The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 8, Episode 17 - The Prodigals - full transcript
Jeffrey and Josh steal from Ike's store. Josh gets caught. Ben decides to enlist in the service even though he is exempt due to working at the mill.
- Come on, seven!
- Come on, nine!
Come on, seven! Come on, seven!
Nine!
- Seven, we won. We win.
- What's going on over there?
You just hold it right there.
There's no gambling in Walton's Mountain.
And I'm just gonna take all of it.
- Wait a minute.
- You can't do that.
Well, the side
window is unlocked.
Are you saying I ought
to go in there and take it?
No, only what's yours.
Four quarters and two dimes.
Just take what's yours,
four quarters and two dimes.
I'm just going to check
the day's receipts.
Okay, dear.
Let's get out of here.
What's the matter?
Honey, what is it?
My chest.
I'm getting a notion
to enlist tomorrow.
Look at her.
She's so beautiful.
I don't see how you
can even think of leaving.
That's why I ought to enlist.
I just want this war to be over,
so she can grow up with
a world that's peaceful.
I want her to grow
up knowing her father.
A s m y grandfather
used to sa y,
"Everybody looks at the world
through his own knothole."
My brothers and sisters and I and the
two cousins who came to live with us
were all brought up in the same
house and in pretty much the same wa y,
but the world looked a little
bit different to each of us.
And there was a da y, a
beautiful, bright, sunny da y,
when it looked very
bleak to m y brother, Ben.
And even bleaker
to m y cousin, Jeffrey.
You're in for it now, young man!
John, that brace and
bit you said was missing,
Jeffrey had it. Here it is.
I was going somewhere
to get it fixed.
What'd you do to this?
- I just borrowed it.
- Borrowed it without asking.
I was on my way to go
put it back where I got it,
and I saw a frog.
- I just put it down for a minute.
- In the middle of the road.
I couldn't help it if
that truck came along.
And ran over it?
I'll save up and buy a new one.
Jeffrey, what am I
gonna do with you?
Yesterday, you left the chicken coop
door open and the chickens got out.
The other day, you
played hooky from school,
- and now this.
- I didn't mean to.
It's one thing after
another with you, son.
Now, this is the end
of the line. Is that clear?
I don't want any more trouble.
Yes, sir.
The end of the line. No
more shenanigans, or else...
I vow and declare, Jeffrey, you're
gonna be the finish of me yet.
What did he mean? Or else what?
Well, I don't know what he meant,
but I'll tell you how I feel about it.
John and Olivia have been real generous
to let us move into their home this way,
and any more trouble, I
won't feel right about staying.
I'll just pack us up
and we'll move on.
Now, you get the broom
and sweep that porch.
That sure beats army
food. Thanks a lot, Ben.
Thanks for joining me.
I needed to get away.
At ease, soldier. You're not
supposed to salute a sergeant.
I was saluting him.
You got to be smart to
keep from getting drafted.
Forget it, Ben.
All right, soldier, button
your blouse button,
and set the angle of your cap
right or I'll turn you in to the MPs.
Now, beat it.
Fine soldier he's gonna make.
At least he's a soldier. He didn't
wangle a deferment like I did.
You did not.
The draft board decided you
were needed as an essential worker.
And it just so happens my
daddy is on the draft board?
It had nothing
to do with it, Ben.
Daddy disqualified
himself in your case.
I just don't feel
right about it, Jason.
Everyone I know that's 18 or
over is in the service, except for me.
I knew something's
been bothering you.
I want you to listen to me, Ben.
Your job is essential.
You're working a darned sight harder
than most soldiers I know, including me,
and you've got a wife
and a baby at home.
Jason, there's a war
going on right now.
This entire world is on fire and
I should be out there fighting it.
You ought to be
right where you are.
That's where you're gonna
stay unless they reclassify you.
Or I reclassify myself.
Don't let it eat at you, Ben.
It's easy for you to say.
You're the one with the uniform.
- Hey, Jeff, how you making it?
- I'm in the dog house.
Yeah? Me, too.
I got caught playing
hooky from school again.
I broke my Uncle
John's best brace and bit.
That's trouble.
And the only way to square
it is to buy him a new one.
I got 85 cents saved up.
- Brace and bit costs a lot more than that.
- It does?
Well, maybe Mr. Godsey
will carry you on it.
I already owe him
for a model airplane.
Hey, if I had the money
I'd lend it to you, but...
I know you would.
Yeah, well, I better be
bringing this laundry over.
I sure wish I knew how to
get a hold of some money.
Seven. Come on.
- There's your chance, Jeffrey.
- I don't know how to play.
I do. JEFFREY: Where
did you ever shoot craps?
I never did, but I've
seen them shoot.
- You think you can do it?
- I know I can.
Then let's do it!
- What's his point?
- Six.
A dime says no six.
Run along, sonny. You're
too young to gamble.
Wait a minute. My money
is just as good as yours is.
Sure it is. You got a
quarter? That's the minimum.
Two bits you seven out.
- Six coming up.
- All right.
Come on, lucky six.
And he makes it!
Six the hard way.
Did we win?
No, no, but we will.
All right. Eight bucks and
a half. Everything rides.
How much do I have left?
- Two quarters and a dime.
- Buck-fifty open.
- I've a feeling he's gonna crap out.
- Does that mean we'd win?
- Yes. You think he's gonna crap out?
- If you do.
I do.
Look, I'm betting two
quarters and a dime.
Wait, that's all of it.
You got to bet big if
you want to win big.
- Ninety cents open.
- Yeah, I'll take it.
Come on, dice, get lucky.
- Nine, nine. That's a hard point, Jeff.
- Nine, come on.
Josh! OFFICER 1: Come on, nine.
Josh!
That's right, that's right.
- All right, baby.
Is that the way
you deliver laundry?
Jeff was helping me deliver the
laundry, and we decided to take a break.
You'll get a break if I ever catch you
messing around with crapshooters again.
Don't tell Nana that you saw me,
she'll think that I was playing,
and I was just watching.
You ought to know
better than to even watch.
Boys your age, the law
will come down on you.
Josh, don't you look at that
game while I'm talking to you.
Don't you ever again even
go near a game, you hear?
You do and you'll be sorry.
That goes for you, too, Jeffrey.
Promise you never will
or I will tell your grandma.
- I promise.
- Me, too, Mama.
- Now, take this laundry and don't dally.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Did you make the nine?
- Not yet, but I will.
- Come on.
- Come on, seven!
- Come on, nine.
- Come on, seven!
- Come on, seven!
- Seven. Come on, seven!
Come on seven! - Nine.
- Seven, we won. We win.
- What's going on over there?
You just hold it right there.
There's no gambling in Walton's Mountain.
And I'm just gonna take all of it.
- Wait a minute.
- You can't do that.
Look, I don't care what you do elsewhere,
but the canteen is right next door here
and I'm supposed to make sure
that you guys abide by the regulation.
So, thanks for the contribution.
This is gonna go for the
free-chicken-every-Sunday-night kitty.
Or do you want
me to call the MPs?
How much of that was ours?
How much is two times
two quarters and a dime?
