizabeth must rest before dinner." " Come now, Aunt..." " Mr Jones has given strict orders." "Mr Jones insists that Elizabeth and Mary have only the best of care." " I see." "Well, we can't argue with Mr Jones." " That's what I thought." "All right, then, Mr Jones wins." "But I'll see you all at dinner, hm?" "Come, dear." "Breakfast at eight." "Luncheon at one." "Dinner at seven." "My word!" "I think this will help you, Miss." "Allow me." "Now I'm just like a grown-up." " Thank you, sir." " Thank you, Miss." "Why, I didn't do anything." " Yes, Miss?" " Wouldn't you like to sit down too?" "Well..." " Coffee on the terrace, Reynolds." " Very good, sir." "Could I say something to Mr Reynolds, privately?" "I think it could be arranged." "But don't stay too long." "I won't." "I want to thank you for a very nice dinner, sir." "Thank you, Miss." "You wish for something else, Miss?" "What is it, Miss?" "Couldn't you come down here so I could talk to you?" "Oh, my word, you are a package!" "Will you be my friend?" "Whenever I do anything wrong at the table, will you always stop me?" "I will indeed, Miss." " Promise?" " I do, Miss." "I'll always attempt to serve you as if... as if you were a princess." "A princess?" "My, you are nice." " Happy?" " I didn't know such happiness existed." "Promise to let me know if Mr Jones can do more for you?" "He couldn't do anything more." " But you could do me a great favour." " Done." "What?" "Tell me all about Mr Jones." "Not knowing him or even what he looks like makes him seem such a strange person." "He is a strange sort of person, Mary." "Very strange." "Perhaps I can best explain him to you if I tell you what he said just before you came here." "Do tell me." "He told me that all of his life he's had a hunger in his heart." "A hunger to love and be loved just for himself." "Said he'd travelled all over the world" " Europe, Egypt, the Orient - he'd searched everywhere for a simple sort of happiness and companionship." " He never found it?" " Not real happiness." "He will find it someday." "He must." "Maybe you're right, Mary." "Happiness may come to Jones, and soon." "Just before he sailed for Europe, he said that, at last, there was... hope in his heart." "I wish I could thank him for all he's done." "Tell him how grateful I am for all the happiness he's brought to Curly and me." "Just knowing that you and Curly have found happiness here, that'll make him happy." "I can promise you that." "This is not a dream, is it?" "No, darling." "Come to bed now." " Good night." "Did you say your prayers?" " Mm-hm." " Mary?" " Yes, dear?" "My pyjamas feel awfully nice." "What are they made of, Mary?" " Silk." " Silk?" "Oh, my goodness!" "Good night, dear." "Good night." "Mary." "Uncle Edward said that Mr Jones was going to send you to a music school." "Uh-huh." "And he said that he was going to give me a pony cart and lots of pretty dresses." "I know, dear." "It's all so wonderful, I can hardly believe it." "But we mustn't talk about it any more tonight." "It's time to go to sleep." "Good night." "Good night." "Mary... is Mr Hiram Jones a very rich man?" "He must be, darling." "Do you think maybe he could be the richest man in the world?" "Mm, he might be." "The richest man in all the world?" "Oh, my goodness!" " Your Southampton bills, sir." " Thank you." "Two aquaplane boards." "Don't you think it's dangerous for that youngster to...?" "Dangerous?" "That child swims like a fish." "I really believe she's Neptune's daughter in disguise." "I hope you enjoyed your lunch, Miss Elizabeth." " I always like to eat." " A splendid habit, Miss, if I may say so." " Did my pony and duck have a nice lunch?" " Oh, quite, Miss." " Are you going to give me a nice dinner?" " Without fail, Miss." " I wish you wouldn't bow so much." " I'm sorry, Miss." "There you go again." "You'll make my back ache." "My word!" " Isn't that the funniest picture ever?" " Mm-hm." "Curly, careful of your eyes in this sunlight." "Oh, this won't hurt my eyes." "This is just the funny papers." "Isn't that the one I've read you at least a dozen times since Sunday?" "Mm-hm." " Will you read it to me again?" " Yes, if you like." "But suppose we wait until later in the afternoon, after you've had your nap?" "All right." "I won't forget." "Jimmie, the Atlantic Ocean seems rather quiet without you splashing about." " Why aren't you swimming today?" " I couldn't make it today." "I had to work." "Work?" "I hope you don't call flying that airplane of yours work." "Mary loves to fly." "She's been up lots of times with me." "Yes, she's told me all about it." "You've been very nice to Mary this summer." " That isn't hard to do." " No, I gathered you didn't find that hard work." "Mrs Graham, I'd like to talk to you about Mary." " Well, there's no law against it." " Mary is a