The Painter from Wabasha Street (Part Two of Two, Ella Dies)

III1942 he went in, and in 1945, he was killed in Italy.
Two weeks laterTony has just received a Purple Heat by the
Well, Ella and Tony got married, do not leave St.Government for his son's bravery and valor in the
Paul, and Earnest, is still part of the team. Theyline of duty. He is fifty-two years old now, past
have just gotten back from their honeymoon,middle age, and is about the same age as Cory.
they went to Chicago, about four-hundred milesLilly is also about their age.
from where they live; they took a train, andTony's only daughter, Betty, has taken a liking for
enjoyed the city sites, the museum, and NavyCory's son, Robert Gunderson (I know I have not
Pier. Mr. Nelson has provided a bigger apartmenttold you up until now, Cory had a son, but he
above the bar for them, at the same price asdoes); Betty is older than Robert by several
Tony was paying for the sleeping room. (He likesyears. But they've been seeing each other at the
Tony, and I think this puts a thorn into the side ofrestaurant when Tony was gone. Earnest has not
Cory, and Mr. Nelson likes that.) He even got asaid a word to anyone about it. And now Betty
toilet in his room, not like his previous sleepinghas confronted her father, and he is most
room, a public one were the other twoalarmed. And Robert has confronted his father,
apartments had to share.and is likewise, is somewhat historical over the
Cory is mad, he had expected Tony and Ella atmatter.
least to face him, and had been so mad he wentCory Gunderson says no to the marriage, and so
and found that old man's daughter Lilly Olson, whodoes Tony, until Earnest comes out and says: "I
was pretty, not as pretty as Ella, but pretty, andthink you've forgot how you met Ella, you two
married her on a whim. Now both Ella and Lilly areeloped, and now you are blocking two people who
pregnant, and Earnest Colman, has found himselflove each other. What would Ella say?"
a girl named Anna, whom he will marry.Tony thinks about what Earnest says (and of
Tony has changed his name to Douglas, his othercourse he could say something more
name was too hard for everyone to pronounce,heartbreaking, should you want it to be). And
so he told his wife, and is much happier with that.Tony says, "OK, I'll give my blessing."
And so it is for his wife, Ella Douglas, and nowBut Cory doesn't, and will not. And Lilly will not
their new child, which is a boy, Frank Douglas.marry unless her father agrees to this. Out of
Cory's wife has a baby girl and they named her,spike he remains firm.
Rita Gunderson.In the mean time, Lilly marries a Jewish boy,
It is l918, and Tony has been drafted to in the USPeter Coddon, but her husband cannot have
Army (WWI is going on), and leaves for Europe,children, and of course this is not know at the
his wife Ella is with her second child. He is in atime, until it is brought out by the Veteran's
noncombatant area, a cook; Cory also goes intodoctor (after several years of trying), who has a
the Army, he is a First Lieutenant, and Tony atheory it is not her but him, an old would from
Private. Cory finds himself in the trenches inWWII; a piece of metal had punctured his groin
France, Tony is still in England, and Generalarea, when he was humping ammunition from one
Pershing have been talking to the Germans abouttrench to the other, and was blown several feet
an armistice. Thus, they will have only servedin the air, and became a medical causality, where
perhaps 18-months each in the Service, by thehe was then back to the United States. He had
time they are released.thought all was well of course, unless he lied. And
They both arrive home in 1919, and arenow Cory is an old man of perhaps 65-years old,
discharged from the army;is steaming after finding out the news. He has no
Tony has found out he has a daughter by thegrandchildren, nor will have.
name of Betty; and Cory has another daughterVI
as well, named after his wife Lilly (the motherTime: 1959
being, Lilly Olson Gunderson).Tony is now 67-years old, as is Cory, neither
There remains a feud between these two people,have grandchildren, and Tony has now fired
it is played out silently, but is there nonetheless.Earnest, after learning he was taking home to his
IVwife and three kids, many products and pounds
Time: 1923of meat (weekly), god knows how long he had
Ella dies, double pneumonia, her tombstone inbeen doing this. But it doesn't seem to faze him,
Oakland Cemetery reads:he is fine either way. He has three children as I've
'Ella Colman Douglasmentioned, and they gave him three grandchildren
Born 1889-1923each, andone of his grandchildren is seventeen,
Wife of Tony S. Douglasand pregnant, so he will be a great-grandfather
"She was the Best Part of my life"soon. Cory and Tony have remained enemy's for
It is 1924. It is Saturday morning. Tony has donemost part, since they had met some 50-years
well for himself, he lives on Arch Street, in hisago. Betty, now aging, cleans the house for Tony,
own home with his two children. He continues toand does a lot of the chores. She has been dating
work as a painter, and has a restaurant, Ella'sa man down the block, but never marries him: he
brother Earnest takes care of it when he isis married to a woman in another city who will not
working his other job. The restaurant is ongive him a divorce because of a shared grocery
Wabasha Street, near Mr. Nelson's bar,store they both owned together, and this now is
matter-of-fact he helped Tony negotiate the dealher sole income.
to buy the place. He is thirty-years old now (heCory's son, Robert, takes care of his business
was born in 1893; his deceased wife was olderwhich Cory inherited from his father.
than he).Note: written in the form of a short version
V[skeleton] for the screen 3/4/2006; more dialogue
Time: 1945can be put in of course.
Frank, has went into the Army, WWII, it was in