his foot on the running-board. The movement made him wince. "I want to," he said.
She noticed the flash of pain on his face. "I didn't mean to hurt you so bad, Ross," she said quietly.
He looked into her eyes. "I deserved it," he said simply. "I should have known better."
A few seconds passed and then she withdrew her hand. "I better go," she said. "The ol' man'U be wild."
"What's your number?" he asked quickly. He saw a puzzled expression on her face. "So I can call you," he added.
"Oh," she replied, suddenly understanding. "We haven't got a phone."
'Then how will I get m touch with you?" he asked. It was his turn to be puzzled. He had always thought everyone had a telephone.
She looked up at him. "I'm generally at Rannis's candy store at three o'clock. It's up the block, across the street from the poolroom."
"I'll call you there tomorrow," he said.
"Okay." She hesitated a moment. "Good night, Ross.*'
He smiled. "Good night, Marja."
He watched her walk up the block, her half-high heels cUcking on the pavement. He liked the way she walked, her head high, her step sure, her body swaying shghdy as if she owned the earth. There was a natural pride in her.
He waited until he saw her walk up the steps and into her house before he got back into the car. He turned up the block after her. The hghts were on in the poolroom as he passed by. On an impulse he stopped the car and got out.
He had been right. Jimmy was in there, leaning over a table cue in hand, in the midst of a group of boys.
He heard Jimmy's voice as he approached. It was low, but with the confidential penetration of lewdness. "—^like a mink," he was saying. "Ross was layin' on the bed there like he had his ears screwed off. Stoned. My girl says we better get out before the cops come. Th' blonde says somebody gotta stay wit' him. So we blows an' leaves him there wit' th' blonde—"
A sixth sense made him look up. He forced a smile to his face. "Ross," he said, the tone of his voice changing. "Hi yuh feelin', pal? Man, did we have a ball or didn't we?"
Ross's face was cold, his eyes bleak. His lips scarcely
moved, but the words spilled out like vitriol. "Chicken-livered bastard! What did you run away for?'*
"Francie got scared, Ross." The words tumbled from his lips in his eagerness to explain. "Somebody had to take her home. Besides, Marja was stayin' wit' yuh. She said she would."
Ross walked around the pool table toward him deliberately. The boys fell away from him as he came closer to Jimmy. "What if I was really sick, Jimmy?" he asked, his voice suddenly deceptively soft. "If I really needed help? And only a girl there to do it?"
The smile was still on Jimmy's lips, but a terror was growing in his eyes. "And that girl sure could do it, couldn't she, Ross?" he said quickly. "I bet she sure knew how."
Ross's fist caught him on the mouth, and he tumbled backward against a table. He braced himself against it for a moment, then, reversing the cue stick in his hand, lunged at Ross's face.
Ross deflected the stick with his arm and stepped in close to Jinuny. His fists moved so quickly they were a blur in the yellow Ught. The cue stick fell from Jimmy's fingers. A moment later Ross stepped back.
There was a wild throbbing pain in his temples as he watched Jimmy sink slowly to the floor, bleeding from his nose and mouth. Pain was the only way to get even. Jimmy had to know what it was like.
Jimmy was sitting on his haunches, his eyes glazed and bewildered. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Slowly he rolled over on his side on the floor.
Ross picked up the cue stick from the floor and reversed it in his hand. His eyes were like frosty blue icicles as he stood over the prostrate figure. Deliberately he pressed the blunt edge down against Jimmy's trousers. He
twisted it in his hand, leaning his weight against it. "Yellow son of a bitch!" he said.
There was an involuntary scream from Jimmy^s lips before the others could pull Ross from him. The
She noticed the flash of pain on his face. "I didn't mean to hurt you so bad, Ross," she said quietly.
He looked into her eyes. "I deserved it," he said simply. "I should have known better."
A few seconds passed and then she withdrew her hand. "I better go," she said. "The ol' man'U be wild."
"What's your number?" he asked quickly. He saw a puzzled expression on her face. "So I can call you," he added.
"Oh," she replied, suddenly understanding. "We haven't got a phone."
'Then how will I get m touch with you?" he asked. It was his turn to be puzzled. He had always thought everyone had a telephone.
She looked up at him. "I'm generally at Rannis's candy store at three o'clock. It's up the block, across the street from the poolroom."
"I'll call you there tomorrow," he said.
"Okay." She hesitated a moment. "Good night, Ross.*'
He smiled. "Good night, Marja."
He watched her walk up the block, her half-high heels cUcking on the pavement. He liked the way she walked, her head high, her step sure, her body swaying shghdy as if she owned the earth. There was a natural pride in her.
He waited until he saw her walk up the steps and into her house before he got back into the car. He turned up the block after her. The hghts were on in the poolroom as he passed by. On an impulse he stopped the car and got out.
He had been right. Jimmy was in there, leaning over a table cue in hand, in the midst of a group of boys.
He heard Jimmy's voice as he approached. It was low, but with the confidential penetration of lewdness. "—^like a mink," he was saying. "Ross was layin' on the bed there like he had his ears screwed off. Stoned. My girl says we better get out before the cops come. Th' blonde says somebody gotta stay wit' him. So we blows an' leaves him there wit' th' blonde—"
A sixth sense made him look up. He forced a smile to his face. "Ross," he said, the tone of his voice changing. "Hi yuh feelin', pal? Man, did we have a ball or didn't we?"
Ross's face was cold, his eyes bleak. His lips scarcely
moved, but the words spilled out like vitriol. "Chicken-livered bastard! What did you run away for?'*
"Francie got scared, Ross." The words tumbled from his lips in his eagerness to explain. "Somebody had to take her home. Besides, Marja was stayin' wit' yuh. She said she would."
Ross walked around the pool table toward him deliberately. The boys fell away from him as he came closer to Jimmy. "What if I was really sick, Jimmy?" he asked, his voice suddenly deceptively soft. "If I really needed help? And only a girl there to do it?"
The smile was still on Jimmy's lips, but a terror was growing in his eyes. "And that girl sure could do it, couldn't she, Ross?" he said quickly. "I bet she sure knew how."
Ross's fist caught him on the mouth, and he tumbled backward against a table. He braced himself against it for a moment, then, reversing the cue stick in his hand, lunged at Ross's face.
Ross deflected the stick with his arm and stepped in close to Jinuny. His fists moved so quickly they were a blur in the yellow Ught. The cue stick fell from Jimmy's fingers. A moment later Ross stepped back.
There was a wild throbbing pain in his temples as he watched Jimmy sink slowly to the floor, bleeding from his nose and mouth. Pain was the only way to get even. Jimmy had to know what it was like.
Jimmy was sitting on his haunches, his eyes glazed and bewildered. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Slowly he rolled over on his side on the floor.
Ross picked up the cue stick from the floor and reversed it in his hand. His eyes were like frosty blue icicles as he stood over the prostrate figure. Deliberately he pressed the blunt edge down against Jimmy's trousers. He
twisted it in his hand, leaning his weight against it. "Yellow son of a bitch!" he said.
There was an involuntary scream from Jimmy^s lips before the others could pull Ross from him. The
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