Document text
Roaldus Richmond
i\t\e/C s*
AFTER ALL Tara YEAR'S
ritersi StL El
F. SEP 2 1 '943
"I'm just an old gal now," she said. "I'm getting old
and fat, and I don't give a damn. If pepplf don't like me
the way l am I can't help it. And I'm. not crying. alyout it,
or wasting any time worrying about it. I'm satisfied. I bad
my day and it was a good one. Now just another old gal."
Ida Bergeron was typical of the older office girls. She
had supported herself for many years* It gave her an independent
and self-reliant man's attitude toward life. She talked and
acted rather like a man. Ulgo drank and, on occasion, swore
like a man, Her dark bold face had once been handsome* her
voice was coarse and overloudvher'laugh rough and rasping.
Nothing disturbed her almost brazen composure. Close to forty,
ells had an excellent position, commanded a good salary. She
was a lonely figure. A bachelor girl growing old*
"I remember when you were the belle of the border," ::4:4borts
said. i.e was a big man with an increasing waistline. he had
been an athlete, a splendid figure of a man. Now he was about
the age of Ida Bergeron. Lis well -cut features looked blurred
and coarsened, Loberts, like Ida, now held a good position in
one of the State dopartmonts. La too was a bachelor. Both
drove new automobiles and maintained comfortable apartments,
well -stocked with clothing, liquor and smart kniok-knacks.
I.oth spent a good deal on amusements. Like Ida, Roberts was
9.
representative of the moderately successful office -worker on
the brink of forty, single and independent and alone,
"Yes, yes," said Ida Bergeron, "Bielli'of the border an
right. Look at me now. And I can remember when you were slim
and keen, Robbie, a swell looking guy. Xy hero in that Customs
uniform. Oh boy, the good old days. Congo forever, Robbie.
We Lad a i;ood time up north there though. But I couldn't stand
living in Island Pon4 now. my Cod, what a plaoel I have to
60 up about every weekend, but I 'ate it. y mother is pretty
bad, you know. Che's been in the hospital for months. It's
suite a drag on my bank account too, believe me. And my brother
Ben's no help. Just lost his job a6ain the other day. be was
sending five a week to help pay the bills up there. Now bels
out. I get him jobs and he gets himself fired. It's happened
time after time. I'll get him no more jobs, I tell you that.
I'm all through this time. ife's no good. I wash m7 hands of
him. I hope be lands in the gutter. „That's where he belongs.
I've dons everything for that boy. This is the thanks I got.
At a time like this when I need him the most. Le's let me down
for the last time. I don't want to ever see him atoain. That's
way I feel about him, I'm all through."
"Oh, I know you better than that, Ida," chided Roberta.
"You'll be sendiaii, him five or ten every once in awhile. You're
not so hardboiled as you sound."
"An -4v* what you think," said Ida. "I won't send him a
dime thiu time. Not a cent* I don't care if he starves. Le
got to playing around with the Llks Club crowd in Burlington.
Thought he was a bigehot* 14'11 find out how many friends he's
Lot when he stops spending money and buying the drinks, Belli
find out about his fine..feathered friends when his pocketbook's
flat. I know that crowd. I know what people like that are
like. Ben'll begin to learn too* If he's able to learn any..
thing at all* I'm beginning to wonder* liobbie„ what happened
that time when you left the Cuatome"
"Didn't you hear about that, Ida? I thought everybody
kriew, I Lot into a little trouble up there, that's all. Took
the rap for a friend of mine, sae? I thought he was a friend
of mine. ;.6nyway I got the gate."
"Ch yes, yea. sure, 1 remember now. I heard you Lot a
raw deal. You always were too bi6-hearted„ Robbie. Too good
a fellow. I knew you'd tae a beationg for it sometime* You
Lot to be tough, Robbie* You can't be sort. Not is this world*
:iobody over gave me anything* ,I had to get out and take all I
ever got. Boys oh boys, I'll say I did& tell, .at did you do
after that, hobble? how come you escaped matrimony anyway?