I don't know, but I bet
Mr. Godsey will give it back to us.
Yeah, and tell your grandma that
you was out here shooting craps,
and your Uncle John, too.
I swiped a sour pickle once.
He made me pay for it when I got
the money, but he never told on me.
- Ask him, then.
- I better wait until he cools off.
I got to be handing
out this laundry.
Josh, you've got to be with
me, I might lose my nerve.
Okay, okay, I'll meet
you here after supper.
Hey, great. See you then.
Verdie! Nice to see
you. Come on in.
I baked some
cookies for John-Boy.
Thought maybe John could take
them next time he visits the hospital.
- But he'll be going this weekend.
- Good. How's John-Boy doing?
Well, John says he's doing
just fine, and so is Olivia.
She loves that Red Cross job, and
she gets to see John-Boy every day.
Let's have some coffee.
- No, thanks. I can only stay a minute.
- Verdie, sit down anyway.
- All right.
- Tell me something now.
How is Josh? Is he still star soprano
in the choir or has his voice changed?
That's about the only thing
about him that hasn't changed.
Ever since his father took
that defense job in Detroit,
that boy has been a handful.
Well, I've got me a handful.
- You're too easy on Jeffrey.
- I know it.
Well, what would you do
with Josh if he played hooky?
If? That's his favorite sport.
Well, what do you do?
Use the good right
hand the Lord gave me.
- Does it do any good?
- Not so as you'd notice.
I'll bet John never had
any problems with his boys.
I'll take that bet.
- Where've you been?
- I went out to lunch with Jason.
We got orders piled up to the ceiling,
Son, you take an extra half hour for lunch?
Take it out of my pay.
I don't appreciate
that kind of remark.
I'm sorry, Daddy,
I'm in a bad mood.
Is the motor acting up?
- It's overheating.
- Check the hoses.
- Well, that's what I'm gonna do.
Why are you overheated, Son?
I'm the only male Walton of
draft age who's not in the service,
because you were in the last war
and Grandpa was in the war before that.
And why the hell
shouldn't I be in right now?
We've been all
through that, Son.
Daddy, just because
you disqualified yourself
doesn't mean they didn't
give me special consideration.
They classified me
2A as a favor to you.
Not true, they treated you just like
they treat every Tom, Dick or Harry.
Like any Tom, Dick or Harry whose
last name happens to be Walton.
Ouch!
- John.
- Rose.
I hate to see you working
so late every night.
- Well, I haven't even finished yet.
- I figured.
I've got fresh coffee
and a snack for you.
- You shouldn't have stayed up, Rose.
- I want to talk to you, John.
I'm worried about Jeffrey.
- He'll straighten out.
- His father didn't.
Kind of late for
visitors, isn't it?
- Verdie.
- Evening.
I'm sorry to bother you, but
has Josh been here this evening?
No. Is he AWOL again?
Yes, and I'm getting worried.
He never stays out this late.
- When was the last time you saw him?
- He slipped away right after supper.
Do you think he and Jeffrey
could be up to something?
They were pretty
chummy this afternoon.
Jeffrey's in bed, Verdie.
I went up 10 minutes
ago to cover him up.
He kicks the covers off and
he's sleeping like an angel.
What's the idea coming so late?
I had to wait until my nana
thought that I was asleep.
Anyway, I couldn't tell
her why I had to see Ike.
Well, I knocked
but nobody's home.
Come here.
- Look at what's on the counter.
- The hat he put the money in.
Well, the side
window is unlocked.
Are you saying I ought
to go in there and take it?
No, only what's yours.
Four quarters and two dimes.
Well, like you said, it's mine.
Nothing, huh?
All right, Sheriff,
thanks a lot.
Let me know, if you
hear anything. Okay.
Well, he's not in trouble with the
law and he's not in the hospital.
- Where in the world could he be?
- I can't imagine.
Wait. There's a street corner over in
Rockfish where older boys hang out.
He just might have
hitched a ride over there.
- I'll take you there, Verdie.
- Thanks, John. Good night.
- What are you waiting for?
- It's scary in here.
Nothing in it.
He must have put the
money in the cash register.
Look, we'll just have to come
back tomorrow. Come on.
Hey, I know how to open
it. I've watched him do it.
No, Mr. Godsey wouldn't want
you fooling around with that.
Hey, I'll be real
careful. It's my money.
Must be in that bag.
Just take what's yours,
four quarters and two dimes.
Nothing is more pleasant
than a drive on a balmy evening.
As the French say
ça change les idées.
- Is that what they say?
- Yes.
It means, it changes the
ideas, it clears the mind.
It also makes you sleepy.
I'll be up in a moment.
I'm just going to check
the day's receipts.
Okay, dear.
Let's get out of here.
What's the matter?
Honey, what is it?
- My chest.
- Where's your medicine?
Right here in the pocket.
Never mind me, try
to get a look at them.
It's Josh Foster!
Ben?
I wish I could sleep so sound.
What's keeping you awake?
I think about all my
buddies out there fighting
while I stay at home,
warm and comfortable.
And working yourself to death. I
call that real warm and comfortable.
Cindy, when Virginia grows up and
wants to know how I served my country,
what am I gonna tell her?
I'm proud of what you
do. She will be, too.
I'm getting a notion
to enlist tomorrow.
Look at her.
She's so beautiful.
I don't see how you
can even think of leaving.
That's why I ought to enlist.
I just want this war to be over,
so she can grow up with
a world that's peaceful.
I want her to grow
up knowing her father.
Jason's out there training
soldiers to be on the front line.
Jim-Bob's gonna
enlist when he's 18.
John-Boy was in
the thick of it all.
Let's not worry about
it anymore tonight.
Come on, let's go to bed.
I sure wish I could
talk to John-Boy now.
- Any news?
- The deputy sheriff called back.
- They're holding Josh.
- What did he do?
I don't know. The sheriff said
for you to come to the office.
Let's go.
Right after you called,
I was out cruising.
Saw this boy running like he
was out to break the world's record.
I was hurrying home, Mama,
because I knew you'd be worried.
You let him do the
talking, you hear?
He told me his name,
he was nice and polite,
so I said I'd drive him home.
Then in comes a
call on the car radio.
Ike Godsey's
store robbed of $38!
Boy named Josh Foster
seen running from the store!
No, I was nowhere
near that store.
Where were you?
- I was at the movies.
- Who was with you?
- Nobody.
- Now, you took that money, didn't you?
- I want the truth.
- Easy, Dan.
Why don't we let the
judge handle that?
All right, John. I'll
arrange a hearing.
In the meantime, I'll
have to keep him here.
I don't believe that cell back there
was meant to hold 11-year-old boys.
He's been accused
of a serious crime.
If it was a Walton boy, would
you do him the same way?
Or would you release him
in Mr. Walton's custody?
Mr. Walton is a well-known
person in this community.
So is Mrs. Foster, Dan.
I could release him in your
custody, if that's all right with you?
- I want him released in my custody.
- So do I.
All right.
Let me know tomorrow if
there's anything I can do.
I can't tell you how grateful I am.
- Thank you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
If you were Pinocchio,
your nose would have
grown a foot-and-a-half tonight.
