Fred walks up to a shack next to the railroad tracks that’s underneath a highway overpass.
Hortense is hanging wash on the enclosed porch. She spots Derry.
“Freddy!” she yells, and hugs Derry.
“Hello, Hortense!” says Derry.
“Well, say!” says Hortense. She turns and runs into the house. “Pat! Pat, it’s Freddy! He’s home again!” Hortense deftly lifts a bottle of liquor out of Pat Derry’s hands.
“Hello, Pop!” says Derry. Pat shakes Fred’s hand.
“Gee, I wish we had known you were coming,” says Hortense. “We would have had the place kinda cleaned up.”
She turns to Pat. “Well?” asks Hortense. “Haven’t you got anything to say to your own son?”
Pat looks at Fred, and whispers, “Glad to see you, my boy!”
“Look at him, Pat!” says Hortense, “Look – look at your hero son, and look at all those beautiful ribbons on his chest!” She turns to Fred. “Go on, Freddy – – tell your father how – – how you got those ribbons, and what they mean!”
Fred looks around. “Where’s Marie?” asks Fred.
“Marie?” asks Hortense.
“Yeah,” says Fred. “She out?”
“Well, Marie isn’t here, Freddy,” says Hortense.
“She’ll be back soon?” asks Fred.