Appointment in Samarra - John O'Hara [80]
He heard the first of the mechanics post-luncheon sounds the thump of a baseball in a catcher s mitt. That meant the mechanics were through lunch, because one of the men pitched on a semi-pro team, and he kept himself in shape all winter. Julian held his head up and the phone rang. Hello, he said. I just tried to get you at the club. Where d you have lunch? It was Caroline. I didn t, he said. Well, I don t suppose you felt much like it. Now listen, Julian, the reason I called is, if you talk the way you did to Mrs. Grady again, we re through. Do you hear?
Yes.
I mean it this time. I m not going to have you take your hangovers out on any servants. Mrs. Grady should have slapped your face.
Say!
It s about time someone slapped your face. Now I want you to understand this, old boy. If you come home drunk this afternoon and start raising hell, I ll simply call up every person we ve invited and call off the party.
You ll simply, huh?
Oh, shut up, she said, and ended the call. She’ll simply, he said, to the telephone, and gently replaced the handpiece in the cradle. She’ll simply. He got up and put on his hat. He stopped and debated, a very short debate, whether to leave a note for Mary Klein. Naa, who s Mary Klein? He struggled into his coat and drove to the Gibbsville Club. The usual crowd was not in the club this day. Hello, Straight, said Julian to the steward. Good afternoon, Mr. English. I hope you had a merry Christmas. Uh, we all want to thank you for your, uh, generous, uh, subscription to the club employes Christmas fund. Uh. Old Straight always spoke as though he had just been sniffing ammonia. Well, you’re very welcome, I m sure, said Julian. Have a nice Christmas?
Quite nice. Of course, uh, well, of course I have no family that you d uh, really call a family, uh. My nevview in South Africa, he
Mr. Davis in the club? Who s here? Never mind. I ll go look.
Not many members here today. The day, uh, day after
I know, said Julian. He went into the dining-room, and at first glance it appeared that it was occupied solely by Jess, the Negro waiter. But there was a small table in one comer, by common consent or eminent domain, the lawyers table, at which sat a few lawyers, all older men and not all of them Gibbsville men, but residents of the smaller towns who came to the county seat when they had to. You did not have to speak to the men at the lawyers table. In fact, some of the men who sat there did not speak to each other. Julian had hoped Carter Davis might still be in the club, but there was no sign of him. He sat down at a table for two, and he no sooner had given his order than he was joined by Froggy Ogden. Sit down and eat. I just ordered. Jess ll take your order and serve it with mine if you want to.
I don t want to, said Froggy. Well, then, sit down and take the load off.
You’re feeling pretty snotty today, said Froggy, sitting down. Snotty isn’t the word for it. Cigarette?
No, thanks. Listen, Julian, I didn’t come here for a friendly chat.
Oh, no?
No, said Froggy. You could see he was getting angry. Well, then, come on. I ve been hearing the anvil chorus all day, so you might as well join it. What kind of a fig have you got
Now listen, I m older than you
Oh, it s going to be one of those. And you have my best interests at heart? That one? Jesus Christ, you’re not going to give me that.
No. I m not. I m older than you in more ways than one.
What you’re trying to say is you lost your arm in the war. Do you mind if I help you? You lost your arm in the war, and you ve suffered, and that makes you older than me, and if you had both arms I guess you d thrash me within an inch of my life.
Froggy stared at him until they heard the wall clock ticking. Yes. I have a notion to bust you one right now. You God damn son of a bitch, Caroline is my cousin, and even if she wasn’t my cousin she s one of the finest girls there is, Caroline is. You want to know something? When she told me she was going to marry you, I tried to stop it. I always hated you. I always hated your guts when you