 Well, now, that's the way you look at it, Oliver. I'm pulling out of the deal right now. You're pulling out where you haven't done a bit of work yet. I'm the guy who stuck for the tractor and stuff. Well, I told Homer not to let you in on this in the first place. I tried to stop, Oliver. It didn't look good to me. Well, do better how you decided. I want every bit of that dirt moved back to where you found it, and quickly, too. Not me. I'll sue and take everything you have, Anderson. Believe me. Don't tell me what to do. Uh-oh. Here we go again, folks. Let's visit the Anderson family. Well, this whole thing started when Homer meistered the man next door, trying to get Oliver Anderson to back him financially in a contract job, which consisted of grading a couple of building lots. Mary, of course, isn't very interested in Oliver doing something which he knows so little about, but Oliver sees only profit and a lot of it ahead. Homer's been over three times, Oliver. Now, you know what he wants. Money, as usual. Well, the guy doesn't make any money unless he's willing to spend a little to get it. Do you realize that he's asking for $300? Yeah, but I clear $200, and that's not bad. You haven't cleared it yet. Now, if you rent the tractor and spend two days on the job, you won't have too much. I just saw Mr. Meister down at the corner, Pop. Oh, good. I'll run down and see what he has on his mind. I thought you were going to spend the day cleaning the yard, dear. Oh, good. That's not bad. Junior. Yes, Pop? What was Homer doing? Well, I don't like to say, Pop. You know how I am. What a man does is his own business. You mean Antoinette, the waitress down there? Oh, Mom, you have a way of asking just the right thing. What's a fellow gonna do? I refuse to answer. Mm-hmm. One of these days, Martha will go down there after Homer and find him draped over the counter with love in his eyes. And she'll close both of them, tightly. I think the love life of the Meisters is none of our concern, Mary. I'm only interested in making money. I must see him right away. Oh, you mean down to the restaurant? Of course. Oh, you have Antoinette in mind, huh? Me? Oh-ho-ho. Of course, not how silly. I've never noticed her. I do think she could wear her hair differently. Oh, you never noticed her. Oh, no. Never mind. Go ahead. Make the deal with Homer. Everything will work out well for you until you try to get the $300 out of this house. But, Mr. Meister, you know... Oh, look, I've been coming in here for months. Just call me Homer, honey. Ah, do you think he'd proper? Why, of course, he is. But you don't dance to you, Mr. Meister. I mean, a man. Why, of course I do. Why, every time I get out in that foreign world, people just stand around and gasp. Ah, thank you. I can see where they would. Yeah, now some of these young whippersnappers around here don't know how to do the older dances. Oh, I just don't know. Oh, man. Oh, come on. I'll escort you. I've got a brand-new sweater. We'll be the most talked-about ones there. You really mean it, don't you, darling? Oh, it would be thrilling to be with you, George. Yeah, uh, Homer. Oh-ho-ho. Yes, Homer. But there's one thing worries me. Oh, shucks. We ain't got to worry in there. I'm rare in the dance. But the tickets are $5 and you'll know... Oh, shucks. What's money? Wait, what'd you say? How much? But, like you said, we don't have a worry in the world. Well, now, wait, wait. I got a deal on with Anderson and I'll have a few dollars over her. Oh, yes. You mean Oliver? Oliver and... Uh, yeah, yeah. Seen him lately? Oh, he's in here once in a while. Always leaves a quarter, too. Oh, he does, eh? Well, here's my tip. A half-a-dollar babe ain't a cheap bone in my body. Hey, I spend, I do. That 50 cents don't mean nothing to me. Nothing new. Oh, thank you, uh, oh, man. Oh, don't give it another thought. I ain't. Oh, here comes Mr. Anderson now. He must be looking for you. Oh, yeah, yeah. Hey, Oliver, glad you come. Hi, Homer. Hey. Who's over here now? What's the deal? Oh, good morning, Mr. Anderson. You're looking fresh. I am? I mean, thanks. Well, Homer, come on. Sit down in here now. Give it to me first. How much can we make? Well, the way I see it... Never