I must cross my heart and hope
to die, I didn't take that money.
Wait a minute. Were you
with somebody who took it?
I was at the movies.
Mrs. Godsey said she was sure you
were the one she saw running away.
It was dark. How
could she be sure?
I guess she couldn't be.
You read all the time about
eyewitnesses being proven wrong.
Hey, Jeffrey, what are
you doing up so early?
- Looking for birds' eggs.
- In a woodpile?
Isn't that where woodpeckers
make their nests?
Anyway, what are
you doing up so early?
I made a deal with Ike to
get some firewood for him.
But I'm sure Corabeth
must have been mistaken.
I can't imagine Josh
doing a thing like that.
- I can.
- Why would you say that, Elizabeth?
It's like it is in
the mysteries.
The one who you don't think could
have possibly done it, always has.
Well, Daddy, did he act guilty?
He was kind of nervous and
scared, but what boy wouldn't be?
Whenever Jeffrey does anything
bad, you'd never guess he did it,
but he always did.
- Go do a swan dive in a brick yard.
- Jeffrey!
She started it.
I hope the trial's after
school so I can go.
They won't be a trial,
just a private hearing.
They won't send
him to jail, will they?
They don't send
children to jail.
Then what do they do with them?
They send them to reform
school, if they're guilty.
I hope they don't send
Josh to one of those places.
What's a reform school?
It's kind of like a
jail with school in it.
Yeah, and if you
don't do your lessons,
they lock you in a
room all by yourself.
They're not supposed to beat you,
but I hear sometimes they still do.
Excuse me. I can't eat any more.
Whoa, whoa! Wait a second.
Where do you think you're going?
I have a stomach ache.
Wonder what gave
him a stomach ache.
Well, it certainly couldn't be
this omelet. Rose, it's wonderful.
Thank you.
You've hardly touched
yours, Ben. Don't you like it?
It's fine, Rose. Delicious.
Mary Ellen, why did you become a
county nurse instead of an army nurse?
I looked into it, and this is
where I was needed most.
Erin, is that why you
stayed at the defense plant,
instead of joining the WACs?
Well, actually, I never thought
about going into the WACs.
Erin, you ruined her strategy.
She's trying to show that you two set
a good example that I ought to follow.
If you're thinking about enlisting,
Ben, that makes two of us.
I wish I was old enough. I
love those WAVE uniforms.
Come on, Son, stoke up.
We got a long day ahead of us.
I'm not hungry.
Nice of you to sweep
up without being told.
Porch needed it real bad, so...
Josh, do you know what
a guilty conscience is?
No, ma'am.
It's when you feel just awful because
you know you've done something wrong.
Happens often that someone with a guilty
conscience tries extra hard to do good,
like getting up early and scrubbing the
kitchen floor, and sweeping the porch.
- A guilty what, Mama?
- Conscience.
You're right. That's what I got.
- I thought so.
- Mama, no, you got it wrong.
See, what I feel
just awful about
is that I've been bad
ever since Daddy left.
Playing hooky from school, and
shooting craps, and things like that.
Josh, come here.
Mama, I wanna go
straighten up my room.
I said, come here.
Where is the money?
Mama, why won't you believe me?
Because I know a guilty
conscience when I see one.
I've had one myself more than
once, and I know what it's like.
Son, tell your mama the truth.
You won't feel so awful then.
It was a very manly
thing for you to do, Josh,
to come and confess.
But I want you to know
that your little escapade
could very nearly have
cost Mr. Godsey his life.
Right. You just give
us the money bag back,
and we'll forget all about it.
- All right, Corabeth?
- Yes, we'll drop the charges.
Problem is, he doesn't
have the money.
- I dropped it when I was running.
- You dropped it? Where?
I don't know.
You sure there weren't two
of you in the store last night?
I thought I heard
two of you running.
No, no, I was alone.
I'll pay back the $38,
a little each week.
- If it's all right with you.
- Yeah, that'll be fine.
Verdie, if he were my son, I would
not want him to get off that easily.
Don't worry. He'll get
what's coming to him.
He can start delivering groceries for
us. He could pay us back that way, huh?
I have a better idea still.
The storefront
needs a coat of paint.
Yeah, I'll buy that. You
can paint $38 worth.
- How's that?
- That will be just fine.
He can start right away, as
soon as he gets his licking.
- Where's the money?
- I buried it.
Go get it. We
gotta give it back.
We ain't got no business
with all that money.
But how? If Uncle
John finds out,
then me and Serena and
Nana will have to move away.
You just get it and let me
worry about the rest, okay?
You know, I haven't
told on you, yet.
Jeffrey, that's very
nice of you to help Josh,
but this is Josh's punishment.
He's got to do
it all by himself.
But I like to paint.
Jeffrey, put the brush down.
Josh, there's a spot
over there you missed.
Get it.
- Ben!
- John-Boy.
- You're looking good.
- Compared to what?
- Compared to the last time I saw you.
- I'm getting there.
- How's the family?
- Fine, everyone's just fine.
- I saw Mama on the way in.
- It helps having her here.
I bet.
I was in Fredericksburg
and I finished up early,
so I thought I'd drive
over and see you.
I'm glad you did.
- I miss you, John-Boy.
- I miss you, too.
- All these guys have been in the war?
- We're the lucky ones.
We're getting ready
to leave this place.
I've seen men inside who'll
be here the rest of their lives.
And I'm doing duty in a sawmill.
It makes me feel so bad,
being a civilian in these times.
Almost every man who's not in the service
gets a twinge of guilt now and then.
- I'm feeling it all the time.
- Ben!
Every man in the States who's in uniform
feels guilty because he's not overseas.
The ones overseas
in the rear echelons,
feel guilty because
they're not on the line.
The ones on the line get twinges when
they see casualties being carried off.
And the casualties feel guilty
because they were lucky enough not
to be killed like some of their buddies.
It's only the dead
that don't feel guilty.
- It's a heavy load.
- It's one we all share right now.
Is this any way to
cheer up the sick?
Tell me what to do, John-Boy.
I don't go a day
without wanting to enlist.
That's something you're gonna
have to work out for yourself.
You have special skills.
Don't put yourself
where you won't be
as important to the war
effort as you are now.
I know 11 Bible verses by heart.
Oh, that's good, Serena. That
means you get 11 gold stars.
Only if I don't
make any mistakes.
Will you look at the verses in my
Sunday school book while I recite them?
I don't have time. I've
got important things to do.
Maybe Nana has time.
Oh, no!
What are you doing?
I'm counting logs, and
you made me lose count.
Will you look at my
Bible verses while I recite?
Go away. I want
to count the logs.
I'll give you a nickel.
Give me the book.
I'll start with this
one, "Jesus wept."
That's easy, everyone
knows that one. Even I do.
But you don't know the next one.
"I cried by reason of mine affliction
unto the Lord, and he heard me."
"Out of the belly of hell cried
I, and thou heardest my voice."
- What kind of a verse is that?
- It's from the story of Jonah.
You mean that guy that
got swallowed by the whale?
He did something very bad,
and while he was going
someplace on a boat,
God sent a great
storm to punish him.
