Part 32 (1/2)
”But then you spend three hundred a year and at the end of it you've got nothing This e have an equity It's like an insurance policy”
”How ive e,” he said ”They don't particularly like union ot from sellin' niy house back East,” she said ”Four hundred That should he'p”
He se it That is, if you like it”
”I like it,” she said
”Okay, then let ent back into the room
They closed the deal at one thousand two hundred and seventy-five dollars and moved into the house at the end of the month It took the to the house that they wanted to do Daniel repainted the house and the furniture; shemachine that one of the for in the living roo paper as usual when she came in from work He put down the paper and looked at her She was in her fifth e Her face looked drawn and tired
'I was stuck late,” she said ”We was busy an' the boss wouldn't let ht on dinner”
”Don't bother,” he said ”You get yourself a nice bath and rest a bit I'll take you out for dinner We'll have some chinks”
”You don't have to,” she said ”I don't min' makin' dinner”
But he could see that she liked the idea ”You do what I said”
Later, over dinner, while they were spooning into their chicken chow mein, he said very casually, ”I think it's about time you quit your job It isn't fair to Junior that you should be on your feet all day like that”
”The money comes in real handy,” she said 'Twelve, fourteen dollars a week covers a lot of the ouse bills”
'I spend ars,” he said
She was silent
”Besides, F back to work If I do, we'll have a lot more than that coonna do?”
”The sa”
”I didn't know you kin git a job like that out here”
”It's not out here,” he said ”It's back East Phil Murray hianizing Coo They'll pay me fifty-five dollars a week and expenses”
Dismay came into her voice ”That means we'll have to move back there jest after we settled in here”
”No,” he said ”It's nothing permanent The whole job shouldn't last more than a few months at the most Then I'll be back”
”I'll be alone,” she said ”What if you're still there whenbefore that,” he said confidently
”Wouldn't you be better off takin' a job here?”
”You knohat the jobs out here pay There's nothing that pays even half that much And with a baby on the way, themy expenses, we can sock the whole salary into the bank”
She met his eyes ”That's what you want to do, isn't it?”
”Yes,” he said simply
She took a deep breath ”Okay But I'll miss you”
He s her cheek ”I'll miss you too,” he said ”But I'll be back before you know it”
She reached up, pressing his hand to her cheek She wanted to believe hiht
'Is it dangerous?'' she asked
He shrugged his shoulders ''No more than any of the other jobs''
''I don't want nothin' to happen to you”
He patted his jacket under the shoulder where the gun rested comfortably ''Don't worry about that What happened before is never going to happen again I've got a friend”
She looked into his eyes ”That's okay But jes' don't you fergit one thing You got a wife too”
center of the car He gestured to the seat and carefully placed the valise in an overhead rack 'You kin have both scats, sah,” he said 'We're not busy, an' Ah'U make sure that nobody sits next to you That way you kin stretch out at night”
'Thank you,” Daniel said, giving him a half-dollar coin
'Thank you, sah,” the porter said enthusiastically ''Anythin' you want, jes' you call e is my name”
Daniel looked at him ''Is the bar open?”
”Yes, sah The smoker is three cars back, jes' behind the sleepin' cars” The porter began to leave ”Enjoy youah trip, sah”
He saw the girl as he walked through the second sleeping car A porter was just co out of one of the private coh the open door She was standing there, her hand on the top button of her blouse She glanced up For a moment their eyes met; then she half-smiled and with the other hand pushed the door shut He went on to the s car
The bar was already crowded There was one sainst the ith two chairs He sat down The waiter came up to him ”Yes, sah”
”How much is a bottle of bourbon?” Daniel asked