NAT:

Hey, look, Nan. I think I might have found one.

NAN:

That's a crab, not a fossil.

NAT:

Oh, yeah. You're probably right.

NAN:

You know, fossils are pretty hard to find and I'm sure Mrs. Jo doesn't expect all of us to come back with one.

NAT:

Nan, this is a school assignment.

NAN:

I know, but she wouldn't mind if we took a bit of a rest, especially if we come home with something tasty for dinner.

NAT:

How can "we" go fishing if you only brought one pole.

NAN:

You can watch.

NAT:

I'd rather look for fossils.

NAN:

Hey, look.

NAT:

What? What is it.

NAN:

It looks like a saddlebag. Someone must have lost it.

NAT:

More like they threw 'em away. They look pretty old.

NAN:

They're still good enough to use. Hey, you could use 'em for your fossils, or that fish I'm gonna catch. It looks like there's something inside.

NAT:

Really? [Nan reaches inside.] Money!

NAN:

Look at it all!

ASIA:

I don't know how you do it: teaching and everything else you gotta do around here.

JO:

Well, I couldn't do it without you, Asia.

ASIA:

You know, you gotta take some time off for yourself every now and then.

JO:

Well, I am. I'm taking a nice relaxing bath.

ASIA:

What's this?

JO:

A few history projects. I thought I'd take a look at them while I was in the bath.

ASIA:

[Asia takes the papers from Jo.] Well, you've looked at them. Now, take your bath.

JO:

They were supposed to be marked -

ASIA:

Take your bath! [Asia exits.]

JO:

Two days ago.

NAN:

Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three... twenty-four. Eight hundred and twenty four dollars.

NAT:

This is more money than I've ever seen in my life.

NAN:

We're rich.

NAT:

Well, we can't keep it. We've gotta give it back.

NAN:

Back to who?

NAT:

Whoever it belongs to.

NAN:

Well, we will as soon as we find out who that is. Now we gotta hide it so no one else steals it.

NAT:

I think we should tell Mrs. Jo.

NAN:

We will, but what's the hurry?

NAT:

Well, Nan, it doesn't belong to us.

NAN:

I know, I know. Look, the money was either lost or it was stolen. Right?

NAT:

Yeah, I guess.

NAN:

Right. So, if it was lost, then we'll find out who lost it and give it back and maybe we'll even get a reward. And if it was stolen, we could turn it in and we'll definitely get a reward. A big one, too. And it was lost or stolen a long time ago, everyone's probably already forgotten all about it. Well, it's possible. I mean, we don't know how long it's been out here. If nobody claims it, then who does it belong to?

NAT:

Well, I don't know.

NAN:

It belongs to us. Nat, think about it. Over eight hundred dollars. Do you know what you could buy with that? We could buy anything we wanted. I could buy a new microscope, or a rowboat. And you could buy a violin or something.

NAT:

Or maybe we could buy something for Mrs. Jo and the school.

NAN:

Yeah, that too. And we could split it right down the middle. You could spend your half on anything you want.

NAT:

Only if no one claims it.

NAN:

Right. We've gotta find someplace to hide it.

NAT:

Hey, maybe we should bury it.

NAN:

[Finding a hollow tree stump.] No, look this is perfect. It's hollow.

JO:

Oh. Hi, Nick.

NICK:

Jo, hey. I was just doing a little plastering.

JO:

Oh.

NICK:

A little crack. Nothing really. I just thought I'd better get to it before it got any worse.

JO:

Good idea.

NICK:

Um, it's just a tiny crack. I noticed it a while ago... walking by.

JO:

Oh.

NICK:

But it's all fixed up now. Good as new. [Nick retreats hastily, leaving Jo to wonder why he seems so rushed.]

JO:

Now, this is an interesting one. I'll pass it around so you can all take a closer look.

BESS:

That one's mind. I found it down by the stream.

JO:

Very good, Bess. If you look closely, you can see the imprint of the shellfish that probably lived thousands and thousands of years ago.

TOMMY:

What about mine, Mrs. Jo?