mind the way you see it. What will it actually make? Well, I give Briggs a price of $300 to level up that big lord on Pierce Drive. He owns three of them up there, you know. $300, huh? Yep, yep. We don't grade it with our hands, do we? Oh, nope, nope, nope. I can rent a tractor and grader for a fixed dollars a day, and we can do it in one day. Easy. That leaves, uh, $125 a piece, that right? Well, of course, me being the contractor... I don't want that now. Is it $125 or nothing? Well, of course, I need your $300 for a bond. Once more. Is it $125? Oh, dad, never have it your way. Well, where's the $300? It's home. When I need it, we'll get it. Well, let's drop a contract on this, uh, this napkin here. I pay expenses and get $125 back. Okay, draw it up. Money don't mean a thing to me. Nothing, nope. Okay, that's a deal. Now, is there anything else? Uh, well, uh, yeah. Why? Uh, could I get a little in advance? In advance? Why? Well, uh, Marthy gave me $0.50 to bring home some groceries and Doug, gone in if I ain't misplaced it somewhere. All right, now let me do the talk into the tractor man, Homer. Well, it's my job. I am the contractor. And it's my money. Now, here he comes. I can get him to shave the price a bit. Yes, come, come. What is it? Uh, I'd like to talk to you about a tractor. Well, talk to me. Oh, oh, yeah, well, uh, we have a little job at grading to do and I want to rent a tractor. I suppose I can fix you up all right. Do you have a driver's license? Oh, sure. Ever driven a tractor before? Not that I remember. Then that'll be $100 a day. But your ad read $50 a day. That's the price to someone who has driven before. It seems like a lot of money. Of course, if I got the tractor, I could get it for $50. Then things would like pushing a baby buggy to me. Oh, well, that's different. Yep, I can just snake them things around with one hand. Well, then, of course, I'll make you the $50 price. Oh, oh, yeah, well, that's swell. I'll get you a rental contract. You never even ridden on a tractor. Well, there ain't no need to tellin' him that, is there? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, me. Well, it saves $50. Maybe I ought to drive it out, though. Oh, you can't, you can't. I made the deal. He thinks I'm gonna drive it. All right, there you are. Just sign your name and address right there. Yeah, yeah. Oh, you take care of that small stuff, Oliver. I'll get the old tractor going. Maybe you'd better let me get it out of the showroom. Oh, shucks, nothin' to it, mister. Yeah, the man knows the route better than you do, Hummer. Oh, listen to me. There ain't nothin' on wheels that I can't run. Now here are the rules. This tractor has to be back in the shop in the same condition it left by 4.30 p.m. same day. 4.30? Well, it's 10 now. You, uh, don't like our rules? Oh, well, that only gives us six and a half an hour. You want the tractor? Oh, yes. Here, here, shut that thing off. Hey, how do you shut it off? Just pull up that little lever. Hurry. Hey, which one? Good grief right through the window. Hummer, are you all right? Oh, dang, never got my bridges caught in the gear shift. Must be an old model. What do you think you're doing? Running that thing right through that window. Well, well, I just took me a shortcut. That'll be 6650 for that window. Now, where the matter? Do you want the tractor? Well, uh, yes. Okay, I'll just add it onto the bill. That'll be 16650. 16650? That's right. 100 for the rental. Because, mister, that spook isn't going to drive one of our tractors anyway. Hey, look here, what's your name? Never mind, Homer. I see what he means. I'll give him a check for 6650, mister. Okay, then it's back here at 4.30 or another day. Is that clear? It'll be back in the same condition. Oh, brother, I wish I were as optimistic as you. Hey, let's go by the gym. Throwin' all that's out of the way. Well, I kind of like to wave and dance. Look, we got work to do. Well, then let's drive by my house. Marthy's never seen a tractor up close. Look, this is a grading job, not a parade. Let's get this thing back at 4.30, or it'll be an extra hundred. Well, then, open her up. Let's take in the money. Ah, you're talkin' like you mean it. It's