The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [104]
“Well, me and the boy’s father expect to see the day when the lad is an engineer,” Mrs. Reilley said.
“Only recently my husband and I were talking about all the boys our William knew in school, and Patrick was saying that your Frank must be a great comfort to you, he was always such a good boy.”
“And sure, only last night, I was saying the same words to me old man, telling him how you and Mr. Lonigan must be proud of your boy, him such a fine upstanding lad, and not at all the likes of them that’s to be found at that poolroom, morning, noon, and night.”
The women parted, looking at each other in a way that women have. And in each mother’s heart was the gnawing of fear and disappointment because of a boy threatening to go wayward.
CHAPTER THREE
I
“You guys complaining that there’s nothing to do ought to just stop and think about all the poor chumps who got to work on a day like this. Think of some goddamn Hunky swinging a pickaxe, chopping up the street with his fanny dragging to the ground, swinging away with that goddamn pickaxe, thirsty, his underwear dripping, wishing it was all over and he was sitting in the shade of the old apple tree,” Benny Taite said, tilting himself backwards on a chair in the corner of the poolroom, and looking at the boys seated about in a circle.
“Benny, can that crap. You make us hot and tired, just hearing about it,” said Red Kelly.
“I got a job swinging a pick for the city, and I worked one day. Was my can draggin’?” exclaimed Tommy.
“That was your record for work, wasn’t it?” said Kenny Kilarney.
“It wouldn’t hurt Taite there to try that for a couple of days. It might make a man of him,” kidded Studs.
“Sure, Taite, tell us where you got all that pep of yours?” said Red.
“I inherited it from my grandfather. He didn’t work for forty years, and I’m out to break his record,” Benny dryly said.
“Say, for Christ sake, let’s do something,” Studs said, suddenly restive with inaction, while the boys were laughing.
“Exercise your tail on that chair you got. That’s what days like this were made for,” said Taite.
“What time is it?” said Studs.
“Two o’clock,” said Red.
“Lonigan’s waitin’ for supper again,” said Kenny; they laughed.
“Let’s go over to the park,” said Studs.
“Walk a block and a half in this sun? Not this sundodger,” Kilarney said.
“Oh, by the way, fellows, I forgot to tell you that I saw Paulie Haggerty,” Red said.
“Is he still chasin’ that jane of his?” asked Studs.
“Married her. I think it was a shot-gun wedding,” said Red.
Kilarney suddenly changed their astonishment to amusement by melodramatically lamenting that poor Paulie preferred double wretchedness to single blessedness.
“You know, fellows, getting your ashes hauled is one thing, and getting married is another. You can joke all you want about marriage, but it’s sacred, a sacrament of the Church, and when you’re married it’s serious, for life. Paulie’s too young for that, he’s only seventeen. He might be ruining his whole life.. Well, he can’t say that I didn’t warn him because I did, plenty,” Red Kelly said.
“Hey, Kelly, why don’t you hire a hall?” Kilarney said.
“Kilarney, you couldn’t be serious about anything, could you?” Kelly said, good-naturedly.
“He must be cured,” Studs said, butting in on Kilarney’s rejoinder.
“He said it cured itself, but he can’t kid me, and nobody can tell me that a dose cures itself without even a doctor. And if you ask me, he’s playing a damn rotten trick on Eileen.
She was a sweet girl, coming from a decent family and a good home. She falls for him, and what does he do but knock her up, and I suppose dose her. Paulie is a pal of mine, and I’d stick through hell with him, but he certainly did act like a rat with Eileen.”
“Hell, Red, that jane is five years older than he is, and don’t tell me she didn’t know what he was doing. She chased him all over