“If you do without whiskey for two weeks, and then come and tell me on
your honor that you have not touched it, maybe I will.”
He said:
“That’s a go. I take you up!” and we shook hands solemnly on it; but the
very next time he came to see me, I smelled the whiskey on him, and he
said he hadn’t started the “two weeks’ water-wagon stunt” yet.
I was glad to see Jimmy’s happy face that evening, and, tucking my hand
in his arm, we walked along the avenue.
“Gee!” said Jimmy, as we passed the hotels all lighted up and looking so
inviting and fine, “I wish I had the cash to blow you to a wine supper,
Marion, but, I seem to spend every d----cent before I get it.”
“Never mind, Jimmy,” I said. “I’ve my meal ticket for that
boarding-house.”
“Oh, that hash-slinging joint!” groaned Jimmy. “Say, Marion, I know a
dandy place on Boylston Street, corner of Tremont, where there is mighty
good grub and beer, and they don’t soak a fellow fancy prices. Let’s go
there now, what do you say?”
“All right, but I thought you said you were broke?”
“Oh, that’s all right,” he replied airily. “Come along, and don’t ask
questions.”
Somehow when I was with Jimmy, I never felt serious and I seemed to
catch his happy-go-lucky spirit and say to myself: “Oh, well, I don’t
care!”
Gaily we started for Jimmy’s restaurant. We had reached Elliott Street,
when Jimmy said:
“Hold on a minute. You wait in this doorway for me a moment, Marion. I
have to see a man on a matter of business.”
I stepped into the doorway, but I watched Jimmy. He swung into a shop
over which there were hung three golden balls. Oh! I knew that place for
I had already visited it. It sheltered my engagement ring--the ring
Reggie had given to me! In a few minutes out came Jimmy minus his spring
overcoat. It is true the day had been warm, but the nights were still
chilly, and I felt badly to see him without his coat.
“Jimmy, what have you done? Where’s your coat?”
“Oh, that’s all right,” he laughed. “I just left it with my uncle over
night. My mother won’t give me a red cent when I ask her--thinks I ought
to eat at home or beat it for the country, now college’s closed--but she
gives it to me all right--with tears, Marion--when she sees me next day
without my coat. So come along.”
My feelings were mingled. If I did not go with him, I knew he would
spend it all on drink. Besides, he had pawned his coat for me, and I
felt it would be ungrateful to refuse to go with him now.
Jimmy ordered us a splendid supper, oysters, a big steak, beer; but it
would have tasted better if I had not known about that overcoat, and I
almost cried when we got out to the street, and he had to turn the
collar of his coat up.