JO:

Which one is yours, Tommy?

TOMMY:

The one with the gold in it.

DAN:

It's not gold.

TOMMY:

Yeah, it is.

JO:

Well, it isn't exactly a fossil, but it is a very interesting mineral, Tommy.

TOMMY:

How much is it worth?

JO:

Not very much, I'm afraid. Dan was right. It isn't gold. It's known as a mineral called pyrite and it's fooled many, many people. That's how it got its nickname: Fool's Gold.

TOMMY:

I thought I was gonna be rich.

JO:

Nan?

NAN:

Me? I'm not rich.

JO:

Which one of these samples belongs to you and Nat.

NAN:

We didn't really find any.

JO:

Well, where did you look?

NAN:

Everywhere: by the stream, in the woods, in an old stone pile.

JO:

And you didn't find anything along the banks of the stream?

NAN:

Nope. Nothing.

JO:

Are you sure you didn't do a little fishing along the way?

NAN:

Oh, maybe a little fishing.

JO:

Well, perhaps the two of you can make up for lost time today when you continue your search after school. I'd like to see something from you.

NAT:

Yes, Mrs. Jo.

JO:

[Picking up another fossil.] Hmm, now this one is interesting. Whose is this?

H.B.:

A fictional story inspired by something in the news? What an excellent assignment.

NAN:

Yeah, we're probably gonna have to look through a lot of newspapers to find exactly the right idea. Mrs. Jo said it's a good way to find 'em.

H.B.:

Indeed it is. I know many a good writer who start each day by reading a newspaper.

NAT:

Really? I never thought of that.

H.B.:

All the news published by the Chronicle in the last few months. There should be a lot of good ideas in there.

NAN:

[Handing half the pile of papers to Nat.] I can take the bottom. You can take the top.

H.B.:

Here's a good story for you: the Boston fire. Thirteen people died. Nearly eight hundred buildings were destroyed.

NAT:

Yeah, I heard about that.

H.B.:

It's a terribly tragedy.

NAN:

Yeah, real sad. Oh! Hey, look! "Two armed men help up a bank today in broad daylight and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money." That's it!

H.B.:

A bank robbery. That could be an interesting story, too.

NAT:

It says here the bankers are offering a reward for the capture of the men and a return of the money.

NAN:

Yeah, and we could write a fictional story about finding the money and turning it in for the reward.

H.B.:

What a terrific idea! Lots of action and suspense. Maybe, the bank robbers could discover who found the money, and they'd come after the kids.

NAN:

Yeah, and then the kids could be on the run and the robbers could find them and hunt them down and kill them like animals.

NAT:

Thank you, Mr. Bridger. I think that's all we need.

NAN:

It's a great idea. Thank you. [Nat and Nan turn to leave.]

H.B.:

Wait a minute. You might want to borrow this for reference. [Harrison hands the paper to Nat and Nan.]

NAN:

Oh, that'd be great. Thanks a lot.

NICK:

Hey, Jo!

JO:

Nick...

AMY:

Well, look at you. The perfect teacher. I hope you're better with these children than you were with me.

JO:

Well, unlike you, Amy, these children really want to learn. Most of them, anyway.

MEG:

What do you mean?

JO:

It seems that Emil has copied every answer from Nat, spelling errors and all.

MEG:

Well, I guess you're going to have to have a talk with him.

AMY:

Well, it's always tempting to spy on your neighbour during a test. You know, when no one's looking, just a quick peek.

MEG:

Are you saying you used to cheat on your tests?

AMY:

Once or twice, maybe. Are you saying you never did?

MEG:

No. Never.

AMY:

Oh, come on, Meg.

MEG:

[Noticing that Jo has become pensive.] What's the matter, Jo?

JO:

Oh, nothing. Nothing really. Something strange happened yesterday.

AMY:

Strange?

MEG:

What is it?

JO:

Well, I ran into Nick repairing a crack in the bathroom door yesterday afternoon. At first I didn't think anything of it.

MEG:

And why would you?

