Nine Stories Read Online Free PDF Page A

innocently.
    "Oh,"
said Eloise, "what's the use of talking? Let's drop it. I'll
just depress you. Shut me up."
    "Well,
wudga marry him for, then?" Mary Jane said.
    "Oh,
God! I don't know. He told me he loved Jane Austen. He told me her
books meant a great deal to him. That's exactly what he said. I found
out after we were married that he hadn't even read one of her books.
You know who his favorite author is?"
    Mary
Jane shook her head.
    "L.
Manning Vines. Ever hear of him?"
    "Uh-uh."
    "Neither
did I. Neither did anybody else. He wrote a book about four men that
starved to death in Alaska. Lew doesn't remember the name of it, but
it's the most beautifully written book he's ever read. Christ! He
isn't even honest enough to come right out and say he liked it
because it was about four guys that starved to death in an igloo or
something. He has to say it was beautifully written."
    "You're
too critical," Mary Jane said. "I mean you're too critical.
Maybe it was a good--"
    "Take
my word for it, it couldn't've been," Eloise said. She thought
for a moment, then added, "At least, you have a job. I mean at
least you--"
    "But
listen, though," said Mary Jane. "Do you think you'll ever
tell him Walt was killed, even? I mean he wouldn't be jealous, would
he, if he knew Walt was--you know. Killed and everything."
    "Oh,
lover! You poor, innocent little career girl," said Eloise.
"He'd be worse. He'd be a ghoul. Listen. All he knows is that I
went around with somebody named Walt--some wisecracking G.I. The last
thing I'd do would be to tell him he was killed. But the last thing.
And if I did--which I wouldn't--but if I did, I'd tell him he was
killed in action."
    Mary
Jane pushed her chin farther forward over the edge of her forearm.
    "El.
. ." she said.
    "Why
won't you tell me how he was killed? I swear I won't tell anybody.
Honestly. Please."
    "No."
    "Please.
Honestly. I won't tell anybody."
    Eloise
finished her drink and replaced the empty glass upright on her chest.
"You'd tell Akim Tamiroff," she said.
    "No,
I wouldn't! I mean I wouldn't tell any--"
    "Oh,"
said Eloise, "his regiment was resting someplace. It was between
battles or something, this friend of his said that wrote me. Walt and
some other boy were putting this little Japanese stove in a package.
Some colonel wanted to send it home. Or they were taking it out of
the package to rewrap it--I don't know exactly. Anyway, it was all
full of gasoline and junk and it exploded in their faces. The other
boy just lost an eye." Eloise began to cry. She put her hand
around the empty glass on her chest to steady it.
    Mary
Jane slid off the couch and, on her knees, took three steps over to
Eloise and began to stroke her forehead. "Don't cry, El. Don't
cry."
    "Who's
crying?" Eloise said.
    "I
know, but don't. I mean it isn't worth it or anything.
    The
front door opened.
    "That's
Ramona back," Eloise said nasally. "Do me a favor. Go out
in the kitchen and tell whosis to give her her dinner early. Willya?"
    "All
right, if you promise not to cry, though."
    "I
promise. Go on. I don't feel like going out to that damn kitchen
right this minute."
    Mary
Jane stood up, losing and recovering her balance, and left the room.
    She
was back in less than two minutes, with Ramona running ahead of her.
Ramona ran as flatfooted as possible, trying to get the maximum noise
out of her open galoshes.
    "She
wouldn't let me take her galoshes off," Mary Jane said.
    Eloise,
still lying on her back on the floor, was using her handkerchief. She
spoke into it, addressing Ramona. "Go out and tell Grace to take
your galoshes off. You know you're not supposed to come into the--"
    "She's
in the lavatory," Ramona said.
    Eloise
put away her handkerchief and hoisted herself to a sitting position.
"Gimme your foot," she said. "Sit down, first, please.
. . . Not there--here. God!"
    On
her knees, looking under the table for her cigarettes, Mary Jane
said, "Hey. Guess what happened to Jimmy."
    "No
idea. Other foot. Other