Only it looked like the innocent sailors
were gonna get drowned along with him.
- Did they?
- No.
See, Jonah told them to throw him in
the water and the storm would go away.
They did, and they were all saved.
That's when he got swallowed.
I don't need a nickel anyway.
Now, listen to me,
the end of the line.
No more shenanigans or else...
And any more trouble, I
won't feel right about sta ying.
I'll just pack us up
and we'll move on.
No more shenanigans or else...
Jonah told them to throw him in the
water and the storm would go a wa y.
End of the line. End of the line.
End of the line. End of the line.
Have you seen Jeffrey?
He disappeared after breakfast
this morning, without doing his chores.
As usual.
I haven't been upstairs all morning.
I've been trying to fix this lamp.
I asked Jim-Bob to fix it.
Sometimes he forgets.
So does Jeffrey. Jeffrey!
Jeffrey! Jeffrey!
Jeffrey.
Jeffrey.
"Dear Nana, you said if I
did one more ba d thing,
"we'd all ha ve to move out.
"Well, I did a terrible
thing, so I'm lea ving alone."
"I'm just a Jonah,
"and I don't want bad things to happen
to you and Serena because I did wrong.
"Love, Jeffrey."
Well, I wouldn't worry
about that, Rose.
Runaways always come
back when they get hungry.
Well, that dear
little boy ran away
because he didn't want me
and Serena to be out in the cold.
I guess maybe I shook
Jeffrey up more than I wanted to
when I told him he was
at the end of the line.
What do you suppose
that terrible thing is he did?
I don't know.
You know, Jeffrey got that
stomach ache yesterday at breakfast
when we were talking about Josh.
You don't suppose he's in
on that escapade, do you?
You don't get a stomach ache from
green apples somebody else ate, do you?
Josh? Josh, Jeffrey's
gone off somewhere
and we don't know where. Do you?
No, ma'am. Last I saw
Jeffrey was yesterday.
Are you sure?
Yeah, he was only here for a
minute. You can ask Mr. Godsey.
- Doing a nice job, Josh.
- Thanks, Mr. Walton.
And thanks for getting the
sheriff to let me go the other night.
Your mother tells me he's
gonna let you go altogether.
- Did she tell you everything?
- Everything.
Tell me, Josh, was
Jeffrey in that crap game?
Jeffrey doesn't even
know how to shoot craps.
Your mother said Mr. Godsey heard
two people running from that store.
No. No, no. He said he
thought he heard two people.
Excuse me, I gotta go
get another can of paint.
Jeffrey, where you headed for?
Uh, I thought I'd
take a little ride.
Looks like you're fixed to stay
a while. You running away?
Why would I run away?
Jeffrey, looks like you're carrying
the whole world on your shoulders.
Might make you feel better
if you got it off your chest.
Ike wouldn't let me help
Josh with the painting.
That was mighty nice of you.
It's a big job for
such a little boy.
Meanwhile, I'm having to do
his chores as well as my own.
Mr. Godsey did hear two people.
Mrs. Foster, I
was the other one,
and if it wasn't for me, Josh wouldn't
have got into it in the first place.
Jeffrey.
Tell me about it.
And like I told Mrs. Foster, I
ought to be out there helping Josh.
I'll even do the
rest of the job alone.
I'll even paint this
house, if you want me to.
Jeffrey, when I said,
"No shenanigans, or else,"
the "or else" didn't mean you
were going to have to leave.
I'm the one that told him
that and I shouldn't have.
It was wrong to put all
that pressure on him.
Wait a minute. Sounds like
we're apologizing instead of him.
- I apologize.
- Yeah.
Well, it's not enough.
You did something
wrong, and I'm mad at you.
You know very well
that gambling is wicked.
And breaking into a store
and taking money is worse.
I was just trying to
get back my money
so that I could buy
you a new brace and bit.
Just because you were
trying to do a good thing,
didn't give you the right
to do it in a bad way.
I tell you what. I won't only paint
the house, I'll paint the barn, too.
Now hold on. That money you
took, you didn't spend it, did you?
I buried it.
- Go dig it up.
- But I can't.
- Why not?
- I'll show you.
It's right under there.
Well.
Looks like we're gonna have to
move most of this firewood to get at it.
Jim-Bob, is this Ike's order?
Yeah, and about
half a cord more.
Well, Rose,
maybe if we had Jeffrey deliver
all this and stack it over at Ike's,
he'd think twice about
breaking the law again.
This should take care of it.
Ben never seems to be
around when I need him.
I know. His mind hasn't
been on his work lately.
I know.
Hi.
Where you been,
Son, with the truck?
We should have been loading the
Camp Rockfish order an hour ago.
I'm sorry, Daddy, I had to
go into town for something.
There you are. Let's get at it.
Wait a minute, Daddy.
I have something to tell Cindy
and I might as well tell you also.
I went to the Navy recruiting
office today. I passed my physical.
Ben, you didn't join the Navy?
I joined the Seabees.
They need men with my
construction experience.
I'll be doing the same kind
of work as I'm doing here,
except I'll be overseas
where I'm needed.
You could have given us
some kind of a warning, Son.
I was afraid you'd
talk me out of it.
I was hoping the war would
be over before it came to this.
Pretty soon all my
boys will be gone.
It's all right, Ben.
I understand.
It just hurts a little.
- We'll take care of Cindy and the baby.
- Thank you, Daddy.
You haven't said
anything, Cindy.
Up until now, I've been
hiding from the war.
I know my father's in
it, Jason and John-Boy.
But somehow I lost myself
in taking care of the baby,
and when we talked about
it, it just didn't seem real.
Now it does.
You've brought the
war right into this room.
It's gonna take me a
while to get used to it.
Mr. Godsey said he's gonna give you
back your four quarters and two dimes.
Maybe some of
it should be yours.
- Half of it?
- Okay.
Well, I finished my painting.
I'll never finish moving that
pile of wood and stacking it.
I'll help you. I mean,
the sooner you finish,
the sooner you can
help me make a killing.
Josh, if you're counting on me
getting you into another crap game...
- No, no, no. No more crap shooting for me.
- Then how do we make a killing?
Well, Mr. Godsey said that
I did a real good job painting
and that he has some more
stuff he wanted me to do.
Two bits an hour.
You help, we'll split it,
that's a dime and two
pennies an hour for each of us.
That's two dimes and four cents.
What about the
extra penny left over?
I don't know how
to split a penny.
How about if we put that extra penny
in the free-chicken-every-Sunday kitty?
- Yeah. That's a good idea.
- Let's go, partner.
Hiya, soldier.
It seems like a year
since we were out last.
Gotta make the
most of this weekend.
It's gonna be another three
weeks until I get my next pass.
Gangway, mates.
Ben and Cindy were closer
than they ha d ever been before.
Though their future was uncertain
because Ben was going off to war,
this would alwa ys be a
weekend to remember.
Turn the light off,
Jeffrey, I wanna sleep.
I haven't finished my homework.
- You can do it in the morning.
- I'll have too many chores to do.
- You're being too good, Jeffrey.
- I guess maybe you're right.