JO:

Exactly. That is why I employ him. [Beat.] But there was something odd about his behaviour.

AMY:

Odd? In what way?

JO:

Well, it was about an hour after I had taken a bath and he was tripping over himself trying to explain what he was doing. It was almost as though I had caught him doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.

MEG:

What are you saying?

AMY:

Do you think he saw you?

JO:

I don't know.

AMY:

Well, how big was the crack.

JO:

He said it was tiny, but I didn't see it.

MEG:

Well, then why worry about it? As you say, Nick was simply doing his job.

AMY:

But doing his job an hour after Jo had a bath... I think that's a bit of a coincidence, don't you.

MEG:

Oh, Amy, you're making far too much out of this. Besides, what can one possible see through a tiny crack in a bathroom door?

NICK:

Jo?

JO:

Hello, Nick.

NICK:

What happened?

JO:

Nothing. I mean, well, I must have slammed the door too hard. The plaster fell out. Sorry.

NICK:

No. That's my fault. I probably should have packed it in there tighter. I'll clean this up and try again.

JO:

It's pretty big. [Beat.] The, uh, crack... A lot bigger than I thought.

NICK:

Yeah, well, you know. These things just get worse and worse if you don't fix 'em right. You know what? I should probably just replace this whole door and be done with it. I'll get on that right away.

NAN:

See? I was right about hidin' the money and not tellin' anybody about it until we found out where it came from.

NAT:

Now, all we have to do is return the money to the bank in Boston.

NAN:

Right, and collect that big, fat reward.

NAT:

I just hope the bank robbers don't come chasing us like the ones in your story.

NAN:

Yeah, I liked that part. Didn't you? Nat, they're bank robbers. Remember? They're long gone by now.

NAT:

How much do you think the rewards for?

NAN:

A lot. We could probably buy some really great things.

NAT:

Yeah, Plumfield could sure use some new instruments.

NAN:

Medical instruments.

NAT:

I was actually thinking musical.

NAN:

I know. Over there. Somewhere around here.

NAT:

[Finding the stump.] There it is.

NAN:

Wait! Listen.

MAN 1:

Come on, we gotta keep movin'. We gotta find it here somewhere.

MAN 2:

Yeah, sure. I wish you'd've paid more attention.

NAT:

It's the bank robbers.

NAN:

Looks like it.

MAN 1:

We'll head up that way where we crossed the river. See, right over here.

NAN:

Come on. Over there.

MAN 1:

They gotta be around here somewhere. I remember seein' 'em on your horse a few miles back.

MAN 2:

Too bad you didn't see 'em fall off.

MAN 1:

Nah, I'm looking for the trail. It's over there.

NAT:

We gotta get out of here.

NAN:

They're goin' towards the money.

NAT:

Forget the money.

MAN 1:

Come on. Let's go. Keep movin' will you? Come on! Stop wastin' time.

MAN 2:

I'm comin'. I'm comin'.

MAN 1:

We've been out here all day. [Man 1 and 2 exit.]

NAN:

I can't believe it. They didn't find it. [Nan and Nat examine the stump.] Where is it? I put it here. Where are they?

NAT:

They've gotta be here.

NAN:

They're gone.

NAN:

[To Nat.] Let me do the talking.

JO:

What happened?

NAN:

We fell in the mud.

JO:

Both of you?

NAN:

Well, we were standing on this rotten log and it broke.

JO:

I thought you were going to look for fossils.

NAT:

Well, we -

NAN:

Well, we were, but then we started exploring and we were looking at all this dead stuff growing out of this log and we're standing on it and it busted right in half.

JO:

I thought you were going to use this time to make up for yesterday.

NAT:

We're sorry, Mrs. Jo.

NAN:

Yeah, I guess we just lost track of time. Are we late for supper?

JO:

Just about. Go on, now. Get washed up.

NAN:

Nat, I gotta show you something.

NAT:

Can't you just tell me what it is?

NAN:

No, I gotta show you. It's up here. You won't believe it. I was up here pitchin' hay. You won't believe what I found. [Nan pulls out the saddlebags.]

