The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [384]
“All right.”
“Maybe we better take a taxi instead of walking.”
“No. The walk will he good for me. We’ll just take it easy, as we have been doing.”
“But please, Bill, do what I ask you, because I’m only trying to think of what’s good for you. So come on, take a taxicab the rest of the way.”
“And what about you?”
“I’ll ride with you and I’ll walk the rest of the way home, and after supper I’ll come over and see you.”
“We’ll go to a show tonight. I’ll be all right.”
“No, you’ll rest and go to bed early.”
“I’m better now, I tell you. It’s all gone. It was just one of those heart attacks and it won’t be serious if I watch myself.”
“Oh, look, Bill, here come Fran and Carroll,” she said, and Studs saw his older sister and brother-in-law strolling toward them. He was still pretty weak on his pins, but he didn’t want them to know it.
“Hello, peoples,” Fran said.
“Why, how are you, Studs? Gee, I’m glad to see you, and you know, old man, you haven’t dropped around to see us in a long while. And hello there, Catherine, how are you?” Carroll said, and Studs guessed Carroll was friendly and all right, but he didn’t like his talk and his gestures, too high-hat.
“And why don’t you tell other people your secrets?” Fran said, smiling.
Studs could see that Fran was still a damn hot and pretty girl, and she looked nice with her white dress and her dark eyes and dark curly hair. And Carroll, with his classy light gray suit, looked like a hot shot, too. But he was sure picking up weight.
“I know. Mother telephoned me. Congratulations. We were just walking down to the beach to see if we could find you, because she told us you were there.”
“And yes, Studs, my congratulations to both of you, and we both wish and know that you’ll be happy,” Carroll said.
“But isn’t this sudden?” Fran asked.
“Well,” Studs exclaimed while Catherine blushed.
“And as an old and experienced married man, Studs, let me give you one word of advice. Do what the lady tells you to the first time, and you’ll save a lot of time,” Carroll said dryly, winking as he ended his remark.
“Yes, darling, only why don’t you practice what you preach?” Fran said, smiling at her husband.
“Oh, Studs will be all right. He can be trained,” Catherine said, becoming more at ease.
“Gee, you kids must be busy as bees,” Fran said.
“Well, I suppose we’re going to be,” Catherine said.
“Can I help you on anything, with your wedding dress, or something like that?” asked Fran.
“Why, no thanks, Fran dear. My mother will help me, and I think we’ll get everything finished, all right.”
“Well, you must come over. I want to have a shower for you, and when can I plan on it?”
“Fran, you shouldn’t put yourself to so much trouble,” Catherine said.
“Now, when?” Fran said authoritatively.
“If it must be, well, I suppose sometime next week,” Catherine said.
“How are things going with you, Studs?”
“Oh, pretty good, Carroll, can’t exactly complain. How about yourself?”
“All right, Studs. You know, I think that most of this depression talk is greatly exaggerated. I don’t think that times are near so hard as people say they are, and all this gloomy talk just makes everything so much the worse. Why, with a little more confidence on the part of everybody or at least of all the people who count, and there wouldn’t be any more depression. That’s the way I feel about it, In our law office now, for instance, we’ve got more work than we can handle.”
“Well, maybe there’s something to what you say, Carroll, only some people have been hit pretty hard. I know I took a flyer in some Imbray stock, not a lot, just a little, and I got socked.”
“Jesus, Studs, I wish you’d asked my advice before you did that. You know what’s happening? People on the inside told me this. Imbray is in a bad spot. He’s been fighting with a Cleveland financier, and this fellow from Cleveland has old Solomon with his back to the wall. It looks bad, because this Cleveland financier, his name is Goddard, he’s got Imbray where he wants him. Imbray has to plug up his own stock and buy them on the market so that Goddard can