The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [184]
Studs saw her, and Father Doneggan’s words became a distant hum of distraction. She sat quietly, confidence in her manner, keen, with blond bobbed hair. He could see that her face was thin, proud. She looked like she’d be a hard dame to make. He didn’t want just that. She would be hard to win. But there was a broad made for every guy, and she was the pattern cut out for him. He looked at her, unobtrusively, trying not to give himself away, as she sat, still, straight, wearing a green and red plaited flannel dress. He was hot for her, hotter than he’d been when he knelt beside her. He wanted the meeting to be over, so he could have her notice him, notice how people spoke to him. Hoped Fran knew her and would be talking to her, and he could just go up to Fran as if to ask her some question.
He looked back at Father Doneggan, heard him say that the organization they were forming would be a chance, also, to cement old friendships, and establish new ones, and to pro-vide for a decent, satisfactory social life for the young people, with clean dancing and fun.
Father Doneggan was applauded at the conclusion of his talk. His face touched with redness, he sat down. Larkin arose and stood behind the table, leaning clumsily on it with closed fists.
“Now the first thing that concerns us is to get organized. I think we all agree to that,” he said dully, speaking first quickly and then pausing to hem out “ahs” as if he were struggling to catch his breath.
“And then the first task in getting organized is to elect a permanent chairman who will conduct meetings until we have our constitution with duly elected officers under it.”
Her silk-stockinged legs were crossed, showing up to the knees. She seemed bored. He acted bored, but he wished that some sort of a debate would start so he could say something and make her see he was different from Larkin and the church ushers.
“Mr. Chairman, I have one suggestion and one motion to present to the house. First, I would suggest that a temporary secretary be appointed to keep the minutes of this meeting,” Red Kelly said, arising.
“That’s an excellent suggestion, Mr. Kelly,” Larkin replied.
“And I would suggest in order to save time that the chairman we elect appoint this secretary. Later on, when we have a constitution, we will elect one. Now I move that nominations for a permanent chairman be placed before the house.”
“I second Mr. Kelly’s motion,” said Austin McAuliffe.
Larkin was nominated and elected chairman, and he appointed McAuliffe as temporary secretary. A pencil and several sheets of paper were procured, and Austin took a chair at the table beside Larkin.
“Now, the next thing that we need is a constitution,” Larkin said, without omitting the “ahs.”
“Mr. Chairman, I think that it would be wise before we made any definite move about the constitution to have a little discussion so that we could be clear in the purposes and aims we wish to embody in our constitution.”
“Well, I think that we all have that in mind and know more or less what we want, but if anyone wants to say anything about it, he can have the floor.”
“You got a line like a Philadelphia lawyer,” Studs said to Red in amazement and admiration as Red sat down.
Adele Rogers, who had turned