NAT:

How did it get up here?

NAN:

I don't know.

NAT:

Well, someone must've seen us hide 'em in the woods.

NAN:

Well, yeah, but there's somethin' else. Over three hundred dollars is missing.

NAT:

Someone is spendin' it?

NAN:

Looks that way to me.

NAT:

But who? Wait a minute. Maybe it's Bess.

NAN:

It's not Bess. She doesn't need the money. Her folks are filthy rich. It's Dan.

NAT:

What?

NAN:

You saw how he was lookin' at us yesterday.

NAT:

Nan, Dan would never do something like this.

NAN:

How do you know?

NAT:

Because he would tell me.

NAN:

Why would he tell you? You weren't going to tell him. [There is a sound of excitement from outside.] What's going on?

ROB:

Mommy! Mommy! Emil's got a horse. Can I ride him? Please, please?

DAN:

The thing's lookin' a bit skinny. You better feed it.

NAN:

[To Nat.] How did Emil get a horse?

EMIL:

My uncle gave him to me. Isn't he a beauty?

DAN:

Uh, he looks a little... old to me.

JO:

Your uncle gave him to you?

EMIL:

Yeah, he sent me the money and I picked him out myself.

NAN:

He gave you the money?

EMIL:

My birthday's comin' up and he figured I should learn to ride.

NAN:

He never gave you no birthday present last year.

EMIL:

Well, he's making up for it this year.

NAN:

Well, isn't that the uncle that's so cruel and mean to you all the time? If that was my uncle, it would take a lot more than a horse -

JO:

That's enough, Nan. I think he's a very nice horse, Emil. I hope you thanked your uncle for him.

EMIL:

Yes, ma'am. I did.

NAN:

Looking for this?

EMIL:

Hey, that's mine.

NAN:

No it isn't. We found it by the stream and then we hid it in the woods.

EMIL:

I got to it before the guys who were looking for it did. It's mine.

NAT:

You saw those men in the woods, too?

EMIL:

Look, I thought the money wouldn't be safe in the woods anymore, so I decided to move it. And it's a good thing I did.

NAN:

Then why were you following us in the first place?

EMIL:

I thought you'd know where the best fossils were.

NAT:

Those men robbed a bank in Boston.

EMIL:

I had a feeling they had stolen it from somewhere.

NAN:

Yeah, then you stole it from us.

EMIL:

Look, I was gonna tell you.

NAN:

After you spent it all?

EMIL:

No!

NAT:

No one's going to spend anymore, all right? We're gonna give it back.

EMIL:

Back?

NAT:

To the bank.

NAN:

They're offering a big reward.

EMIL:

Look, what's wrong with spending a little?

NAT:

It's stolen money, Emil. That's what's wrong.

EMIL:

The bank robbers would have spent it all anyway. So we can spend a little and give some back to the bank.

NAN:

Maybe we could even still collect a reward.

EMIL:

Yes!

NAT:

Are you crazy?

EMIL:

I bought a horse. You can get something you really want, and so can Nan. We can take the rest back to the bank.

NAN:

It couldn't hurt.

NAT:

This is just as bad as stealing.

NAN:

No it isn't, Nat. We don't really know how much that reward is. It could just be a couple of bucks.

NAT:

It isn't right.

EMIL:

Two against one. That's the way it is. And whether you like it or not, Nat, you're a part of this as much as we are.

AMY:

You really can see everything!

MEG:

Let me see!

JO:

Hurry up, you two. He could be back any minute.

MEG:

Oh, my. You can see the whole room from here. It's hard to believe that such a tiny crack would reveal so much.

AMY:

Amazing, isn't it?

JO:

All right, you two. That's enough. That's enough!

AMY:

I'm so sorry, Jo. You must be so embarrassed.

MEG:

He might not have seen anything.

JO:

You just said you could see the whole room from there.

MEG:

Well, yes, but he might not have looked. And even if he did, it's not the end of the world.

