The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway - Ernest Hemingway [184]
“Tell her they have a touchdown already.”
In a little while the probationer came into the room again.
“Tell her they’re playing them off their feet,” Mr. Frazer said.
A little later he rang the bell for the nurse who was on floor duty. “Would you mind going down to the chapel or sending word down to Sister Cecilia that Notre Dame has them fourteen to nothing at the end of the first quarter and that it’s all right. She can stop praying.”
In a few minutes Sister Cecilia came into the room. She was very excited. “What does fourteen to nothing mean? I don’t know anything about this game. That’s a nice safe lead in baseball. But I don’t know anything about football. It may not mean a thing. I’m going right back down to the chapel and pray until it’s finished.”
“They have them beaten,” Frazer said. “I promise you. Stay and listen with me.”
“No. No. No. No. No. No. No,” she said. “I’m going right down to the chapel to pray.”
Mr. Frazer sent down word whenever Notre Dame scored, and finally, when it had been dark a long time, the final result.
“How’s Sister Cecilia?”
“They’re all at chapel,” she said.
The next morning Sister Cecilia came in. She was very pleased and confident.
“I knew they couldn’t beat Our Lady,” she said. “They couldn’t. Cayetano’s better too. He’s much better. He’s going to have visitors. He can’t see them yet, but they are going to come and that will make him feel better and know he’s not forgotten by his own people. I went down and saw that O’Brien boy at Police Headquarters and told him that he’s got to send some Mexicans up to see poor Cayetano. He’s going to send some this afternoon. Then that poor man will feel better. It’s wicked the way no one has come to see him.”
That afternoon about five o’clock three Mexicans came into the room.
“Can one?” asked the biggest one, who had very thick lips and was quite fat.
“Why not?” Mr. Frazer answered. “Sit down, gentlemen. Will you take something?”
“Many thanks,” said the big one.
“Thanks,” said the darkest and smallest one.
“Thanks, no,” said the thin one. “It mounts to my head.” He tapped his head.
The nurse brought some glasses. “Please give them the bottle,” Frazer said. “It is from Red Lodge,” he explained.
“That of Red Lodge is the best,” said the big one. “Much better than that of Big Timber.”
“Clearly,” said the smallest one, “and costs more too.”
“In Red Lodge it is of all prices,” said the big one.
“How many tubes has the radio?” asked the one who did not drink.
“Seven.”
“Very beautiful,” he said. “What does it cost?”
“I don’t know,” Mr. Frazer said. “It is rented.”
“You gentlemen are friends of Cayetano?”
“No,” said the big one. “We are friends of he who wounded him.”
“We were sent here by the police,” the smallest one said.
“We have a little place,” the big one said. “He and I,” indicating the one who did not drink. “He has a little place too,” indicating the small, dark one. “The police tell us we have to come—so we come.”
“I am very happy you have come.”
“Equally,” said the big one.
“Will you have another little cup?”
“Why not?” said the big one.
“With your permission,” said the smallest one.
“Not me,” said the thin one. “It mounts to my head.”
“It is very good,” said the smallest one.
“Why not try some,” Mr. Frazer asked the thin one. “Let a little mount to your head.”
“Afterwards comes the headache,” said the thin one.
“Could you not send friends of Cayetano to see him?” Frazer asked.
“He has no friends.”
“Every man has friends.”
“This one, no.”
“What does he do?”
“He is a card-player.”
“Is he good?”
“I believe it.”
“From me,” said the smallest one, “he won one hundred and eighty dollars. Now there is no longer one hundred and eighty dollars in the world.”
“From me,” said the thin one, “he won two hundred and eleven dollars. Fix yourself on that figure.”
“I never played with him,” said the fat one.
“He must be very rich,” Mr. Frazer suggested.
“He is poorer than we,” said the little