The Girl Who Made Good in America Read Online Free PDF Page A

true and your heart’s not in it, then you’ll never beat the top guys, so maybe you should get out. OK, here’s what we’ll do. You’re up against Henry Wills on Saturday. He’s a smart boxer but doesn’t have much punching power. You’re odds-on to win but, if you bet your savings on him, you can triple your dough. Will that get you and your girl outta trouble?”
    “You’re suggesting I take a dive, Maxie? I don’t like the idea.”
    “Kid, from what you’ve told me, you don’t have much choice. You’ll have to be clever, though, and make it look good. Can you manage that? You won’t be on your own. I’ll back him too! Just give me your dough and leave the details to old Maxie.”
    Steeler Stadium was packed on Saturday night with fans hoping to see their boy wonder demolish Henry Wills on his way to bigger things. They knew that Mickey would have to go to Chicago or New York to further his chances of a title shot and they wanted to cheer him on his way. “Now remember, make it look good,” said Maxie. “We don’t want any inquiry when you lose.”
    “I’ll be fine, Maxie. Stop nagging. I’ve got too much at stake to muck it up.”
    Henry Wills was an accomplished boxer who used his ring speed to keep clear of Mickey’s left hook. After four rounds, Mickey showed signs of frustration and began to take risks, ignoring defence to get in close to land a blockbuster. In one of these forays, he walked into a straight right and went down for the count. Mission accomplished!
    The Sunday papers had headlines such as;
    Ford Bubble Bust!
    Boy Wonder Has Glass Jaw.
    The sports writers were in agreement that Mickey’s title aspirations were now on hold. Several suggested he retire immediately. All were adamant that if he couldn’t take a punch, he was going nowhere fast.
    Maxie Mosquito said his boy would have a thorough medical check-up before any decisions about his future were taken.
    Callum wired money to Theresa and, with help from Alexander Duff, she set sail for New York. Meanwhile, Callum leased a small, clean, furnished apartment on the edge of town but still within walking distance of Carnegie Steel. He then visited Maxie to bring him up to speed and asked him if he knew of a Catholic priest who would be prepared to marry him. Maxie quipped, “Priests are not allowed to marry, Callum. You’d be better off sticking with your girl.”
    “For Christ’s sake, Maxie, can’t you be serious for a moment?”
    “Sorry, Mickey – I forgot you were a dour Scot. My own parish priest, Father Zalkowski, will do the honours. You’re now living in his domain. I’ll introduce you right now. He’ll be delighted to welcome another young Catholic into the fold.”
    “That could be a problem, Maxie. Theresa is a Catholic but I’m not.”
    “Look, kid, this is America. Rules are made to be broken. The good Father has a big heart. He’s been through so much and seen too much human suffering to be bogged down by details like that. Unless you’re a criminal, he’s gonna help you out. Besides, I’ll vouch for your character – no worries on that score.”
    “Yeah, some character. What about the dive I took for money?”
    “That was Mickey Ford, kid. He took a powder. Forget him!”
    Callum met Theresa at Penn Station. She looked radiant and he couldn’t wait to show her their new home. “How did you get the money so quickly, Callum? I hope you didn’t rob a bank.”
    “Not quite. I’ve just been working two jobs. First things first – I want to marry you straight away. We’ve got an appointment tonight with Father Zalkowski of St Ignatius. He wants to meet you as soon as possible and, if all goes well, he’ll marry us in the vestry. I’ve already consented to our offspring being brought up Catholic.”
    “Are you absolutely sure you want to be married in the Catholic Church, Callum?”
    “To be your husband, Theresa, I’ll get married in the synagogue, the mosque, or the Salvation Army. I love