JO:

Meg! I was taking a bath! I was -

MEG:

Jo, these things happen when people live under the same roof. I'm surprised it didn't happen before this.

AMY:

Yes, but the thought of Nick spying.

MEG:

Spying? Amy, really. Nick is not the sort of man who would stand there watching. He would fix the door right away, exactly as he did.

AMY:

Well, I suppose the only way you're going to find out for sure is to ask him.

PERCY:

What good's a horse without a saddle. Am I right? It's good to see you again, my friend.

EMIL:

Hello, Mr. Percy This is Nan. She's buying the saddle. She just inherited some money.

NAN:

My great aunt died.

PERCY:

I'm so sorry. You know, buying something really special is one of the best ways to remember a dear, departed loved one.

NAN:

Yeah, and buying a saddle will keep things even.

EMIL:

Yeah, we're sort of sharing my horse.

PERCY:

Well, I've got lots of saddles, as you can see. How much you lookin' to spend.

NAN:

Not too much, but Emil says you got the best deals in town.

EMIL:

We want a really good saddle.

PERCY:

Of course, of course. Well, I've got these English saddles. Very nice, very dependable, but if you want something really good, really special, take a look at this. [Leading the way to another saddle, but discretely removing a $35 price reduction tag as he walks by.] I present to you an authentic Western saddle shipped all the way from Texas, the first of its kind in Concord.

NAN:

I've never seen a Western saddle before.

EMIL:

It's just like the cowboys would use.

PERCY:

You betcha. Now, it won't be long before everyone's usin' 'em out here, but you could be the first. And if you want a really good, really special saddle, this here is the one to buy.

EMIL:

How much is it?

PERCY:

Well, I'm sellin' it for sixty-five, but since you're more or less of a repeat customer, I could let it go for a little less.

NAN:

How about fifty?

PERCY:

Fifty? All right. Fifty dollars it is.

JO:

[Visibly nervous.] Nick, that really is quite a door. You've done a great job.

NICK:

Thanks.

JO:

You know, it's a wonder something like this didn't happen sooner. [Beat.] You know, the crack... in the door.

NICK:

Oh, yeah. Well, these things happen all the time.

JO:

They do?

NICK:

Yeah. The wood warps and twists on account of all the water.

JO:

Oh, the water. Right... I was talking about the actual crack... in the door. I mean, who knows what someone might have seen through that crack. It is the bathroom, after all.

NICK:

Right, right.

JO:

Family life can be full of embarrassing moments.

NICK:

Yeah, it can be and it's always best to prevent 'em if you can. That's why I put a whole new door on. [NICK exits.]

TOMMY:

I'll do your chores for a week if you let me ride.

EMIL:

Two weeks and you've got a deal.

NAN:

How do you make this thing go faster?

DAN:

Turn the clock back fifty years.

EMIL:

That's gonna be how long it is before you get a ride, Dan. [Nick joins the group.]

NICK:

Hey, where'd you get the saddle?

EMIL:

From my uncle.

JO:

Your uncle?

EMIL:

Uh, yeah, it was part of the gift. I had to wait for it to come in from Texas.

JO:

All the way from Texas?

NAN:

You know, that Captain Hoffman's pretty nice... once you get past all that mean stuff, I mean.

EMIL:

And what good's a horse without a saddle?

NICK:

Just like the one I learned to ride on.

NAN:

[To the horse.] Come on... Come on! Go!

EMIL:

You're not doin' it right, Nan.

NAN:

Oh, this stupid horse. Show me what I'm doin' wrong 'cause I can't get this old bag of bones to get movin' at all.

DAN:

It ain't goin' anywhere, Nan.

NAN:

Go! Come on. Stupid horse...

NICK:

All right, point your heels down in the stirrups.

NAN:

Thank you, Nick. [To Emil.] Why did you buy such an old horse anyway, Emil?

DAN:

So, why didn't you want to ride Emil's horse?

NAT:

No reason. Why didn't you ride it?

DAN:

What? Are you kiddin'? That thing's like a hundred years old.

