But I can't stay. See down there. No you can't see. But see what you can see, the big blue shadow, that's my brother."
"Amazing shadow."
"Yesh."
"Waiter. Two derobers here."
"You catch on fast mister."
George had never been good at the fast remark. Miss Tomson brings that out. Must put up some sort of show. She's been amused down there with her brother and his socialites. She could easily slip back into that life. I'm so nervous. Just not made for making smart remarks. The waiter in his kind anticipation of a dp could see I was new at it. Let me get away without crushing me altogether. I have warm inner feelings which explode resoundingly at boiling point.
"Miss Tomson, I'm glad."
"What for Mr. Smith."
"I'm just glad"
"Mr. Smith what are you doing on this train."
"Just glad I took it."
"You can't be on a train because you're glad."
"What stop, Miss Tomson, are you for."
"The last. What's yours."
"The Junction. I take a branch line."
"All by yourself, Mr. Smith, on this train like this. I can't get over it. Guess you're seeing friends."
"Not exactly."
"You're a mystery."
"What do you mean Miss Tomson."
"Why don't you find yourself some nice girl."
"Are you suggesting Miss Tomson I just find some nice girl just like that."
"Sure just like that. Crazy for a man living alone not getting any."
"Miss Tomson-"
"And you could get plenty if you got rid of that Matilda, While she's in the house you won't get a smell. I don't mean to sort of go into your personal life or anything, you know what I mean Smithy. It's unnatural."
"What's natural, Miss Tomson."
"This is for your own good, Smithy, and you ought to know. That Matilda will suck you dry. Before you know it you'll be one of these guys running around to museums collecting brass monkeys and that kind of thing."
Miss Tomson had her mixer out. Waiter gave her a tray with hers. Must be the brilliant pile of blond on her head and the legs. And in this dim blue her hands look longer than anything F^e ever seen before. Her fingernails around the glass. A black sweater and pearls.
"You looking at these, Mr. Smith."
"Yes."
"Pearls."
"Nice."
"Real ones. Ought to be hanging right between here but I don't feel like being half naked on a night like this. I just can't get over seeing you all by yourself on this train. Guess that's all right. But Jesus you're taking the branch line as well. Come and meet my brother and his friends why don't you. Maybe you want to be alone. And I'm barging in."
"Miss Tomson, no."
"But you don't want to meet anybody do you."
"Are you coming back."
"You mean the office. I don't know, Mr. Smith, I just honestly don't know. I've been laying in bed late just thinking of it. And I bought a machine that wakes you up with music and pours out hot coffee. Boy you ought to get one. You know that's what you need, Smithy. Lacking a loving hand when you wake up."
"I suppose so. Miss Tomson does your machine spit and grumble."
"It's magic."
"Where did you buy your machine, Miss Tomson."
"It really was a present."
"O."
"I couldn't refuse it. On the floor outside my door in the dark. I tripped over it and broke the glass on the clock. And couldn't give it back. Now I don't want to give it back. The guy I gave the cheapest thrill he ever got to. That's who. You know all the while I'm working for you he had me watched. How do you like that. The nerve. My apartment's like a funeral parlour with all the flowers. I say to the boy, take them and give them to your mother sonny or your girl friend. You know what one little upstart says to me, I laughed, he said I like men. Smithy, can't get over this, running into you like this."
Miss Tomson's hand came down and for a second touched Smith's knee. The train slowing through a station. A strain of Christmas carol. Look out now in the night. Community singers with a Santa Claus ringing a bell. Soon see the lights of the dam and we'll be reaching the fountains all lit up and then it won't be long. Her
"Amazing shadow."
"Yesh."
"Waiter. Two derobers here."
"You catch on fast mister."
George had never been good at the fast remark. Miss Tomson brings that out. Must put up some sort of show. She's been amused down there with her brother and his socialites. She could easily slip back into that life. I'm so nervous. Just not made for making smart remarks. The waiter in his kind anticipation of a dp could see I was new at it. Let me get away without crushing me altogether. I have warm inner feelings which explode resoundingly at boiling point.
"Miss Tomson, I'm glad."
"What for Mr. Smith."
"I'm just glad"
"Mr. Smith what are you doing on this train."
"Just glad I took it."
"You can't be on a train because you're glad."
"What stop, Miss Tomson, are you for."
"The last. What's yours."
"The Junction. I take a branch line."
"All by yourself, Mr. Smith, on this train like this. I can't get over it. Guess you're seeing friends."
"Not exactly."
"You're a mystery."
"What do you mean Miss Tomson."
"Why don't you find yourself some nice girl."
"Are you suggesting Miss Tomson I just find some nice girl just like that."
"Sure just like that. Crazy for a man living alone not getting any."
"Miss Tomson-"
"And you could get plenty if you got rid of that Matilda, While she's in the house you won't get a smell. I don't mean to sort of go into your personal life or anything, you know what I mean Smithy. It's unnatural."
"What's natural, Miss Tomson."
"This is for your own good, Smithy, and you ought to know. That Matilda will suck you dry. Before you know it you'll be one of these guys running around to museums collecting brass monkeys and that kind of thing."
Miss Tomson had her mixer out. Waiter gave her a tray with hers. Must be the brilliant pile of blond on her head and the legs. And in this dim blue her hands look longer than anything F^e ever seen before. Her fingernails around the glass. A black sweater and pearls.
"You looking at these, Mr. Smith."
"Yes."
"Pearls."
"Nice."
"Real ones. Ought to be hanging right between here but I don't feel like being half naked on a night like this. I just can't get over seeing you all by yourself on this train. Guess that's all right. But Jesus you're taking the branch line as well. Come and meet my brother and his friends why don't you. Maybe you want to be alone. And I'm barging in."
"Miss Tomson, no."
"But you don't want to meet anybody do you."
"Are you coming back."
"You mean the office. I don't know, Mr. Smith, I just honestly don't know. I've been laying in bed late just thinking of it. And I bought a machine that wakes you up with music and pours out hot coffee. Boy you ought to get one. You know that's what you need, Smithy. Lacking a loving hand when you wake up."
"I suppose so. Miss Tomson does your machine spit and grumble."
"It's magic."
"Where did you buy your machine, Miss Tomson."
"It really was a present."
"O."
"I couldn't refuse it. On the floor outside my door in the dark. I tripped over it and broke the glass on the clock. And couldn't give it back. Now I don't want to give it back. The guy I gave the cheapest thrill he ever got to. That's who. You know all the while I'm working for you he had me watched. How do you like that. The nerve. My apartment's like a funeral parlour with all the flowers. I say to the boy, take them and give them to your mother sonny or your girl friend. You know what one little upstart says to me, I laughed, he said I like men. Smithy, can't get over this, running into you like this."
Miss Tomson's hand came down and for a second touched Smith's knee. The train slowing through a station. A strain of Christmas carol. Look out now in the night. Community singers with a Santa Claus ringing a bell. Soon see the lights of the dam and we'll be reaching the fountains all lit up and then it won't be long. Her
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