- Good night, sailor.
- You mean Seabee.
- Good night, Seabee.
- Good night, mate.
English -SDH
- Come on, nine!
Come on, seven! Come on, seven!
Nine!
- Seven, we won. We win.
- What's going on over there?
You just hold it right there.
There's no gambling in Walton's Mountain.
And I'm just gonna take all of it.
- Wait a minute.
- You can't do that.
Well, the side
window is unlocked.
Are you saying I ought
to go in there and take it?
No, only what's yours.
Four quarters and two dimes.
Just take what's yours,
four quarters and two dimes.
I'm just going to check
the day's receipts.
Okay, dear.
Let's get out of here.
What's the matter?
Honey, what is it?
My chest.
I'm getting a notion
to enlist tomorrow.
Look at her.
She's so beautiful.
I don't see how you
can even think of leaving.
That's why I ought to enlist.
I just want this war to be over,
so she can grow up with
a world that's peaceful.
I want her to grow
up knowing her father.
A s m y grandfather
used to sa y,
"Everybody looks at the world
through his own knothole."
My brothers and sisters and I and the
two cousins who came to live with us
were all brought up in the same
house and in pretty much the same wa y,
but the world looked a little
bit different to each of us.
And there was a da y, a
beautiful, bright, sunny da y,
when it looked very
bleak to m y brother, Ben.
And even bleaker
to m y cousin, Jeffrey.
You're in for it now, young man!
John, that brace and
bit you said was missing,
Jeffrey had it. Here it is.
I was going somewhere
to get it fixed.
What'd you do to this?
- I just borrowed it.
- Borrowed it without asking.
I was on my way to go
put it back where I got it,
and I saw a frog.
- I just put it down for a minute.
- In the middle of the road.
I couldn't help it if
that truck came along.
And ran over it?
I'll save up and buy a new one.
Jeffrey, what am I
gonna do with you?
Yesterday, you left the chicken coop
door open and the chickens got out.
The other day, you
played hooky from school,
- and now this.
- I didn't mean to.
It's one thing after
another with you, son.
Now, this is the end
of the line. Is that clear?
I don't want any more trouble.
Yes, sir.
The end of the line. No
more shenanigans, or else...
I vow and declare, Jeffrey, you're
gonna be the finish of me yet.
What did he mean? Or else what?
Well, I don't know what he meant,
but I'll tell you how I feel about it.
John and Olivia have been real generous
to let us move into their home this way,
and any more trouble, I
won't feel right about staying.
I'll just pack us up
and we'll move on.
Now, you get the broom
and sweep that porch.
That sure beats army
food. Thanks a lot, Ben.
Thanks for joining me.
I needed to get away.
At ease, soldier. You're not
supposed to salute a sergeant.
I was saluting him.
You got to be smart to
keep from getting drafted.
Forget it, Ben.
All right, soldier, button
your blouse button,
and set the angle of your cap
right or I'll turn you in to the MPs.
Now, beat it.
Fine soldier he's gonna make.
At least he's a soldier. He didn't
wangle a deferment like I did.
You did not.
The draft board decided you
were needed as an essential worker.
And it just so happens my
daddy is on the draft board?
It had nothing
to do with it, Ben.
Daddy disqualified
himself in your case.
I just don't feel
right about it, Jason.
Everyone I know that's 18 or
over is in the service, except for me.
I knew something's
been bothering you.
I want you to listen to me, Ben.
Your job is essential.
You're working a darned sight harder
than most soldiers I know, including me,
and you've got a wife
and a baby at home.
Jason, there's a war
going on right now.
This entire world is on fire and
I should be out there fighting it.
You ought to be
right where you are.
That's where you're gonna
stay unless they reclassify you.
Or I reclassify myself.
Don't let it eat at you, Ben.
It's easy for you to say.
You're the one with the uniform.
- Hey, Jeff, how you making it?
- I'm in the dog house.
Yeah? Me, too.
I got caught playing
hooky from school again.
I broke my Uncle
John's best brace and bit.
That's trouble.
And the only way to square
it is to buy him a new one.
I got 85 cents saved up.
- Brace and bit costs a lot more than that.
- It does?
Well, maybe Mr. Godsey
will carry you on it.
I already owe him
for a model airplane.
Hey, if I had the money
I'd lend it to you, but...
I know you would.
Yeah, well, I better be
bringing this laundry over.
I sure wish I knew how to
get a hold of some money.
Seven. Come on.
- There's your chance, Jeffrey.
- I don't know how to play.
I do. JEFFREY: Where
did you ever shoot craps?
I never did, but I've
seen them shoot.
- You think you can do it?
- I know I can.
Then let's do it!
- What's his point?
- Six.
A dime says no six.
Run along, sonny. You're
too young to gamble.
Wait a minute. My money
is just as good as yours is.
Sure it is. You got a
quarter? That's the minimum.
Two bits you seven out.
- Six coming up.
- All right.
Come on, lucky six.
And he makes it!
Six the hard way.
Did we win?
No, no, but we will.
All right. Eight bucks and
a half. Everything rides.
How much do I have left?
- Two quarters and a dime.
- Buck-fifty open.
- I've a feeling he's gonna crap out.
- Does that mean we'd win?
- Yes. You think he's gonna crap out?
- If you do.
I do.
Look, I'm betting two
quarters and a dime.
Wait, that's all of it.
You got to bet big if
you want to win big.
- Ninety cents open.
- Yeah, I'll take it.
Come on, dice, get lucky.
- Nine, nine. That's a hard point, Jeff.
- Nine, come on.
Josh! OFFICER 1: Come on, nine.
Josh!
That's right, that's right.
- All right, baby.
Is that the way
you deliver laundry?
Jeff was helping me deliver the
laundry, and we decided to take a break.
You'll get a break if I ever catch you
messing around with crapshooters again.
Don't tell Nana that you saw me,
she'll think that I was playing,
and I was just watching.
You ought to know
better than to even watch.
Boys your age, the law
will come down on you.
Josh, don't you look at that
game while I'm talking to you.
Don't you ever again even
go near a game, you hear?
You do and you'll be sorry.
That goes for you, too, Jeffrey.
Promise you never will
or I will tell your grandma.
- I promise.
- Me, too, Mama.
- Now, take this laundry and don't dally.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Did you make the nine?
- Not yet, but I will.
- Come on.
- Come on, seven!
- Come on, nine.
- Come on, seven!
- Come on, seven!
- Seven. Come on, seven!
Come on seven! - Nine.
- Seven, we won. We win.
- What's going on over there?
You just hold it right there.
There's no gambling in Walton's Mountain.
And I'm just gonna take all of it.
- Wait a minute.
- You can't do that.
Look, I don't care what you do elsewhere,
but the canteen is right next door here
and I'm supposed to make sure
that you guys abide by the regulation.
So, thanks for the contribution.
This is gonna go for the
free-chicken-every-Sunday-night kitty.
Or do you want
me to call the MPs?
How much of that was ours?
How much is two times
two quarters and a dime?
I don't know, but I bet
Mr. Godsey will give it back to us.
Yeah, and tell your grandma that
you was out here shooting craps,
and your Uncle John, too.