NAT:

Yeah.

DAN:

Nat, what's goin' on with you and Nan?

NAT:

What do you mean? Nothin's goin' on.

DAN:

You mean nothin' you wanna talk about.

H.B.:

Good morning, Dan, Nat. How's life treatin' you this morning?

NAT:

Ah, couldn't be better, Mr. Bridger.

H.B.:

How about you, Nat. Did you and Nan get that story in on time?

DAN:

Story?

NAT:

Yeah, we finished it yesterday.

H.B.:

I bet it didn't turn out the way the real story did. They caught those two bank robbers last night.

NAT:

They did?

H.B.:

Yeah. They recovered all the money, too.

NAT:

All of the money?

H.B.:

Every penny. I'll see you boys later. [Harrison exits.]

DAN:

What's goin' on, Nat? [Nick enters before Nat can answer.]

NICK:

You boys all set?

NAT:

Yeah. Let's go.

JO:

It's beautiful, Meg.

MEG:

It will be when it's finished. Stand still for a minute. Turn around.

AMY:

It really does complement your figure, Jo.

JO:

It's not too revealing?

AMY:

I don't think so.

MEG:

Okay, hold this up for a second while I put some pins in.

JO:

High enough?

MEG:

A little higher.

AMY:

Here, let me help you.

JO:

Why don't I just take it off.

AMY:

What was that?

JO:

Nick.

AMY:

He was spying.

MEG:

I don't believe it.

AMY:

You have to talk to him, Jo.

NAN:

It didn't come from the bank in Boston?

NAT:

No, that money was recovered and those robbers were arrested.

NAN:

Then where did the money that we found come from?

EMIL:

And who were the men in the woods?

NAT:

I don't know.

EMIL:

It must have been from a different robbery.

NAN:

Yeah, and they were different robbers than the ones that were caught, which means we're right where we were in the beginning. If no one claims the money then it's ours to keep.

EMIL:

All of it?

NAN:

Yeah, why not?

NAT:

Because it doesn't belong to us, that's why not. Listen, I'm not a part of this anymore.

EMIL:

[Grabbing Nat.] Yes, you are, and if we get caught, we're gonna tell them it was your idea.

NAT:

Leave me alone, Emil.

NAN:

Take it easy. Look, Nat, we're not doing anything wrong. We're just holding onto the money 'til we find out who it belongs to, just like we originally agreed. [To Emil.] And we won't spend another penny. [To Nat.] I promise.

EMIL:

We should be getting back.

NICK:

Jo.

JO:

Nick. Sorry, I didn't see you standing there.

NICK:

[Grabbing his shirt and putting it on.] Ah, that's all right. I guess we're even now.

JO:

Even? What do you mean?

NICK:

I don't know. I just said it.

JO:

Why?

NICK:

No reason. [Beat.]

JO:

How much did you see?

NICK:

See?

JO:

Through the bathroom door.

NICK:

Nothing.

JO:

That's why you were so anxious to replace the whole door. How long were you standing there?

NICK:

I wasn't.

JO:

Yes, you were. And what about the window?

NICK:

I was fixin' it.

JO:

How long has this been going on, Nick? How long have you been peering through windows and cracks in doors? How long have you been spying on me?

NICK:

Spying? You think I was standin' there watchin' ya? I was walkin' by. I seen a crack in the door. I stopped to take a look at it and I seen your foot steppin' into the bathtub.

JO:

My foot?

NICK:

That's right. I could've stopped to look, but I didn't. I walked away. [Nick grabs his hat.] I'm sorry you got such a low opinion of me. [Nick leaves.]

ASIA:

The food must be good tonight. No one's got time to talk.

JO:

It's exceptional. Don't you agree, Nick?

NICK:

Asia's cookin's always the best.

ASIA:

Did you tell Jo that story you were telling me?

JO:

What story is that?

NICK:

I ran into Sheriff Webster earlier today. He was tellin' me about a family from Boston come out to buy the old Tapscott vineyard north of town and get it goin' again.

