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e hadnˇt shaved and he was wearing an old sweater。
¨Christ！ Why canˇt you let me sleep？〃 he says to John。
¨Donˇt be sore；〃 John says。 ¨I didnˇt mean to wake you up。〃
¨Oh no；〃 Jack says。 ¨Of course not。〃
¨You know Morgan and Steinfelt；〃 John said。
¨Glad to see you；〃 Jack says。
¨How do you feel； Jack？〃 Morgan asks him。
¨Fine；〃 Jack says。 ¨How the hell would I feel？〃
¨You look fine；〃 Steinfelt says。
¨Yes； donˇt I；〃 says Jack。 ¨Say；〃 he says to John。 ¨Youˇre my manager。 You get a big enough cut。 Why the hell donˇt you come out here when the reporters was out！ You want Jerry and me to talk to them？〃
¨I had Lew fighting in Philadelphia；〃 John said。
¨What the hellˇs that to me？〃 Jack says。 ¨Youˇre my manager。 You get a big enough cut； donˇt you？ You arenˇt making me any money in Philadelphia； are you？ Why the hell arenˇt you out here when I ought to have you？〃
¨Hogan was here。〃
¨Hogan；〃 Jack says。 ¨Hoganˇs as dumb as I am。〃
¨Soldier Bartlett was out here wukking with you for a while； wasnˇt he？〃 Steinfelt said to change the subject。
¨Yes； he was out here；〃 Jack says。 ¨He was out here all right。〃
¨Say； Jerry；〃 John said to me。 ¨Would you go and find Hogan and tell him we want to see him in about half an hour？〃
¨Sure；〃 I said。
¨Why the hell canˇt he stick around？〃 Jack says。 ¨Stick around； Jerry。〃
Morgan and Steinfelt looked at each other。
¨Quiet down； Jack；〃 John said to him。
¨I better go find Hogan；〃 I said。
¨All right； if you want to go；〃 Jack says。 ¨None of these guys are going to send you away； though。〃
¨Iˇll go find Hogan；〃 I said。
Hogan was out in the gym in the barn。 He had a couple of his health…farm patients with the gloves on。 They neither one wanted to hit the other； for fear the other would come back and hit him。
¨Thatˇll do；〃 Hogan said when he saw me come in。 ¨You can stop the slaughter。 You gentlemen take a shower and Bruce will rub you down。〃
They climbed out through the ropes and Hogan came over to me。
¨John Collins is out with a couple of friends to see Jack；〃 I said。
¨I saw them come up in the car。〃
¨Who are the two fellows with John？〃
¨Theyˇre what you call wise boys；〃 Hogan said。 ¨Donˇt you know them two？〃
¨No；〃 I said。
Thatˇs Happy Steinfelt and Lew Morgan。 They got a pool…room。〃
¨I been away a long time；〃 I said。
¨Sure；〃 said Hogan。 ¨That Happy Steinfeltˇs a big operator。〃
¨Iˇve heard his name；〃 I said。
¨Heˇs a pretty smooth boy；〃 Hogan said。 ¨Theyˇre a couple of sharpshooters。〃
¨Well；〃 I said。 ¨They want to see us in half an hour。〃
¨You mean they donˇt want to see us until half an hour？〃
¨Thatˇs it。〃
¨Come into the office；〃 Hogan said。 ¨To hell with those sharpshooters。〃
After about thirty minutes or so Hogan and I went upstairs。 We knocked on Jackˇs door。 They were talking inside the room。
¨Wait a minute；〃 somebody said。
¨To hell with that stuff；〃 Hogan said。 ¨When you want to see me Iˇm down in the office。〃
We heard the door unlock。 Steinfelt opened it。
¨Come on in； Hogan；〃 he says。 ¨Weˇre all going to have a drink。〃
¨Well；〃 says Hogan。 ¨Thatˇs something。〃
We went in。 Jack was sitting on the bed。 John and Morgan were sitting on a couple of chairs。 Steinfelt was standing up。
¨Youˇre a pretty mysterious lot of boys；〃 Hogan said。
¨Hello； Danny；〃 John says。
¨Hello； Danny；〃 Morgan says and shakes hands。
Jack doesnˇt say anything。 He just sits there on the bed。 He ainˇt with the others。 Heˇs all by himself。 He was wearing an old blue jersey and pants and had on boxing shoes。 He needed a shave。 Steinfelt and Morgan were dressers。 John was quite a dresser too。 Jack sat there looking Irish and tough。
Steinfelt brought out a bottle and Hogan brought in some glasses and everybody had a drink。 Jack and I took one and the rest of them went on and had two or three each。
¨Better save some for your ride back；〃 Hogan said。
¨Donˇt you worry。 We got plenty；〃 Morgan said。
Jack hadnˇt drunk anything since the one drink。 He was standing up and looking at them。 Morgan was sitting on the bed where Jack had sat。
¨Have a drink； Jack；〃 John said and handed him the glass and the bottle。
¨No；〃 Jack said； ¨I never liked to go to these wakes。〃
They all laughed。 Jack didnˇt laugh。
They were all feeling pretty good when they left。 Jack stood on the porch when they got into the car。 They waved to him。