I swiped a sour pickle once.
He made me pay for it when I got
the money, but he never told on me.
- Ask him, then.
- I better wait until he cools off.
I got to be handing
out this laundry.
Josh, you've got to be with
me, I might lose my nerve.
Okay, okay, I'll meet
you here after supper.
Hey, great. See you then.
Verdie! Nice to see
you. Come on in.
I baked some
cookies for John-Boy.
Thought maybe John could take
them next time he visits the hospital.
- But he'll be going this weekend.
- Good. How's John-Boy doing?
Well, John says he's doing
just fine, and so is Olivia.
She loves that Red Cross job, and
she gets to see John-Boy every day.
Let's have some coffee.
- No, thanks. I can only stay a minute.
- Verdie, sit down anyway.
- All right.
- Tell me something now.
How is Josh? Is he still star soprano
in the choir or has his voice changed?
That's about the only thing
about him that hasn't changed.
Ever since his father took
that defense job in Detroit,
that boy has been a handful.
Well, I've got me a handful.
- You're too easy on Jeffrey.
- I know it.
Well, what would you do
with Josh if he played hooky?
If? That's his favorite sport.
Well, what do you do?
Use the good right
hand the Lord gave me.
- Does it do any good?
- Not so as you'd notice.
I'll bet John never had
any problems with his boys.
I'll take that bet.
- Where've you been?
- I went out to lunch with Jason.
We got orders piled up to the ceiling,
Son, you take an extra half hour for lunch?
Take it out of my pay.
I don't appreciate
that kind of remark.
I'm sorry, Daddy,
I'm in a bad mood.
Is the motor acting up?
- It's overheating.
- Check the hoses.
- Well, that's what I'm gonna do.
Why are you overheated, Son?
I'm the only male Walton of
draft age who's not in the service,
because you were in the last war
and Grandpa was in the war before that.
And why the hell
shouldn't I be in right now?
We've been all
through that, Son.
Daddy, just because
you disqualified yourself
doesn't mean they didn't
give me special consideration.
They classified me
2A as a favor to you.
Not true, they treated you just like
they treat every Tom, Dick or Harry.
Like any Tom, Dick or Harry whose
last name happens to be Walton.
Ouch!
- John.
- Rose.
I hate to see you working
so late every night.
- Well, I haven't even finished yet.
- I figured.
I've got fresh coffee
and a snack for you.
- You shouldn't have stayed up, Rose.
- I want to talk to you, John.
I'm worried about Jeffrey.
- He'll straighten out.
- His father didn't.
Kind of late for
visitors, isn't it?
- Verdie.
- Evening.
I'm sorry to bother you, but
has Josh been here this evening?
No. Is he AWOL again?
Yes, and I'm getting worried.
He never stays out this late.
- When was the last time you saw him?
- He slipped away right after supper.
Do you think he and Jeffrey
could be up to something?
They were pretty
chummy this afternoon.
Jeffrey's in bed, Verdie.
I went up 10 minutes
ago to cover him up.
He kicks the covers off and
he's sleeping like an angel.
What's the idea coming so late?
I had to wait until my nana
thought that I was asleep.
Anyway, I couldn't tell
her why I had to see Ike.
Well, I knocked
but nobody's home.
Come here.
- Look at what's on the counter.
- The hat he put the money in.
Well, the side
window is unlocked.
Are you saying I ought
to go in there and take it?
No, only what's yours.
Four quarters and two dimes.
Well, like you said, it's mine.
Nothing, huh?
All right, Sheriff,
thanks a lot.
Let me know, if you
hear anything. Okay.
Well, he's not in trouble with the
law and he's not in the hospital.
- Where in the world could he be?
- I can't imagine.
Wait. There's a street corner over in
Rockfish where older boys hang out.
He just might have
hitched a ride over there.
- I'll take you there, Verdie.
- Thanks, John. Good night.
- What are you waiting for?
- It's scary in here.
Nothing in it.
He must have put the
money in the cash register.
Look, we'll just have to come
back tomorrow. Come on.
Hey, I know how to open
it. I've watched him do it.
No, Mr. Godsey wouldn't want
you fooling around with that.
Hey, I'll be real
careful. It's my money.
Must be in that bag.
Just take what's yours,
four quarters and two dimes.
Nothing is more pleasant
than a drive on a balmy evening.
As the French say
ça change les idées.
- Is that what they say?
- Yes.
It means, it changes the
ideas, it clears the mind.
It also makes you sleepy.
I'll be up in a moment.
I'm just going to check
the day's receipts.
Okay, dear.
Let's get out of here.
What's the matter?
Honey, what is it?
- My chest.
- Where's your medicine?
Right here in the pocket.
Never mind me, try
to get a look at them.
It's Josh Foster!
Ben?
I wish I could sleep so sound.
What's keeping you awake?
I think about all my
buddies out there fighting
while I stay at home,
warm and comfortable.
And working yourself to death. I
call that real warm and comfortable.
Cindy, when Virginia grows up and
wants to know how I served my country,
what am I gonna tell her?
I'm proud of what you
do. She will be, too.
I'm getting a notion
to enlist tomorrow.
Look at her.
She's so beautiful.
I don't see how you
can even think of leaving.
That's why I ought to enlist.
I just want this war to be over,
so she can grow up with
a world that's peaceful.
I want her to grow
up knowing her father.
Jason's out there training
soldiers to be on the front line.
Jim-Bob's gonna
enlist when he's 18.
John-Boy was in
the thick of it all.
Let's not worry about
it anymore tonight.
Come on, let's go to bed.
I sure wish I could
talk to John-Boy now.
- Any news?
- The deputy sheriff called back.
- They're holding Josh.
- What did he do?
I don't know. The sheriff said
for you to come to the office.
Let's go.
Right after you called,
I was out cruising.
Saw this boy running like he
was out to break the world's record.
I was hurrying home, Mama,
because I knew you'd be worried.
You let him do the
talking, you hear?
He told me his name,
he was nice and polite,
so I said I'd drive him home.
Then in comes a
call on the car radio.
Ike Godsey's
store robbed of $38!
Boy named Josh Foster
seen running from the store!
No, I was nowhere
near that store.
Where were you?
- I was at the movies.
- Who was with you?
- Nobody.
- Now, you took that money, didn't you?
- I want the truth.
- Easy, Dan.
Why don't we let the
judge handle that?
All right, John. I'll
arrange a hearing.
In the meantime, I'll
have to keep him here.
I don't believe that cell back there
was meant to hold 11-year-old boys.
He's been accused
of a serious crime.
If it was a Walton boy, would
you do him the same way?
Or would you release him
in Mr. Walton's custody?
Mr. Walton is a well-known
person in this community.
So is Mrs. Foster, Dan.
I could release him in your
custody, if that's all right with you?
- I want him released in my custody.
- So do I.
All right.
Let me know tomorrow if
there's anything I can do.
I can't tell you how grateful I am.
- Thank you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
If you were Pinocchio,
your nose would have
grown a foot-and-a-half tonight.
I must cross my heart and hope
to die, I didn't take that money.
