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2.
:lybe I don't make -a no money. Maybe I make -a a little." Me
shrugoad, "Mightsa well be here as upstairs listen the radio."
"Yes, you bet," he went on. "1 got about all you wanta
here. The bests fruit, t)Pe baste vegetable, all kinda grocery,
tobacco, candy, seda, beer. Everything I guess but the meat.
This neiehborhood pretty gooda bueiness. Mosta allAeork in
the sheds, cut -a the stone. Make -a pretty good money when they
work. osta all pay cash then, Thatsa how I like him to do.
2.tit when he don't work, he can't pay. I carry him on the books
then. 1 got to, ain't I? And mosta time I get -a my money.
Some -a -time I lose, but not ruch. These folks pay pretty damn
good.
"Oh, I gotta plenty owe me yet. Everybody owe everybody
today. Itsa gotta be like that, not enough -a money. i get -a
hook plenty some -a -times. Like -a last week when old Perroni
die. .in family, they gotta nothing left, after they bury him.
Ye no helpa that, they no helpa, me no helpa neither, I helpa
them, sure. But you take -a some sonofabitch like this Costa.
Yels a goddam crook. Last month he scram, move -a right out,
take -a the family, the furniture, everything. Never say word
to me. After I carry him and his family all through the winter,
all winter long, after he gotta laid off.
Not a goddam cent
all winter. Then he beatsa out. I tell you, I knowa he
go,
he no go very damn fart I stopa him, have -a to kill the son-
ofabitch. 1 toile you true.
"But most folksa round here, they pay pretty good. oata
Italian like -a me. Some -a Spanish too. L.osta all try, do the
beet they can, nice -a people.
3.
"From Genoa I come. Was over there in the War before.
Italy, you gotta go, whether you like -s or not. You gotta go
in the army, you gotta go fight. Jesul Christa, I no manta
go no more I wants chop off the leg/ But just& same i go.
Eow bad it was I can't tella. bad enough by God so I see Pallas
hurt themselves so they go back. Smash* the feet with the rocks.
Zhoota the arms, the legs. Anything so notes, go the Front.
Another fella and me one time, tells you what we did. We was
on leave in Milano. We had enough& the goddam War* We thinks
ways so we don't go back to fight. We pick up the dirtiest
worst looking whore we finda Milano, We try -a get a dose, see?
both take -a crack. We take -a the fronts church in the dark.
By Jeaut Christ*, you know what happen? That other fella, he
got it. I don't get -a nothing& He go -a the hospital. I go -a
the trench.
"All through the War with a machine-gun crew. Once I was
wounded. In the leg, you see -a the limp. Eurtsa like hell
in the wet weather* All I got -a the War... My brother Angelo,
he live -a here then. He spends week Camp Doyens, I guess.
Now you thinks he won the whole war. Jesul Christal What he
know about it? All time talks& American Legion.
Jesul Christa.
"Only time now I wants the gun, when I see some -a these
big sots ride by. New car every year, can't pays bill. Old
Cutting, he owns bank, he can't pays me twenty dollar. Old
hutch', he own* store, he can't pays me what he owe. When
they ride -s by, big car, headsa up, sonofabitchL If I hadsa
machine gun then, I give -a him it.
4.
"I come here alter the War. Glad I come, too. I'ma fed
up with Italy, and itsa worse now. My brother Angelo, he say:
'I get you nice -4 job in the stoneshed.1 I say to him: 'Like -s
hell you willt' After while I get dome money offs Angelo.
Itsa all,paid now. I open this store and I been here ever
since. About* twenty year. I don't make -a so mucha Angelo,
but I do pretty damn good justa same,
'I sends my sister' boy to school, lie live -a with me
after my sister die. Es wants be lawyer. I say go 'head,
lawyer make -a the money, just& same any crook. Now he study
Notre Dame, Anyway he go there, I don't know how mucha he
study. Some -a -time I wonder. Fels a pretty lasy fella. Ile
likesa good time, likes* raise hell, likesa drink, chase -a the
girl. Always make -a the trouble. Last summer fella come -s
to me and say: 'Louie, that boy yours, he harm* my girl. Last
night he get fresh, rip -a -the skirt, rip -a -the stocking, throws,
the bushil I tells. him: 1Jesul Christa„ what you want me do?
Your daughter, she don't know better than go with him, itsa
her own fault.' Eels a good boy, but I don't know, i5 givesa
me plenty headache, plenty trouble.
"Its* lonesome some. -a -time now though, since the boy go
away. I missa him sure, Some -a -time I wish I marry
4.4w. almost.
But never not quite. If I yenta woman I get -a. I know one,
she come. She notes young, me not neither. If itsa young
ones I wants, go to Montreal. Get plenty up there, all kinds..
I go three-four timesa year maybe. Good bunch& young fella
round here, They like -a me pretty good, they take -a me with
them. Not justa Montreal. we go to ball games and fights,
5.
all like -a that. They know I spend plenty, buy plenty whisky,
plenty beer. Lotsa nights they hung round in here, justa smoke
and talk and tells story, After I close up we go upstairs,
drinks wine or beer, listen the music. )1hey always knows drink
at Louie's. But I think they like -a me justa same I don't spend
or gives so muoh.
"About this town I don't know. Itsa good enough, good
as any, I guess. I'm a citizen, sure, I give -a vote every year.
I vote for Roosevelt. Re's a one president we got fights the
big business. I try be a good citizen, too, but some -a -time
I feel like -a goddsm Communist. I feel like go grabs the bomb,
blows to hell everything, laugh whiles.* go.
"One thing I know, we gotta better here than in the old
Country. So When I get so goddam mad I thinks like that,
Better I'm here than there.
"About granite I can't tells much. I see -a the sheds,
I see -a the quarries, I see -a the men come home cover with dust,
like they rolls in it. root* stonecutter I like fine, good
fella... But I tells you, me, makes* me goddam glad I no works
there."