Бетти Смит - Maggie-Now

Once each hour, Tessie counted the change in the registers and put all over five dollars in her satchel.

Between times, she wore a little black apron and carried a small feather duster with which she dusted oflf the hardware.

"She marries in a few years, maybe," said Annie. "Some feller sees she is pretty." Another sigh. "Then I don't have her money, but," she said brightly, "then Albie works.

When Albie gets married, I don't care no more. Then I be dead," she said cheerfully.

And every winter, Claude came back to her again. And every spring he left her again.

1,'66]

SUNDAY afternoons, Denny hung out with some fellers around the newsstand of a corner calmly. Denny had an act, the purpose of which was to give the fellers a good time. Strolling girls were the stooges of the act. Denny'd see a girl approach. As she passed, he'd say something like: "Oh, you kid with the bedroom eyes." The girl would pause, startled, and say something like: "You fresh thing, you!" This put the fellers into hysterics.

He used a different routine for the next passing girl. He took off his hat with a flourish, bowed and said: "How do you do. ." When the girl stopped in surprise, he'd continue.". . that trick with your hat? Like this?" He'd twirl his hat around on his forefinger. Laughter from the crowd.

He had a killer, though, in his moving-hat trick. He had a derby hat rigged up with strings and rubber bands. The strings ran down into his coat pockets. He'd stand there, hat on and hands in pockets. When a group of girls appeared (the trick was too good for one lone girl), he'd say, "Hello," in a dull oafish voice and manipulate the strings in his pocket and make the hat stand straight up on his head, the brim resting on the nape of his neck.

Then he'd make the hat turn to sit sidewise on his head.

The reaction was terrific. Sometimes a girl would shriek in terror, another would laugh her head off and so on.

One day, Denny saw a pretty girl coming along. She had a cute shape, too. As she was passing, he said: "Hello, good-looking." When she turned to give him an indignant look, he said: "Can't you take a joke?" Instead of tossing her head and going on her way, the girl came right up to him.

"Dennis Moore! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, hanging around on the corner like a loafer and insulting girls, and you with such a nice sister and such a nice home and all."

It took him a while to realize that she was Tessie Vernacht. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been a skinny-legged kid of four [357 1

teen. But now! Wow! was his opinion of her.

She lectured him for a good five minutes and then went on her way. Dennis was thoroughly ashamed. That must never happen again, he told himself. From that time on, the fellers on that corner saw him no more. Denny took up with a bunch of fellers in another neighborhood w here he could perform his acts without the danger of anyone he knew seeing him.

But Tessie stayed in his mind. He wanted to see her again to tell her that she had no right to call him down so hard in front of the other fellers. He didn't know where to find her. He didn't want to ask his sister where she lived.

Maggie-Now might get ideas, he thought.

He figured Tessie went to church. He went to a different Mass each Sunday: the eight o'clock, the ten o'clock, even the eleven o'clock High Mass, which he usually avoided because it was so long. He left the church before the service was over and waited outside. He waited outside for two Sundays but Tessie never appeared. Then Denny hit on a way to make Maggie-Now tell him without her knowin, what he wanted.

"I saw Annie in church today," he said. "And she sends regards."

"That's funny," said his sister. "Annie doesn't go to our church. She goes to that one on Montrose Avenue, that German church. All the Vernachts go there."

The next Sunday, he went to the six o'clock Mass at his own church, then took up his watch outside the church on Montrose Avenue. He saw Tessie come out and he fell in step with her. He started talking fast before she could say a word.

"Look," he said. "I'm sorry for what happened a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know it was you. Gee, you grew up so pretty. You did right to bawl me out the way you did.

Course, I was ashamed in front of the fellers and all, but I wouldn't mind being ashamed again that way. I'd like to make it up to you, Tessie. Would you go to a movie with me or a show?"

Tessie was pleased with his flattery and his humility and a little sorry that she had shamed him in front of his friends.

"I'd like to, Dennis," she said. "But I'll have to ask my mother."

"Can I walk you home?" he asked.

"No, Dennis. Not until after I ask my mother."

[358] He was waiting for her the following Sunday. "Did you ask her? "

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"She said [couldn't go out Witil you."

"Did she say why?"

"She said you were too wild, Dennis."

"Gee, Tessie, you're old enough. I'm eighteen and you must be nearly that. You can go out with me without telling your mother."

"I'd like to go out with you, Dennis. But if I fooled my mother, you'd start thinking that maybe I was fooling you."

"You talk like Maggie-Now."

"I'd be proud if I was as good and decent as your sister."

"Listen," he said, kicking at a nonexistent pebble.

"Maybe I am what your mother calls wild. But if I had a girl a good girl like you maybe I'd be different."

"I'll ask her again, Dennis."

"I don't want to be the way I am," said Denny inarticulately. "But I don't know any other way to be."

"I'll ask her," she repeated.

"No!" said Annie. "This the last time I say it. No!"

"But, Mama, I don't even need to ask you. I'm eighteen."

"He puts that idea in your head."

"Nobody needs to put it in my head. I am eighteen."

"You can't go out mit him." Whenever Annie got excited, she dropped into her instinctive German.

"But why?"

"I tell you before, I tell you now: He iss too wild. And you are a good girl."

"Sometimes a good girl can get a wild boy to change his ways." "I do not bring up my daughter to make angels out of devils."

"But, Mama. ."

"No! " shouted Annie. "Nein! Und das is alles. Is all," she translated.

Annie went over to see Maggie-Now right away.

Fumblingly, inarticulately, apologetically, mixing German with English, but firmly, she told Maggie-Now to tell her brother to keep away from Tessie.

[369 J

"lch liebe dicta, Magg~e-Now," she said. "You are like daughter to me. Aber ich. . I got feelings about Tessie.

She is mine only girl. And Denty. . good. But like they say, is wild. Maybe they get older, Denty gets berter, then I have nothing to say."

"I'll speak to Denny," said Maggie-Now. "They're both very young." I\laggie-Now did not mean to speak coldly but her voice came out that way. Amlie lowered her head and kissed MaggieNow's hand. "Don't! " said Maggie-Now sharply. "He's my brother and I think he's good enough for any girl. But I'll tell him not to bother Tessie."

On the way home from Maggie-Now's house, Annie decided to buy an open peach cake for Tessie's supper dessert. It was a kind of compensation to the girl. She detoured to have a chat with Van Clees.

"I bought cake for my Tessie's supper," she announced.