wonderful girl, Mrs Graham." "We've had grand times together this summer." "Seems that, no matter what, we always like the same things." "She likes to fly with me, she's a beautiful dancer, and we're both crazy about all kinds of outdoor sport." "I'd like to talk about Mary to her guardian, Mr Jones." " But the catch is that he's in Europe now." " What would you like to say to Mr Jones?" "Well, you see, Mary doesn't want to make up her mind about anything " "I mean, anything important - without Mr Jones' permission." " I thought maybe I could write him a letter." " What about?" "Well, I..." "I really can't tell you that, Mrs Graham." " I haven't even told Mary about that." " Oh, I see." " Do you think I ought to write to Mr Jones..." " Jimmie." " Hello, Mary." " Hello, Jimmie." "The water was wonderful." "Aunt Genevieve, did you sell him a ticket?" " Mary, I forgot." " A ticket?" "For what?" "Don't tell me you don't know about it." "We're giving a show." " Who is?" "What's this all about?" " It's Curly's show, really." "I'm just going to help out." "It's a benefit performance." " A benefit?" "For whom?" " Curly had the most charming idea, Jimmie." "She couldn't forget her friends in the orphanage." "She wanted to raise some money to buy playthings for them." " It was so nice of you to come, Mrs Denham." " Wild horses couldn't have kept me away." "Do you know, this is the biggest thrill of my life." " I'd try awfully hard to make you happy." " Jimmie, you're pretty swell, but I..." "I just couldn't marry you." "Is there someone else?" " I can't tell you that." " Well, I know there is, all right." "I watched you at dinner tonight and I watched you..." "Well, you're always looking at Mr Morgan." " Why shouldn't I?" " Because I don't like him." "He's got a swelled head, and just because he's got all the money in the world, he..." "Jimmie..." "I won't let you talk about him that way." "I'm sorry." " It's all right." " I'll always love you, Mary." "Even... even if you say you can't really care for me." "Oh, Jimmie..." "Do stop that ridiculous prowling about." "You act as if you had the heebie-jeebies." " I'm just restless." " You've been restless for the last three days." "Ever since you arrived to see Curly's show." "Can't you think of something more interesting to talk about?" "I'm just nervous." "I might be able to change the subject if I really put my mind to it." " It'd make a hit with me if you will." " Very well." "Let me see, what shall we talk about?" " Have you seen Mary since dinner?" " Nope, I haven't." "She, uh... she went out somewhere with Jimmie, didn't she?" " How should I know?" " Don't they make an adorable couple?" " Do they?" " He's very much in love with her." "He's a wonderful catch." "He comes into money on both sides of his family." "He does, does he?" "Maybe that's the reason he's got a swelled head." "That, and the brass buttons on his trick uniform." "Why, Edward, I didn't know you'd ever noticed Jimmie." "I am surprised to learn that you've even observed the kind of clothes he wears." "Conceited young idler." " Will you stop laughing?" " I will not." "Edward Morgan, insanely jealous, and acting like a sixteen-year-old Romeo." "Oh, dear, this is the happiest moment of my life." "I'm not at all jealous." "Do you think I care anything about Mary Blair?" "The only reason she's here is because it was impossible to take Elizabeth without her." " I'm not in the least interested in Mary." " I'm so relieved to hear you say that." " Relieved?" "Why?" " Edward, I've been noticing things." "And I had convinced myself that you'd grown very fond of Mary." " In which case, there might be complications." " Complications?" "I'll try to make myself clear." "I believe that Jimmie Rogers means to propose to Mary before the summer is over." " How do you know that?" " I looked at him." "You think you can tell a thing like that by just looking at a man?" "Any woman of my age and experience who can't tell just by looking at a man..." "Oh, nonsense!" "What are you thinking about?" " I'm not thinking." "I've decided." " Decided what?" " I'll get the fastest plane in the country." " You aren't going to fly it yourself?" "Certainly." "Why not?" "And that isn't all." "I'm going to start learning some of those trick dances, too." " I'll make you happy, Mary." "I know I will." " I believe you, Jimmie." " Oh, hello, Mr Morgan." " Jimmie, will you pardon me?" " Mary, I want to talk to you alone." " You'll have to ask me about that, sir." " What?" " Jimmie." "I want to tell him." "I'm the luckiest man in the world, Mr Morgan." "Lucky?" "What do you mean?" " Mary and I have just become engaged, sir." " Engaged?" "That's right, sir." "The way I feel about it, well, I just want to go out and tell the whole world." "I understand, Jimmie." "You should be very