Our Miss Brooks – Tears For Mister Boynton. ep284, 550410

"An apple sitting on a school teacher's desk"
Apple on Desk ca. 2001. "Used with permission from Microsoft."

After going with Mr Boynton for 6 years now, Connie’s patience is running thin. She and Mrs Davis are worried and talk about Minirva the cat, who has been missing. Mrs Davis notices how Connie has been brooding, and suspects her attitude has to deal with Mr Boynton. Will she ever become Mrs Boynton? Mrs Davis has some words of advice to stop being a pal to him, and make him think of her as a woman instead. Maybe if Connie cries, it will be a tool to win him over.

Given to her by Mrs Davis, Connie is armed with a bag of freshly peeled onions, and Walter arrives to pick her up, for the drive to school. Walter lets Connie know that Mr Conklin wants to see her as soon as she gets to school. When she digs into her purse, the onions have their affect on Walter who suddenly goes overboard to want to help her.

At school, and in Conklins office, Connie finds that she is needed to help with a speech that he is to give. Conklin is relentless, and won’t let her out of helping to write it. When Connie opens her bag to wipe off a smudge, the onions go to work again. Even the hardnosed Conklin melts at the sign of tears.

In the cafeteria, Walter talks with Mr Boynton about Connie’s crying fits this morning. Can Boynton take her mind off her troubles? They wonder what has been bothering her anyway.

Walter leaves as Connie arrives, but will Connie get the chance to do her magic? Boynton tells a sob story of his own, designed to show her that he has troubles too. Will it lift her spirits to find a kindred spirit in the suffering department? Will his courageous story brace her up?

Harriot stops by to draw Boynton away to see her dad, Mr Conklin. The two men talk about what might the reason be behind Connie’s crying. Due to a misunderstanding, they think it’s over the assumption that Mrs Davis is missing. The reality is that it’s Minirva the cat who has been missing. Just then a phone call comes in, it reinforces the misunderstanding about the belief over who exactly is missing, and the secret to Connie’s crying fits.
Later at home, Connie is unaware of the deductions of Boynton and Conklin. As Connie waits for Mr Boynton to come over, Mrs Davis phones with the latest update on the missing Minirva. Mrs Davis also tells Connie that she has left a fruit bowl loaded with onions in case Connie needs a quick cry. Just then Boynton comes over to offer sympathy, but the slightly missalined assumptions lead to some hilarious word play. Connie tries to get dramatic, and with the help of onions, gets her tears flowing. Is it working? Will Boynton be putty in her hands?

The moment is broken by the doorbell. It’s Mrs Davis who forgot her keys. Can Connie lose Mrs Davis and Minirva again? Well, maybe as far as the hall closet, but it’s not quite far enough.