JO:

I know that place. It's a nice piece of property.

NICK:

Dream of a lifetime for these folks. Twenty some years they saved to buy it, and somewhere between here and Boston they lost all their money.

JO:

They lost it? How?

NICK:

Father and son were ridin' out to put a down payment on the place. Somewhere between here and town, they lost their saddlebags.

NAT:

A family from Boston?

DAN:

How much did they lose?

NICK:

Everything they had. Over eight hundred dollars.

JO:

That's just terrible.

ASIA:

Poor family must be devastated.

DAN:

Maybe someone found it, but they don't know who it belongs to yet.

NICK:

No one's come forward. Sheriff Webster's organizin' a search party. I told him I'd help round up some volunteers.

JO:

Well, that's an excellent idea. We can all help.

TOMMY:

Yeah, it'll be like a treasure hunt.

NAN:

What are we gonna do?

EMIL:

Nothing.

SHERIFF:

Mornin', everybody. I'd like to thank you all for givin' up your time to help in this search. This here is Mr. Butler. [We see that Mr. Butler was the younger man that Nat and Nan had seen earlier in the forest.]

MR. B.:

Hello. Seein' all you folks here reminds me of all the things that money can't buy. My wife, my daughter, my parents and I, we came out here to buy a vineyard. Whether we find our money or not, we found a place we'd like to call our home.

SHERIFF:

Now, they must've figured they lost their saddlebags somewhere between here and Concord. Now, I want you all to split into small groups. Spread out and make your way back to town. We'll meet up again at two o'clock in front of my office.

ROB:

[Approaching Mr. Butler with a little sack.] Here, this is for you.

MR. B.:

For us? This must be all the money you got in the world.

ROB:

Just think what you lost.

MR. B.:

Well, thank you, son. You keep your savings. I'm sure with all these good people here, we'll find our money in no time. [Jo looks on proudly at her son for his unselfish gesture.]

EMIL:

[Leaving the gathering to follow Nat.] Where's he going?

NAN:

I don't know.

EMIL:

What are you doing?

NAT:

I'm gonna get the money and give it back to those people.

EMIL:

No, you're not. We already spent some. How are you gonna explain that?

NAT:

That's your problem. I didn't spend any.

NAN:

But I did.

NAT:

Look. You saw those people. We gotta do something.

EMIL:

It's too late.

NAN:

We're gonna get thrown in jail for this.

EMIL:

Yeah, Nat, do you want to go to jail?

NAT:

We're not gonna go to jail if we try to make things right. Whether you help me or not, I'm gonna get the money and give it back.

NAN:

He's right, Emil.

EMIL:

No, he's not. [Emil grabs onto Nat.]

NAT:

Hey! [Falling to the ground.]

NAN:

Emil, stop! No!

NAT:

Get off me! Get off me!

NAN:

Leave him alone! Emil!

NAT:

[Coming to the rescue, Dan grabs Emil off Nat and pushes him against a tree.] What's the matter with you?

EMIL:

You can't tell anyone.

DAN:

Do you think people won't figure it out? Go get Nick and Mrs. Jo.

EMIL:

No!

NAN:

We have to. We've got no choice.

EMIL:

No. She'll tell my uncle.

JO:

Eight hundred and twenty four dollars. I couldn't believe it when Nick told us about it last night.

MEG:

How is Nick?

AMY:

Yes, have you spoken to him since the... door?

JO:

Silly door. It's been the cause of more trouble.

AMY:

What do you mean?

JO:

He saw my foot.

MEG:

Your foot?

AMY:

That's all?

MEG:

Well, that's a relief.

JO:

Yeah.

MEG:

Well, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were disappointed.

AMY:

Disappointed? Meg!

MEG:

Well, I mean, when you were imagining what Nick might have seen, you were.... intrigued. Maybe it's time you and Nick considered courting.

JO:

What?

AMY:

Why not? You've already admitted to having feelings for him, Jo.

MEG:

And it's pretty clear those feelings aren't going away

NICK:

[Joining the sisters on the road.] Hey, there you are. I've been lookin' all over for you.