shut. Yeah, well, now let's see. The second one from the corner. Second one. Yeah, that's the one right there. Oh, brother. You think we can move that mountain in one day? Oh, shucks, that stuff moves away easy. We just gotta take off that big hump up in front there and greater back level. That's all, huh? Well, we ain't going to get it done standing here. Okay, let's get on it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it again. All right, let's get it done up here. Okay. Let's get on it. I can use that $200. Yeah, less $66.50. Come on, watch him. So Oliver went in with Homer after all I said. Oh gee, Pops, progressive. Picking up a couple of hundred and that isn't pin money. But your father knows nothing about grading with a tractor. He sure knows how to hang onto one, though, Mom. Come on, let's drive over. I know where it is. Maybe you have something there. Oliver driving a tractor. Think I'd like to see this. I thought you'd like to ride along, Martha, just to see what they're doing. I suppose Homer will be doing all the work. Well, Papa was driving the tractor, Mrs. Meister. That's what I mean. Oliver has all the fun. I doubt if it's fun, Martha. Well, I always told Homer not to take people in with him on his contracts. But he don't listen to me. Well, he couldn't have taken the job if Oliver hadn't promised to put up $300 bun. Promised to? Uh, you mean he ain't done it? Well, not while I hold the purse, he doesn't. That's why I can't understand why he went ahead with it. You see, that's what I mean about Homer. He just ain't got a bit of sense, because he likes Oliver, he gives his whole income away. Seems like Oliver would quit taking advantage of Homer's kindness someday. Look, Mom, there they are up on that hill. Look, Papa's driving us. Oh, boy, can I ride with him quiet? No, you can't. Um, I don't see Homer killing himself, Martha. In fact, I don't even see him. Like us not, he's got Homer pushing the tractor. I see Mr. Meister, over there under that tree. Wow, let's be quiet, dear. So Homer can see. This is humiliating, Mary. Can I go up there, Mom? No, we'll park here till he comes near the edge. Hey, he sees us. Gee, look how he's leveled that old hill off. Looks keen, doesn't it, Mom? I will say it's an improvement. Hey, what do you want? Oh, just drop by to see if you needed gas, dear. Oh, but I could use some help. That's just to slam at Homer is all. Pop's coming down, Mom. You ask him if I can ride. Maybe we can swing it. Well, you're all dirty, Oliver. Looks like you've been leveling it off with your nose, Oliver. Yeah, and I can sure use one more nose. What's wrong with Homer? Oh, the tractor makes him sick to ride it. So you're doing the whole thing alone, I suppose. Well, I have an investment. I only got an hour's more work, and then I collect from Briggs. Don't forget, Homer has the contract with him. He has. You talk as if you had it. That's a good one, Pop. Junior. I'm sorry, Mom. Well, I don't know how you can blame Homer. Just because he's got a weak stomach. I'm not. You're the only one complaining so far. He's already cost me 66.50 with a broken window. Hey, look. Mr. Briggs is driving up. One of what he wants. Anderson, you fool. Who? Me? What have you done? Huh? You wrote the only chance I had to sell that piece of land. I had that lot practically sold for 1,500 as is to Mrs. Crandon. But Homer said degraded. He said you were... I don't care what Homer said. I'll not pay you one cent for that job. I lose $1,500. Oh, wait a minute, Briggs. I worked five hours on that. Paid $100 for the tractor. You see, Mary, Oliver's so stubborn. And not only that, Anderson, but if you want to avoid a lawsuit, you put every pound of that dirt right back where it was. Now back to the Anderson family. Homer Meister, the man next door, has involved Oliver in a deal to grate off a couple of lots for free-bearing Briggs. But after grating the whole thing and spending $100 to rent the grater, they find they've grated the wrong lot. And Mr. Briggs, the owner, has told them that they'll have to put every pound of dirt right back where it was. While Briggs is driven away, Mary, Junior, and Martha are leaving, and Oliver doesn't quite know what to do. But