U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [147]
"Were you torpedoed again?"
Joe laughed, "Sure, right off Cape Race. It's a great life . . . Wel , that's strike two . . . I brought along your shawl though, by God if I didn't . . . I know
where we'l eat; we'l eat at Lüchow's."
"Isn't Fourteenth Street a little . . ."
"Naw, they got a room for ladies . . . Janey, you don't think I'd take you to a dump wasn't al on the up an' up?"
Crossing Union Square a seedylooking young man in a red sweater said, "Hi, Joe." Joe dropped back of Janey for a minute and he and the young man talked with their heads together. Then Joe slipped a bil in his hand, said,
"So long, Tex," and ran after Janey who was walking along feeling a little uncomfortable. She didn't like Four-teenth Street after dark. "Who was that, Joe?""Some damn AB or other. I knew him down New Orleans . . . I cal him Tex. I don't know what his name is . . . He's down on his uppers.""Were you down in New Orleans?" Joe nodded. "Took a load a molasses out on the Henry B. Higginbotham. . . Piginbottom we cal ed her. Wel , she's layin' easy now on the bottom awright . . . on the bottom of the Grand Banks." When they went in the restaurant the headwaiter
looked at them sharply and put them at a table in the corner of a little inside room. Joe ordered a big meal and some beer, but Janey didn't like beer so he had to drink hers too. After Janey had told him al the news about the family and how she liked her job and expected a raise Christmas and was so happy living with the Tingleys who were so lovely to her, there didn't seem to be much to say.
-343-Joe had bought tickets to the Hippodrome but they had plenty of time before that started. They sat silent over their coffee and Joe puffed at a cigar. Janey final y said it was a shame the weather was so mean and that it must be terrible for the poor soldiers in the trenches and she thought the Huns were just too barbarous and the Lusi- tania and how sil y the Ford peace ship idea was. Joe laughed in the funny abrupt way he had of laughing now, and said: "Pity the poor sailors out at sea on a night like this." He got up to get another cigar.
Janey thought what a shame it was he'd had his neck shaved when he had a haircut; his neck was red and had little wrinkles in it and she thought of the rough life he must be leading and when he came back she asked him why he didn't get a different job. "You mean in a ship-yard? They're making big money in shipyards, but hel , Janey, I'd rather knock around . . . It's al for the expe-rience, as the fel er said when they blew his block off."
"No, but there are boys not half so bright as you are with nice clean jobs right in my office and a future to look forward to."
"Al my future's behind me," said Joe with a laugh.
"Might go down to Perth Amboy get a job in a munitions factory, but I rather be blowed up in the open, see?" Janey went on to talk about the war and how she wished we were in it to save civilization and poor little helpless Belgium. "Can that stuff, Janey," said Joe. He made a cutting gesture with his big red hand above the tablecloth.
"You people don't understand it, see . . . The whole damn war's crooked from start to finish. Why don't they torpedo any French Line boats? Because the Frogs have it al set with the Jerries, see, that if the Jerries leave their boats alone they won't shel the German factories back of the front. What we wanta do 's sit back and sel 'em munitions and let 'em blow 'emselves to hel . An' those babies are makin' big money in Bordeaux and Toulouse or
-344-Marseil es while their own kin are shootin' daylight into each other at the front, and it's the same thing with the limeys . . . I'm tel in' ye, Janey, this war's crooked, like every other goddam thing."
Janey started to cry. "Wel , you needn't curse and swear al the time.""I'm sorry, sister," said Joe humbly, "but I'm just a bum an' that's about the size of it an' not fit to associate with a nicedressed girl like you.""No, I didn't mean that," said Janey, wiping her eyes.
"Gee, but I forgot to show you the shawl."