I thought some sweet young thing would lead you to the altar*"
"Almost got me once or twice, Ida," admitted Loberts with
a laugh. "But I always woke up, or sobered up, in time. Plenty
of tire yet to sel.tle down* tell, after I left the Customs I
didn't do much of anything for a couple of years. Couldn't
find anything worthwhile* then I got a job as ,athletic instructor
in a COO camp. Ad so.e tcacLing too* It wasn't much but it
was something* I WWI in Leine and New Ilampshire, and then I
went to three different camps in Vermont. It kept me in shape,
Ida* I didn't start getting fat while I was doing that. But
4.
I've. certainly put it on since I got planted behind a desk.
No exercise at all the lust few years. Nothing more than danc-
ing and elbow -bending and driving a car. I don't like it,
but what can you do about it?"
Ida laughed harshly. "Can't do a damn thing about mine,
I know that. I just lay around and watch myself grow. I don't
mind any more. Free, fat and forty. lhat s me. I'm like Pop
eye the sailor: I am what I am because I am."
"I didn't even go doer hunting this year," said Loberts.
"I used to do a lot of hunting, you know. Great country for
that up around Island Pond. 441sex County's a wonderful place
to hunt and fish: Look at all the streams and lakes right
around Island Pond."
*You look at them*" said Ida. "that would I do with streams
and lakes?"
"I used to get my deer every season*" Roberts said sadly.
"I never got dear," said Ida laughing mirthlessly.
"The only deur I over really wanted, I mean. If I get one now
it'll hey° to be an old buck, 1 guesa. I still like 'am young,
Robbie. lAit an old man with plenty of money and not long to
live wouldn't be bad. I could stand it. t,ometimils I get tired
of working. Jxnd owing home to this empty apartment after work.'
"It's a nice apartment. 170 you cook your meals here?"
"vont of the time. rntil I get sick of my own cooking.
One of the girls esti) here with me usually. We split on the
croceries. She's an old raid too. Put she's got a stoady boy-
friend. I don't envy her !Am though. Not even if his old man
dil leave him tl. small fortune he mde out of granite. re's
a dope. Betsy two-times him plenty. Fe's too dumb to know
it. Last summer she was playing round with one of his own
stonecutters. The Luy could hardly talk English. nut Betsy
claims he hud his good points, and she ought to knowl Oh,
why be catty? I have my =manta too. This place has seen
some pretty warm parties. Boys oh boys, I guess it has1"
"I'm surprised you didn't Let married, Ida. You must
have had plenty of chances, Good looking woman like you."
"Yes, yes, I'm a beauty all right, Robbie. ure, I had
my chances. Uut the one I wanted didn't develop, you know.
iLThese long drawn-out affairs usually don't. Well, I learned
my lesson. Too late to do me much good, of course. I could
land thee young &Iris some dumned cood advice thovgh. Cive
'em nothing, keep 'em guessing, make 'em pay off in wedding
rings. 7ook 'em quick, hobble, and hold 'am hard."
!'oborts nodded, "I remember now, Ida. You were pract-
married. glee fellow too, fine follow. Re had every-
t;,ing to off'er you. Everyone thought it was all settled. Too
had, Ida."
Ida proteoted. "Lay or, Pobbie. Let's forget all that
stuff. ”aybe I'm better off single. You knew Pons, Was married,
ddn't you? Cale got a good an too. Only known him about
three-four montle, ',11e's a lucky gal. I told her no at the
shower we gave her. onals attractive, but she'd played around
a lot. 1.70u don't find guys like she cot hanging on trees.
,-onals a nice girl but she's ktnd of eccentric and flighty.
Thatterbruined."
6*
°Guess all the girls play around, don't they? All thee*
office girls**
"Why not?. said Ida Borger= shortly, the latish laugh
rasping her throat
11I like this place you have,* Roberts said. *I think it's
swell, Ida. Row long have you been here?*
'Six years. Long enough, Robbie* Too long, by God. I've
seen a lot of people came and go bore. Thorro always moving
in and out of this apartment house* Merely* been some queer
ones, too. Them was one fellow who ran around in his uhder-
weer all the time. Or he'd wear a bathrobe with nothing on
under it. If he met a girl in the hall the robe would comp
open. Accidentally, you know. at you call an exhibitionist,
I guess* Pe got thrown out pretty soon. There leer* a couple
of young girls here who used to ontertain all the cadets in
Norviok University* Ronast, it sounded like they brought their
horses with them tool Last summer there were two kid actresses
here from the summer theatre, Downstairs when there was anions
around they talked with a fake English aocent. When they got
up in their room you should've heard them curs* and swear at
each other. We've had moo funny ones. They oome and go and
I stay right here.*
"Did you know Ed Poynter, the fellow who oommittod suicide
awhile ago?*
'Sure, I knew him* I know everybody, Robbie. Don't know
what good it does me, but I know them. Ed was a strong' guy.