Wait a minute. Were you
with somebody who took it?
I was at the movies.
Mrs. Godsey said she was sure you
were the one she saw running away.
It was dark. How
could she be sure?
I guess she couldn't be.
You read all the time about
eyewitnesses being proven wrong.
Hey, Jeffrey, what are
you doing up so early?
- Looking for birds' eggs.
- In a woodpile?
Isn't that where woodpeckers
make their nests?
Anyway, what are
you doing up so early?
I made a deal with Ike to
get some firewood for him.
But I'm sure Corabeth
must have been mistaken.
I can't imagine Josh
doing a thing like that.
- I can.
- Why would you say that, Elizabeth?
It's like it is in
the mysteries.
The one who you don't think could
have possibly done it, always has.
Well, Daddy, did he act guilty?
He was kind of nervous and
scared, but what boy wouldn't be?
Whenever Jeffrey does anything
bad, you'd never guess he did it,
but he always did.
- Go do a swan dive in a brick yard.
- Jeffrey!
She started it.
I hope the trial's after
school so I can go.
They won't be a trial,
just a private hearing.
They won't send
him to jail, will they?
They don't send
children to jail.
Then what do they do with them?
They send them to reform
school, if they're guilty.
I hope they don't send
Josh to one of those places.
What's a reform school?
It's kind of like a
jail with school in it.
Yeah, and if you
don't do your lessons,
they lock you in a
room all by yourself.
They're not supposed to beat you,
but I hear sometimes they still do.
Excuse me. I can't eat any more.
Whoa, whoa! Wait a second.
Where do you think you're going?
I have a stomach ache.
Wonder what gave
him a stomach ache.
Well, it certainly couldn't be
this omelet. Rose, it's wonderful.
Thank you.
You've hardly touched
yours, Ben. Don't you like it?
It's fine, Rose. Delicious.
Mary Ellen, why did you become a
county nurse instead of an army nurse?
I looked into it, and this is
where I was needed most.
Erin, is that why you
stayed at the defense plant,
instead of joining the WACs?
Well, actually, I never thought
about going into the WACs.
Erin, you ruined her strategy.
She's trying to show that you two set
a good example that I ought to follow.
If you're thinking about enlisting,
Ben, that makes two of us.
I wish I was old enough. I
love those WAVE uniforms.
Come on, Son, stoke up.
We got a long day ahead of us.
I'm not hungry.
Nice of you to sweep
up without being told.
Porch needed it real bad, so...
Josh, do you know what
a guilty conscience is?
No, ma'am.
It's when you feel just awful because
you know you've done something wrong.
Happens often that someone with a guilty
conscience tries extra hard to do good,
like getting up early and scrubbing the
kitchen floor, and sweeping the porch.
- A guilty what, Mama?
- Conscience.
You're right. That's what I got.
- I thought so.
- Mama, no, you got it wrong.
See, what I feel
just awful about
is that I've been bad
ever since Daddy left.
Playing hooky from school, and
shooting craps, and things like that.
Josh, come here.
Mama, I wanna go
straighten up my room.
I said, come here.
Where is the money?
Mama, why won't you believe me?
Because I know a guilty
conscience when I see one.
I've had one myself more than
once, and I know what it's like.
Son, tell your mama the truth.
You won't feel so awful then.
It was a very manly
thing for you to do, Josh,
to come and confess.
But I want you to know
that your little escapade
could very nearly have
cost Mr. Godsey his life.
Right. You just give
us the money bag back,
and we'll forget all about it.
- All right, Corabeth?
- Yes, we'll drop the charges.
Problem is, he doesn't
have the money.
- I dropped it when I was running.
- You dropped it? Where?
I don't know.
You sure there weren't two
of you in the store last night?
I thought I heard
two of you running.
No, no, I was alone.
I'll pay back the $38,
a little each week.
- If it's all right with you.
- Yeah, that'll be fine.
Verdie, if he were my son, I would
not want him to get off that easily.
Don't worry. He'll get
what's coming to him.
He can start delivering groceries for
us. He could pay us back that way, huh?
I have a better idea still.
The storefront
needs a coat of paint.
Yeah, I'll buy that. You
can paint $38 worth.
- How's that?
- That will be just fine.
He can start right away, as
soon as he gets his licking.
- Where's the money?
- I buried it.
Go get it. We
gotta give it back.
We ain't got no business
with all that money.
But how? If Uncle
John finds out,
then me and Serena and
Nana will have to move away.
You just get it and let me
worry about the rest, okay?
You know, I haven't
told on you, yet.
Jeffrey, that's very
nice of you to help Josh,
but this is Josh's punishment.
He's got to do
it all by himself.
But I like to paint.
Jeffrey, put the brush down.
Josh, there's a spot
over there you missed.
Get it.
- Ben!
- John-Boy.
- You're looking good.
- Compared to what?
- Compared to the last time I saw you.
- I'm getting there.
- How's the family?
- Fine, everyone's just fine.
- I saw Mama on the way in.
- It helps having her here.
I bet.
I was in Fredericksburg
and I finished up early,
so I thought I'd drive
over and see you.
I'm glad you did.
- I miss you, John-Boy.
- I miss you, too.
- All these guys have been in the war?
- We're the lucky ones.
We're getting ready
to leave this place.
I've seen men inside who'll
be here the rest of their lives.
And I'm doing duty in a sawmill.
It makes me feel so bad,
being a civilian in these times.
Almost every man who's not in the service
gets a twinge of guilt now and then.
- I'm feeling it all the time.
- Ben!
Every man in the States who's in uniform
feels guilty because he's not overseas.
The ones overseas
in the rear echelons,
feel guilty because
they're not on the line.
The ones on the line get twinges when
they see casualties being carried off.
And the casualties feel guilty
because they were lucky enough not
to be killed like some of their buddies.
It's only the dead
that don't feel guilty.
- It's a heavy load.
- It's one we all share right now.
Is this any way to
cheer up the sick?
Tell me what to do, John-Boy.
I don't go a day
without wanting to enlist.
That's something you're gonna
have to work out for yourself.
You have special skills.
Don't put yourself
where you won't be
as important to the war
effort as you are now.
I know 11 Bible verses by heart.
Oh, that's good, Serena. That
means you get 11 gold stars.
Only if I don't
make any mistakes.
Will you look at the verses in my
Sunday school book while I recite them?
I don't have time. I've
got important things to do.
Maybe Nana has time.
Oh, no!
What are you doing?
I'm counting logs, and
you made me lose count.
Will you look at my
Bible verses while I recite?
Go away. I want
to count the logs.
I'll give you a nickel.
Give me the book.
I'll start with this
one, "Jesus wept."
That's easy, everyone
knows that one. Even I do.
But you don't know the next one.
"I cried by reason of mine affliction
unto the Lord, and he heard me."
"Out of the belly of hell cried
I, and thou heardest my voice."
- What kind of a verse is that?
- It's from the story of Jonah.
You mean that guy that
got swallowed by the whale?
He did something very bad,
and while he was going
someplace on a boat,
God sent a great
storm to punish him.
Only it looked like the innocent sailors
were gonna get drowned along with him.
- Did they?