proud." "Mary's a fine girl." " I want to be the first to congratulate you." " Thank you, sir." "Mary, my congratulations to you." "I'm sure that you and Jimmie will find real happiness." " I'll do everything to make that come true." " I'm sure." "And if there's ever anything I can do to add to your happiness - anything, understand?" "" " I want you to promise to let me know." " Say, Mr Morgan, you're pretty swell." " I mean it, Jimmie, every word of it." " Thank you, sir." "Well, good night." "Good night and my best to both of you, always." "Uncle Edward!" "Uncle Edward!" "Time to get up." "Uncle Edward." "Oh, my goodness!" "Sleepy head!" "If you aren't really awake, I can jump on your stomach again." "Never mind!" " You can't go back to sleep again." " This is Sunday morning..." "Oh, no, Uncle Edward." "No, sir!" "All right, you win." " Read me the funny papers?" " Wait a minute." "How about breakfast and Sunday school?" "I like Sunday school." "Will you take me?" " Yes, siree." " Give me a ride?" " I'll get your bathrobe and slippers." " All right." "Yippee!" "All right, that's enough of that." "Now, I want you to tell me everything you've been doing while I've been away." "I've been in the city for a whole week." "What have you been up to?" " Every day I was wishing that you were here." " Curly, you flatterer." " Any special reason you wanted to see me?" " Very special." " I wanted to talk to you about something." " All right, here I am." "What is it?" "Well, I wanted to talk to you about getting married." "What?" "!" "Curly, whatever put that notion into your funny little head?" " Please don't laugh, Uncle Edward." " I'm sorry." "I forgot that this was very special." "Now, just what is it you want to know about getting married?" " Well... what does getting married mean?" " You mean like Jimmie and Mary?" "That means they'll have their own home and always live together." "Mary said that I was going to live in Jimmie's house." "Does that mean Jimmie's getting married to me too?" " I'll tell you all about that some other time." " I don't want to get married to Jimmie." " Why not?" " I want Mary and me to get married to you." "Curly, you're a designing woman." "Now get up and get out of here." "I've got to get dressed." "Do you hear me?" "Come on." "Now, breakfast, funnies, Sunday school and lunch." " Then I've got a real surprise for you." " Is it a present?" "It wouldn't be a surprise any more if I told you." "Mary!" "Mary!" "My word!" " Look at Aunt Genevieve." " Edward, how dare you spy on me!" " What's the matter, growing pains?" " Why shouldn't I grow up?" " Please, Uncle Edward, what's my surprise?" " I have two surprises for you, young lady." " Two?" "!" " Mm-hm." "Come on, darling." " Ready for the first one?" " I can hardly wait." "You won't have to wait - not another minute." "You sit right here and listen very, very carefully." "All right." "Whoopee!" " Oh, but you are a bundle ofjoy." " That was beautiful, dear." "Thank you." "Have you got a present for me too?" "Yes, one for you and one for Mary." " Will you run and tell Mary to come in?" " Mm-hm." "Mary!" "Mary!" "Uncle Edward has a surprise for us." "You might as well admit that you're in love with Mary." " Why don't you tell her so?" " Haven't you heard the news?" "It so happens that Mary's engaged to Jimmie." "Have you ever told her that you love her?" "Here she is, Uncle Edward." " Can I have my surprise first?" " Yes, indeed you may." " Oh, goodie." " Here you are, young lady." "A string of pearls." "Pearls?" "They lookjust like those little stones on the beach." " Oh, Elizabeth!" " Do you like them?" "I would really rather have a pair of roller skates." "Well, we'll throw them in for good measure." "I'm sailing for Europe next week." "Before I go, I want to give you an engagement present and wish you every happiness." "I can't take it." "Why not?" "I wasn't really in love with Jimmie." "We're not engaged any more." "I told him last night." " You aren't going to marry him?" " No." " Mary, you'd better watch out." " Watch out?" "You might not get married at all." "I asked Uncle Edward to marry us this morning and he said he wouldn't." " Oh, Elizabeth, you didn't?" " Oh, yes, I did." "Didn't I ask you to marry us, Uncle Edward?" "Oh, Elizabeth!" "Mary, wait." "I..." "I want to talk with you." "What's the matter?" "They seem kind of excited." " We'll go abroad and stay a whole year." " It sounds like heaven." " We'll make it heaven, darling." " Look, can't we share our happiness?" " What do you mean?" " With the person who made it possible." " You mean Mr Jones?" " Yes." "Oh, Mary, you blind little sweetheart." "There never was any Mr Jones." " You mean that... you're Mr...?" " Mm-hm." "Oh!" "Mary, do you mind if Uncle Edward could come now and read me the funnies?" "Oh, my word!"