¨So long；〃 Jack said。
We had supper。 Jack didnˇt say anything all during the meal except； ¨Will you pass me this？〃 or ¨Will you pass me that？〃 The two health…farm patients ate at the same table with us。 They were pretty nice fellows。 After we finished eating we went out on the porch。 It was dark early。
¨Like to take a walk； Jerry？〃 Jack said。
¨Sure；〃 I said。
We put on our coats and started out。 It was quite a way down to the main road and then we walked along the main road about a mile and a half。 Cars kept going by and we would pull out to one side until they were past。 Jack didnˇt say anything。 After we had stepped out into the bushes to let a big car go by Jack said； ¨To hell with this walking。 Come on back to Hoganˇs〃。
We went along a side road that cut up over the hill and cut across the fields back to Hoganˇs。 We could see the lights of the house up on the hill。 We came around to the front of the house and there standing in the doorway was Hogan。
¨Have a good walk？〃 Hogan asked。
¨Oh； fine；〃 Jack said。 ¨Listen； Hogan。 Have you got any liquor？〃
¨Sure；〃 says Hogan。 ¨Whatˇs the idea？〃
¨Send it up to the room；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm going to sleep tonight。〃
¨Youˇre the doctor；〃 Hogan says。
¨Come on up to the room； Jerry；〃 Jack says。
Upstairs； Jack sat on the bed with his head in his hands。
¨Ainˇt it a life？〃 Jack says。
Hogan brought in a quart of liquor and two glasses。
¨Want some ginger ale？〃
¨What do you think I want to do； get sick？〃
¨I just asked you；〃 said Hogan。
¨Have a drink？〃 said Jack。
¨No； thanks；〃 said Hogan。 He went out。
¨How about it； Jerry？〃
¨Iˇll have one with you；〃 I said。
Jack poured out a couple of drinks。 ¨Now；〃 he said； ¨I want to take it slow and easy。〃
¨Put some water in it；〃 I said。
¨Yes；〃 Jack said。 ¨I guess thatˇs better。〃
We had a couple of drinks without saying anything。 Jack started to pour me another。
¨No；〃 I said； ¨thatˇs all I want。〃
¨All right；〃 Jack said。 He poured himself out another big shot and put water in it。 He was lighting up a little。
¨That was a fine bunch out here this afternoon；〃 he said。
¨They donˇt take any chances； those two。〃
Then a little later； ¨Well；〃 he says； ¨theyˇre right。 What the hellˇs the good in taking chances？〃
¨Donˇt you want another； Jerry？〃 he said。 ¨Come on； drink along with me。〃
¨I donˇt need it； Jack；〃 I said。 ¨I feel all right。〃
¨Just have one more；〃 Jack said。 It was softening him up。
¨All right；〃 I said。
Jack poured one for me and another big one for himself。
¨You know；〃 he said； ¨I like liquor pretty well。 If I hadnˇt been boxing I would have drunk quite a lot。〃
¨Sure；〃 I said。
¨You know；〃 he said； ¨I missed a lot； boxing。〃
¨You made plenty of money。〃
¨Sure； thatˇs what Iˇm after。 You know I miss a lot； Jerry。〃
¨How do you mean？〃
¨Well；〃 he says； ¨like about the wife。 And being away from home so much。 It donˇt do my girls any good。 ˉWhose your old man？ˇ some of those society kidsˇll say to them。 ˉMy old manˇs Jack Brennan。ˇ That donˇt do them any good。〃
¨Hell；〃 I said； ¨all that makes a difference is if they got dough。〃
¨Well；〃 says Jack； ¨I got the dough for them all right。〃 He poured out another drink。 The bottle was about empty。
¨Put some water in it；〃 I said。 Jack poured in some water。
¨You know；〃 he says； ¨you ainˇt got any idea how I miss the wife。〃
¨Sure。〃
¨You ainˇt got any idea。 You canˇt have an idea what itˇs like。〃
¨It ought to be better out in the country than in town。〃
¨With me now；〃 Jack said； ¨it donˇt make any difference where I am。 You canˇt have an idea what itˇs like。〃
¨Have another drink。〃
¨Am I getting soused？ Do I talk funny？〃
¨Youˇre coming on all right。〃
¨You canˇt have an idea what itˇs like。 They ainˇt anybody can have an idea what itˇs like。〃
¨Except the wife；〃 I said。
¨She knows；〃 Jack said。 ¨She knows all right。 She knows。 You bet she knows。〃
¨Put some water in that；〃 I said。
¨Jerry；〃 says Jack； ¨you canˇt have an idea what it gets to be like。〃
He was good and drunk。 He was looking at me steady。 His eyes were sort of too steady。
¨Youˇll sleep all right；〃 I said。
¨Listen； Jerry；〃 Jack says。 ¨You want to make some money？ Get some money down on Walcott。〃
¨Yes？〃
¨Listen； Jerry。〃 Jack put down the glass。 ¨Iˇm not drunk n