you told me this was the lot, Homer. That's right. Throw the blame on Homer. Oh, Martha, quiet a minute. Well, Lord Fuller can make a mistake, can't he? Not when it's costing me. Remember, you had the contract, Homer. Well, he ain't getting a cent from me. I can tell you that. I ain't asked you for none. Have I? Oliver's putting up the money, and I got a contract to prove it. Is that true, Oliver? Well, well, it's only written on a napkin. Well, it's legal and binding. Legal, huh? Well, you get right into this car, Homer Meister, and get home with me. You ain't getting tangled up in no legal stuff. But when we have all this work to do... I'll help, Pop. It's fine. You'll do no such thing. Come on now. Get in this car, Homer. Well, that ain't quite fair, Martha, but I am a bit tired. Okay, go on then. You mean you're not going to help Oliver? We don't want no part of it. Get in, Homer. I think that's the meanest thing you could do, Homer Meister. Well, now I'm quitting under pressure, Mary. If it was up to me, I'd stay and work my fingers to the bone just like I've been doing. Go on, Mary. Get him out of here. This time it's costing me money and lots of it. 6650 for the showroom window was bad enough. But, Oliver, why don't you just let the whole thing go? No, I'm in it now. Next time I'll not be so stupid. Okay, have it your own way. Goodbye. I can just remember where every pound of that dirt was in the first place, huh? Huh? Somebody calling me? Oh, oh, oh, yes, Mrs. Crandon. Oh, my goodness. What have you done to this lot? Oh, it's just a mistake, is all. Mistake? Goodness, it looks like a lot now. Yeah, I thought it looked good too. Well, now this is a different thing. Mr. Briggs tried to sell me the lot the way it was, and I wouldn't give him a dime for it. He wouldn't? He told me he had it practically sold to you for 1,500. Oh, well, then he misrepresented. It was worthless before. But you've made a marvelous building site out of it. You think you'd like to buy it the way it is? Why, if he told me he was going to have this done, I'd have given him 2,000 for it. And come to think of it, I'll see him this very minute and make him the offer. Well, you'd better see him before 4.30. Oh, but I'll see him right away before anyone else buys. Please don't do another thing to it, even just as it is. Please, Mr. Anderson. I'll be happy to, and I'm not kidding. Well, don't tell me you have every pound of that dirt put back already, Oliver. But you heard what Mr. Briggs said. Yeah, I know. Well, I must say you don't seem very worried about it. I'm not. You don't mind a suit, is that it? Remember, you spoiled a $1,500 sale by your mistake. Briggs lied about that. Well, I don't see how that's going to help you. I'm not going to put that dirt back, as I said before. Mrs. Crandon asked me not to. Mrs. Crandon? What does she have to do with it? She's the new owner, by now. New owner? I don't understand, Oliver. Remember, you, Martha, Junior, and Homer. Heard Briggs tell me to put every pound of dirt back where it was. Why, yes. I just want you to remember that. But the tractor... I'm taking it back. Are you going to believe Mrs. Crandon or Briggs, the owner? I have a hunch she'll hear from Briggs very soon. That's why I parked the tractor out in front where he can see it. Well, now, what are you gaining by that? I'll show you. Just relax a few minutes. Oh. Look over the Briggs and see if he started over here yet. Why would he be starting over here? You'll see. Oliver? Mrs. Crandon's coming out of the Briggs house. Is she smiling? Or she's shaking hands with Briggs, and he's bowing around like a band he rooster. And the deal's gone through. I was right. Uh-oh. He's coming over here. I thought he would. Now, you'll hear some fun. I hope you know what you're doing, Oliver. Don't worry about me. He's gonna pay plenty for every jolt I got off of that iron seat on that contraption I was riding on. Walking up our walk? That's fine. Now, you keep him here. Tell him I'll be back in five minutes. Where are you going? Over to the Meisters. Get those contracts straightened out. Is that tractor out in front of the Andersons yet, Homer? Yep. Well, it's his own fault. Keeping it another