JO:

You have?

NICK:

The kids found the money.

JO:

They did?

NICK:

Yeah. They found it a few days ago.

JO:

How much is missing?

NAN:

Two hundred and thirty dollars.

JO:

That you spent on a horse and a saddle.

NAN:

Nat wanted to tell you right away.

JO:

[To Nat.] Why didn't you? [To Nan and Emil.] Why didn't either of you? Well, what are you going to tell the Butlers?

NAN:

We'll pay them back.

JO:

Yes, you will.

EMIL:

I'll accept any punishment, Mrs. Jo. Just don't tell my uncle.

JO:

First, you're going to return the horse and then the saddle.

NICK:

I'll take the saddle. How much you pay for it.

NAN:

Fifty dollars.

JO:

Fifty dollars for a saddle.

NICK:

It's a nice saddle, Jo.

NAN:

Thanks, Nick. Now all we gotta do is take the horse back and get all the money.

JO:

And then you're going to return it to the Butlers, in person. And if they're satisfied with your apology, then I'll agree not to report this little episode to Captain Hoffman.

EMIL:

Thank you, Mrs. Jo.

JO:

Go on. Get busy.

EMIL:

I'll get the horse.

JO:

[Taking the saddlebags from Nan.] We'll take that.

PERCY:

A hundred dollars. That's the best I can do for ya.

EMIL:

A hundred dollars? But I paid a hundred eighty for him.

PERCY:

I guess you paid too much. I'm sorry, my friend. I can appreciate your predicament, but I gotta make a livin' too. A hundred dollars. Take it or leave it.

EMIL:

All right. We'll take it.

PERCY:

It's been a pleasure doin' business with you. I'm sorry that it didn't work out.

NAN:

[Taking the money from Mr. Percy.] Crook.

EMIL:

We're still eighty dollars short. What are we gonna do?

NAT:

We're really sorry, Mr. Butler. We know what we were doing was wrong. We should've known better.

NAN:

Yeah, we'll work all summer to pay it off.

EMIL:

As long as it takes. We're not afraid of hard work.

MR. B.:

You're good kids. You could've kept all of it. So, you come out to the old vineyard and you help me get it all up and running, and we'll be happy to consider it repayment in full.

EMIL:

Thank you, Mr. Butler.

NAN:

Thank you so much.

NAT:

Thanks.

JO:

Nice saddle you got there.

NICK:

Yeah. I probably paid a little more for it than I should've, but I've always wanted a nice saddle.

JO:

Nick, I came to apologize for accusing you of spying on me. It was an awful thing to say.

NICK:

Yeah, it was. [Beat.]

JO:

I'm sorry. [Jo turns to leave.]

NICK:

Though I was tempted. [Jo comes back, walking towards Nick.] You're a beautiful woman, Jo.

JO:

[Blushes.] Where do we go from here?

NICK:

I don't know. I don't know what to do.

JO:

Meg thinks we should start courting.

NICK:

Might not be a bad idea. Been on my mind for a while now.

JO:

Mine, too.

NICK:

The kids would probably be all for it.

JO:

They'd be thrilled. [Jo crosses to stand just in front of Nick. She places her hand on the saddle.] It might make things easier for us as well.

NICK:

We wouldn't have to hide our feelings no more. Pretend we didn't have 'em.

JO:

We could walk down the street together, arm in arm if we wanted to.

NICK:

That would be all right. [Beat.]

JO:

But then we are so different.

NICK:

Yeah, we don't see eye to eye on very much.

JO:

Courting can be so formal, awkward.

NICK:

I'd never get it right.

JO:

I'd be worse.

NICK:

And as much as I like it here, there's a part of me that's always gonna wanna go back to sea one day.

JO:

And you should. I wouldn't want to stand in your way.

NICK:

You deserve a better commitment than that, Jo.

JO:

And you deserve a woman who will wait for you. [Beat.] We're just too different. It would never work.

NICK:

Nah, not in a million years.