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In
Westport, Connecticut, Augie and Isolde Poole celebrate their fifth wedding
anniversary by turning in an application to the Rock-a-Bye adoption agency.
Encouraged by their friends and next-door neighbors, Dick and Alice Pepper,
who have three children and another due, Isolde, who has been unsuccessful
in her attempts to become pregnant, is determined that she and Augie will
eventually be parents. While awaiting news of the application to the
agency, Isolde decides that she and Augie should continue to try to have a
baby on their own, and she enthusiastically follows all the latest advice by
pregnancy experts.
Although exhausted by Isolde’s resolve, Augie
worries about having a child while they are living off Isolde’s family money
as he struggles to make a success as a serious cartoonist. Dick,
editor of The Townsman magazine, assures Augie that his publication
would gladly hire Augie to write gags, but Isolde insists that Augie hold
out for a more important offer. Dick criticizes Augie for being too
serious, compared to his own lighthearted manner, which, to Augie’s dismay,
includes perpetual infidelity.
One afternoon some weeks after their
application, Estelle Novick, a striking young representative from
Rock-a-Bye, visits the Pooles’ neighborhood. Having learned of
Estelle’s presence from other neighbors, Alice takes Isolde home to dress
her properly for the interview. When Estelle comes to the Pooles’
house, Augie is unaware of her identity and, believing she works for a local
charity, drinks two cocktails and behaves casually. When Dick comes
over and makes a pass at Estelle, however, she is outraged and reveals her
identity. Reminding the men that Dick is the Pooles’ reference,
Estelle waves aside their abject apologies and insists that she must report
her findings to the agency. When Estelle departs as soon as Isolde
returns, Isolde is hurt and angry at Augie and goes home with Alice.
Dick tries to comfort Augie by suggesting that Augie might relax if he had
an affair but, when Augie scoffs, Dick offers him tranquilizers and leaves.
Moments later, Estelle returns to the Pooles’, apologizes for her severe
behavior, and accepts the cocktail Augie offered her earlier.
Considering Dick’s advice and dispirited by
Isolde’s anger, Augie is emboldened to ask Estelle to dinner. While
driving into town, however, Augie panics and takes one of Dick’s
tranquilizers. Later, when Augie becomes drowsy, Estelle drives him to a
motel and checks him into a room to let him sleep off the pill’s effect.
The next morning, Augie is mortified to find himself in the motel and,
finding a note from Estelle thanking him for his kindness, believes he has
been unfaithful to Isolde.
Three months later, Isolde is disheartened to
have heard nothing from Rock-a-Bye or any of the other adoption agencies.
Augie visits Dick and confesses the incident with Estelle, from whom he has
just received a call informing him that she is pregnant and leaving the area
for her confinement. Fearful that she will demand money, Augie pleads
with Dick to hire him at the magazine, then give him a thousand dollar
advance.
Later that day, Estelle drops by to visit the
Pooles to advise them that she believes in a few months they may at last get
their baby. Isolde is delighted by the news and Augie weakly announces
his new job with Dick’s magazine. Alone with Estelle later, Augie
presses the money on her, then demands an explanation. Estelle
promises to repay the loan, then explains that she owes the Pooles for all
of Augie’s assistance to her.
A few months later, Dick and Alice throw Augie
and Isolde a party in anticipation of the arrival of the new baby.
While dancing with Dick, Isolde confides that she has found a mysterious
thousand dollar imbalance in the Pooles’ finances. Realizing this must
be the money Augie has given Estelle, Dick invents a story of losing an
investment on the stock market and Augie giving him a loan. Surprised
but pleased, Isolde asks for the money to be repaid for preparations for the
baby. That night, Isolde tells Augie about the bank imbalance and,
panicked, Augie hastily admits that he borrowed money from Dick several
times and paid it back in full once he was employed. Certain that
Augie is covering for Dick, the next day Isolde tells Alice, who promises to
repay the money.
Some weeks later, Miss MacCracken from
Rock-a-Bye telephones to schedule a visit. Unnerved, Augie wonders if
he should confess everything to Isolde. Miss MacCracken arrives and
informs Isolde and Augie that a baby has just been born and they have been
moved to the top of the agency’s list. Thrilled, Augie and Isolde
welcome the infant baby boy to their home days later, and soon everyone
notices the baby’s similarity to Augie. Weeks afterward, as the
physical similarity grows, Isolde becomes suspicious. When Isolde has
Augie’s baby picture blown up and Alice mistakes it for the baby, Isolde
furiously accuses Augie of infidelity and declares she is leaving him.
As Isolde is packing, Miss MacCracken returns to make an inspection of the
couples’ first month with the baby. Realizing that the couple is
breaking up, she declares she must make a report to the agency, but Augie
pleads for a week and Miss MacCracken agrees. Desperate to stop Isolde
from leaving, Augie then confesses the incident with Estelle. Just
then, however, Estelle arrives to congratulate the Pooles and repay Augie
the loan. She explains the money made it possible for her husband to
continue his research in Australia while she had her baby girl. With
her husband’s success at publishing a book on his work, she and the baby
will join him in Australia.
After showing the Pooles a picture of her baby
girl and admiring how well the agency did placing the Pooles with their
baby, Estelle departs. Isolde apologizes to Augie for her suspicions, then
admits to feeling unusual. The Pooles then realize that Isolde is
pregnant and retire to the house to celebrate. |
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