- No.
See, Jonah told them to throw him in
the water and the storm would go away.
They did, and they were all saved.
That's when he got swallowed.
I don't need a nickel anyway.
Now, listen to me,
the end of the line.
No more shenanigans or else...
And any more trouble, I
won't feel right about sta ying.
I'll just pack us up
and we'll move on.
No more shenanigans or else...
Jonah told them to throw him in the
water and the storm would go a wa y.
End of the line. End of the line.
End of the line. End of the line.
Have you seen Jeffrey?
He disappeared after breakfast
this morning, without doing his chores.
As usual.
I haven't been upstairs all morning.
I've been trying to fix this lamp.
I asked Jim-Bob to fix it.
Sometimes he forgets.
So does Jeffrey. Jeffrey!
Jeffrey! Jeffrey!
Jeffrey.
Jeffrey.
"Dear Nana, you said if I
did one more ba d thing,
"we'd all ha ve to move out.
"Well, I did a terrible
thing, so I'm lea ving alone."
"I'm just a Jonah,
"and I don't want bad things to happen
to you and Serena because I did wrong.
"Love, Jeffrey."
Well, I wouldn't worry
about that, Rose.
Runaways always come
back when they get hungry.
Well, that dear
little boy ran away
because he didn't want me
and Serena to be out in the cold.
I guess maybe I shook
Jeffrey up more than I wanted to
when I told him he was
at the end of the line.
What do you suppose
that terrible thing is he did?
I don't know.
You know, Jeffrey got that
stomach ache yesterday at breakfast
when we were talking about Josh.
You don't suppose he's in
on that escapade, do you?
You don't get a stomach ache from
green apples somebody else ate, do you?
Josh? Josh, Jeffrey's
gone off somewhere
and we don't know where. Do you?
No, ma'am. Last I saw
Jeffrey was yesterday.
Are you sure?
Yeah, he was only here for a
minute. You can ask Mr. Godsey.
- Doing a nice job, Josh.
- Thanks, Mr. Walton.
And thanks for getting the
sheriff to let me go the other night.
Your mother tells me he's
gonna let you go altogether.
- Did she tell you everything?
- Everything.
Tell me, Josh, was
Jeffrey in that crap game?
Jeffrey doesn't even
know how to shoot craps.
Your mother said Mr. Godsey heard
two people running from that store.
No. No, no. He said he
thought he heard two people.
Excuse me, I gotta go
get another can of paint.
Jeffrey, where you headed for?
Uh, I thought I'd
take a little ride.
Looks like you're fixed to stay
a while. You running away?
Why would I run away?
Jeffrey, looks like you're carrying
the whole world on your shoulders.
Might make you feel better
if you got it off your chest.
Ike wouldn't let me help
Josh with the painting.
That was mighty nice of you.
It's a big job for
such a little boy.
Meanwhile, I'm having to do
his chores as well as my own.
Mr. Godsey did hear two people.
Mrs. Foster, I
was the other one,
and if it wasn't for me, Josh wouldn't
have got into it in the first place.
Jeffrey.
Tell me about it.
And like I told Mrs. Foster, I
ought to be out there helping Josh.
I'll even do the
rest of the job alone.
I'll even paint this
house, if you want me to.
Jeffrey, when I said,
"No shenanigans, or else,"
the "or else" didn't mean you
were going to have to leave.
I'm the one that told him
that and I shouldn't have.
It was wrong to put all
that pressure on him.
Wait a minute. Sounds like
we're apologizing instead of him.
- I apologize.
- Yeah.
Well, it's not enough.
You did something
wrong, and I'm mad at you.
You know very well
that gambling is wicked.
And breaking into a store
and taking money is worse.
I was just trying to
get back my money
so that I could buy
you a new brace and bit.
Just because you were
trying to do a good thing,
didn't give you the right
to do it in a bad way.
I tell you what. I won't only paint
the house, I'll paint the barn, too.
Now hold on. That money you
took, you didn't spend it, did you?
I buried it.
- Go dig it up.
- But I can't.
- Why not?
- I'll show you.
It's right under there.
Well.
Looks like we're gonna have to
move most of this firewood to get at it.
Jim-Bob, is this Ike's order?
Yeah, and about
half a cord more.
Well, Rose,
maybe if we had Jeffrey deliver
all this and stack it over at Ike's,
he'd think twice about
breaking the law again.
This should take care of it.
Ben never seems to be
around when I need him.
I know. His mind hasn't
been on his work lately.
I know.
Hi.
Where you been,
Son, with the truck?
We should have been loading the
Camp Rockfish order an hour ago.
I'm sorry, Daddy, I had to
go into town for something.
There you are. Let's get at it.
Wait a minute, Daddy.
I have something to tell Cindy
and I might as well tell you also.
I went to the Navy recruiting
office today. I passed my physical.
Ben, you didn't join the Navy?
I joined the Seabees.
They need men with my
construction experience.
I'll be doing the same kind
of work as I'm doing here,
except I'll be overseas
where I'm needed.
You could have given us
some kind of a warning, Son.
I was afraid you'd
talk me out of it.
I was hoping the war would
be over before it came to this.
Pretty soon all my
boys will be gone.
It's all right, Ben.
I understand.
It just hurts a little.
- We'll take care of Cindy and the baby.
- Thank you, Daddy.
You haven't said
anything, Cindy.
Up until now, I've been
hiding from the war.
I know my father's in
it, Jason and John-Boy.
But somehow I lost myself
in taking care of the baby,
and when we talked about
it, it just didn't seem real.
Now it does.
You've brought the
war right into this room.
It's gonna take me a
while to get used to it.
Mr. Godsey said he's gonna give you
back your four quarters and two dimes.
Maybe some of
it should be yours.
- Half of it?
- Okay.
Well, I finished my painting.
I'll never finish moving that
pile of wood and stacking it.
I'll help you. I mean,
the sooner you finish,
the sooner you can
help me make a killing.
Josh, if you're counting on me
getting you into another crap game...
- No, no, no. No more crap shooting for me.
- Then how do we make a killing?
Well, Mr. Godsey said that
I did a real good job painting
and that he has some more
stuff he wanted me to do.
Two bits an hour.
You help, we'll split it,
that's a dime and two
pennies an hour for each of us.
That's two dimes and four cents.
What about the
extra penny left over?
I don't know how
to split a penny.
How about if we put that extra penny
in the free-chicken-every-Sunday kitty?
- Yeah. That's a good idea.
- Let's go, partner.
Hiya, soldier.
It seems like a year
since we were out last.
Gotta make the
most of this weekend.
It's gonna be another three
weeks until I get my next pass.
Gangway, mates.
Ben and Cindy were closer
than they ha d ever been before.
Though their future was uncertain
because Ben was going off to war,
this would alwa ys be a
weekend to remember.
Turn the light off,
Jeffrey, I wanna sleep.
I haven't finished my homework.
- You can do it in the morning.
- I'll have too many chores to do.
- You're being too good, Jeffrey.
- I guess maybe you're right.
- Good night, sailor.
- You mean Seabee.
- Good night, Seabee.
- Good night, mate.
English -SDH