The Tight White Collar by Grace Metalious

may call me Lisa if you want.”
    â€œI want,” he said, and picked up his pen again. When he had finished writing her name on the card he looked up. “Well, Lisa, what seems to be the trouble?”
    â€œTrouble?” she asked. And then she smiled. “Oh, no trouble, Doctor. I mean, I’m not sick or anything. I’m going to have a baby.”
    Jess Cameron looked down at the card in front of him and did not move.
    I knew it, he thought. I knew it the minute I saw her. But I’m never going to get used to it. Never. A child herself, and now this.
    As soon as he was able, he looked up at her. “Is that so?” he asked conversationally.
    â€œWell, at least I
think
so,” said Lisa and blushed a little. “I haven’t come around—I mean, I haven’t menstruated for three months.”
    â€œYes,” said Jess. “Well, that’s usually a pretty good indication of something or other. Let’s find out.”
    While Lisa was undressing in the other room, Jess put out his cigarette.
    Christ! he thought. Seventeen years old. I wonder if the boy will marry her quietly or if there’ll be a stink. I hope to hell he’s no one from around here.
    Lisa lay on the narrow table and suffered what she later described to Chris as agonies of embarrassment while the doctor poked and prodded and put his cold stethoscope on her.
    He was nice, though, she thought later. He didn’t stare at her at all while his hands were on her. Finally he straightened and, keeping his back to her, went to the small sink in the room and pulled off his rubber glove.
    â€œYou may get dressed,” he told her.
    When she had her clothing on and was seated next to his desk again, he said, “Lisa, you’re going to have a baby, all right. In about six more months, I’d say.”
    But he sounded so sad, thought Lisa. And all she wanted was for him to be as happy as she was. She began to figure mentally.
    â€œIt must have happened practically the first time we were together,” she said at last.
    â€œLisa, listen to me,” said Jess. “Does he—does the father know?”
    â€œWell, yes. I mean, he’s not sure but neither was I until just now.”
    â€œIs he willing to marry you?” asked Jess.
    â€œOf course he’s willing to marry me,” cried Lisa angrily. “He
loves
me and I love him. With us, Dr. Cameron, it isn’t a question of
having
to get married. Oh, I’ve heard plenty about girls and boys having to get married, but not Chris and me. We love each other. We
want
to get married.”
    â€œTell me this boy’s name,” said Jess tiredly. “His name, where he works. Everything.”
    â€œHis name is Christopher Pappas. He is seventeen years old and he works for his father and mother in the fruit store at Cooper’s Mills,” said Lisa as if she were reciting a lesson in a classroom. Then she added, “He lives in the house behind the store with his family and his father and mother hate me and my mother hates Chris.”
    Jess shielded his eyes with his hand as he wrote. “Does he get paid for the work he does for his parents?” he asked.
    â€œOf course,” said Lisa proudly. “He gets sixty cents an hour. That’s what men get when they first go into the mills, you know. And Chris’s folks pay him the same thing because they want to keep him at the store.”
    â€œI see,” said Jess. “Lisa,” he said, “you tell this boy tonight. Tell him that you were here and that we’re sure.”
    â€œWell, of course, I’ll tell him,” said Lisa, not understanding the man at all. “He’s just dying to hear. I promised that I’d stop by the store and let him know as soon as I was sure myself. We even worked out a sort of code in case his mother or father is around. If one of them is there and I am, I’m to ask him for a package of