He'd been around .plenty. It cost his old man lots of money
7.
Letting him out of scrapes. Le went to nifliws1 you know.
!:e was in France when the World -War broke out the first one.
he fought with the French army, After the war he tried a lot
of dif:erent jobs* Itis mother was dead. Lis step-Imother wouldn't
have Ed in the howl. Of course he drank a lot* Then he die..
appeared for six or seven years. C;ot Into some kind of a jam
and serammed out. Nobody knew where he was.. Le acted funny
when he Lot buck hare. his father wouldn't help him any more.
Ld Lot a vhite-eollar WFA job. Le had a queer look in his aye!,
044-lbe-ttmal, Lhifty aad dark, like he wee full of hate ,and
soared all the time of swathing. he told somebody be was
going to kill himself. It was after he'd been on a drunk. lhey
thought he was fooling* i‘e wasn't fooling any& blew his head
off. They called his father to see the body* The old man
looked at it ane, went rigt.t back to the of:ice. he could've
saved Ed. /*vbe if it hadn't been for his second wife he'd
Lave tried to. .Anyway between the two of them they killed Ld
koynter. That's what I tillak„ and so do plenty other people*.
"It's a funny thing," mused boberts. "People who want to
live Let killed. t'eople who want to die have to kill them-
selves. It dcesn't make sense."
"What doss?" demanded Ida, "You're old enough, hobbies
not to expect_tLinge to make sense. Let's not got morbid*
1,ben two old friends meet 11.A tile they ought to be gay, hadn't
they? Lidyou see any football tAmes this fall? I went down
to the Dartmouth-harvard."
saw Cornell at Dartmouth* Uot much of a game. Lornell
was too good."
e.
":ier,ember when you Atdhed for Vermont aad beat Dartmouth,
li.bbie? Was I proud of you, boys oh boys/ You were my hero,
Robbie. 1 was nuts about you."
"You're a good girl, Ida, but don't kid me."
"I'm not kidding you. You're still pretty nice. Even
with that belly. Let's go out somewhere and celebrate this
reunion. What do you say, i'lobble? Two old veterans back from
the wars. ';:e haven't licked the world, ;:tobbies but we've done
all rLht for ourselves."
Hure„" said ioborts. "You've done swell, Ida, Always
L_kid good jobs, made good money. They tell me you last about
run that departmont of yours."
"If I do I'm underpaid," Ida laughed. "Let's go dancing
sonew:7,ere. Davenit danced much for suite awhile. You used to
be pretty smooth, Pobbie. how are you now?"
still smc,otL. till pretty smooth, Ida."
"7'11 bet you are, Robbie. We'll take up more apace on
the floor than we used to, huh? rait'll I get my warpaint on.
Just an old Indian squaw, But I want to get out of this apart
rent. Funny 11:e we lead, Robies Parties in this apartment
tnd that apartment. Boys oh boys."'
"Lunoh-eart life," Eoberts said. "Cometimes 1 think I'll
Cot nanied and settle down for keeps."
"Tel.y don't you, hobble? You've kieked around long enough.
.70w you got a swell job, money in the bank, and all tht.t. You
nod a omei You out to have a wife and kids. Spend your
nights by the fireside with slippers on and a pipe in your
nouth. That's what you ought to do, Robbie." Ida Bergeronts
9.
voice %Ito almost wistful,
w:4aybe," suid 1,oberts. "I don't know, Ida."
Vey went out luuLhine, to6ethor. But tLere was something
Lollow sad empty in their luu6hter. CometLinio. almost pathetic
in tle bruve front tLey slowed the world.