day will cost him another hundred. But it ain't nothing to do with you. And don't let him see you looking out the window. I feel kind of bad about this deal, Marthy. I ain't doing right. Now, don't go getting soft. Of course you're doing right. I ain't gonna have you working yourself into a sick bed to get that Anderson out of trouble. Oh, but I kind of feel like I got an obligation there, Marthy. Well, I don't know why. He spoiled the sale for Mr. Briggs, and let him pay for it, I say. Marthy, Briggs is going up Oliver's walk. He is. Well, now I guess Anderson won't be so smart. Well, maybe I should go over and help Oliver. You stay right here where you belong. I ain't having no trouble with nobody. Oh, but I got that contract with Oliver. He take, take right. You ain't got it anymore. I tore it up. Oh, but that ain't legal. No, but it's good sense. Now, you come away from that window. Oh, Marthy, Oliver's coming up the steps. Oliver? Well, I'll take care of him. You just keep still and I'll settle this thing once and for all. Oh, maybe I better go. You sit right still. I'll get it. I'd like to talk to my partner. He don't want to talk to nobody. He'll talk to me and he'll talk now. You can't push your weight around here, Oliver Anderson. You ain't home now and we ain't your family. Oh, now, Marthy, cool off. Well... Now look, do I have a contract with Homer? Well, no. No, you ain't. Just wanted to know. You went ahead and graded the wrong lot. Now you want Homer to suffer for it. Your contract with Homer is tore up. You mean the whole deal is off, Homer? Oh, you see what I'm up against, Oliver? Well, I just wanted to be sure. What happens from now on is no fair of yours, right? Them's my sentiment. That's fine. That's all I want to know. And of course Homer won't expect cash in on the profit. You heard what I said. What? Profit. You mean we can still make money? We know. Just me. Our contract is torn up. Now wait, Oliver. If you know something, I should know. It's only right that you should tell me. Well, sure, because Morally will still partner, but not legally. Well, the only thing I can say is I was left this whole thing to be worked out by myself. My contract is torn up. I have no obligation to you whatsoever by your own words. Well, there's something funny going on here. You're right, that you aren't going to see the humor in it because I'm going to clear at least 300 on that job and I'm not going to move another pound of dirt. Well, I won't keep you any longer. Have to go home and collect. I'm sure Oliver will be here soon, Mr. Briggs. He has to put all that dirt and rock back. That there won't be any need for that, Mrs. Anderson. Really? The medicine reprimanded me for my propensity. I believe this is Oliver now. Oh, Briggs, I'm sorry. I haven't got started on replacing that dirt. I have good news for you, Anderson. For me? Yes, indeed. I got this sort of person to expect you to do all that extra work just because I was in a temper. Oh, come now. I gave you my word. By tomorrow morning, that dirt will be the same mess it was before I started. But I won't allow you to do it, Anderson. You won't? That's funny. You told me in front of four witnesses that I had to replace that lot as I found it. But why should you want to go to all that extra work? Because when I do, Mrs. Crandall will stop payment on that check and you'll have another sand pile on your hands. Now, wait, Anderson. There's a lawyer, though. I can forbid you to trespass. Yes, but I have a contract and oral order from you to place every pound of dirt back the way it was. And that's what I'm going to do. Now, wait. There must be some other way. There is. I want the difference between the 1,500 which no one would give you for it and the 2,000 you got for it after I graded it. But that's unfair, Anderson. Okay, then. I guess there's no more to talk about. Goodbye. No, wait, Anderson. You're right. Mrs. Crandall did pay me 2,000 for the lot. Which is 500 overpriced. Now, I'll take that 500 and we'll call it a deal. Going, going, going. Gone. You would. I'll give you by check. Now, if we understand each other, I have to hurry back with that tractor before it costs me another 100. Very well. You'll not mention this to anyone, of course. Not a word. Bring the check over as soon as you sign it. Very well, Anderson. Well, I will say you handle that admirably, Mr. Anderson. I can get tough when I have to. Well, I'll have 10 minutes to get that tractor back to save that extra 100. What about Homer? He's out. Oh, come now. Wait a minute. That's right. He listened to Martha just once too many times. That's one gin concert he listened to. There's costing him plenty. Well, Oliver, I won't allow it. Martha tore up the contract and has forgotten about the deal. I'll avenge you to say she hasn't. Oh, it's Martha. I got to talk to Oliver, Mary. Here, me too. Well, come on in. Well, I hope Oliver ain't mad at me, Mary. Me too. Then you met Mr. Briggs outside. Well, we sort of was passing and stopped to talk to him. Oh, let's not bring up that contract again, folks. I have to leave now. Well, now, Oliver fares fair. We entered into an agreement whereby we was to split. Is there anything to split? $500. And Homer wants his share. Okay, show me our contract and I'll pay off. Show it to him, Martha. Show it to him. You know I tore it up. I pay off on contracts only. Oh, wait a minute. Of course, Oliver will do the right thing, Homer. But Martha tore up the contract. She's managed this whole deal. Homer's life isn't his own. He's hind-backed the browbeat deal. Oh. Hey, you hear that, Martha? Yeah. If that report got around, I'd be ostracized. Well, shunned by everybody. Now you looky here. I'll run my business from now on. Why Homer? You're talking to your wife. Your dad burned right a bee. And from now on, I'm making my own deals. And you make yours. Look at what you're cost me. But Homer, dear. Oh, don't go putting on that stuff around, Oliver and Mary. Now just get this straight woman. From now on, you're doing as I say. I'm a good woman. I am. Mary and I. Oh, quit blubbering. Oh, well, we're licked. We might as well just crawl on back home. No, no, no. Let's not do it that way, Homer. Let's just go on through with our original deal. Oh, gosh. You mean it, Oliver? Me, me, get half? That's right, Homer. That's the only way. We're neighbors and friends. Well, Darrell, Burnett, I'm kind of shamed. I don't deserve it. I shouldn't take it. How much does he come to? I'll figure it out while you get the tracker back in the shop. Now you've got six minutes to go. Five blocks. You think you can make it? Make it while I'll be there for you. You can wink an eye. You be careful now, Homer. Oh, shut up. I can drive anything on wheels. Just leave it to me. I'll be right back for the loot. Now, watch that foot throttle at stake, remember? Don't worry. I can just make it. I hope you ain't mad at me all over, but Homer makes me so nervous sometimes. Why don't you let Homer think for himself? Because he just don't know how. But you love him, Martha. Well, yes, I do, darn it. Of course, I could have married anyone a please when he was courting me, but Paul got worried. Said I was getting on, and Homer was the only fella I had. He could beat in checkers. Homer asked me to marry him one night and the moon was out. It's this wedding we ever had in Bentover County. Homer trying to smile, and Paul holding me up. Who's holding your paw up? Oliver. See, I wonder where Homer is now. One is all divided and waiting here. I wonder what he's doing. Now, let's see. That's 200 a net. I'll get it, Oliver. Yes, Mary Anderson. Mary, look, tell Oliver I just made the showroom on the second... Oh, good. You just made it, huh? Yep. Well, hurry back. We have your 200 waiting for you, Homer. Well, I'll just deduct 66.50 from my share and tell Oliver to bring it down to me. Why, Homer? Just tell Oliver I smashed that same net window again. The Anderson family is written by Howard Swart, directed by Herb Lytton and features Dick Lane as Oliver, Louise Arthur as Mary, Walter Tetley as Junior, and Herbert Rawlinson as Homer. Others in the cast were Jacqueline DeWitt as Martha, George Peroni as Mr. Briggs, and Ginny Johnson as Antoinette. Music by Gordon Kibbe, sound effects by Ray Erlenborn, and your announcer is Ken Peters. The Anderson family is a Hollywood broadcaster's production, transcribed from Hollywood.