Page:Manhattan Transfer (John Dos Passos, 1925).djvu/277

Rh "I'm awfully glad."

"Do you know you're the only person around here who calls me Ellie. I like it Everybody tries to make me seem so grown up since I've been on the stage."

"Stan used to."

"Maybe that's why I like it," she said in a little trailing voice like a cry heard at night from far away along a beach.

Jimmy felt something clamping his throat. "Oh gosh things are rotten," he said. "God I wish I could blame it all on capitalism the way Martin does."

"It's pleasant walking like this I love a fog."

They walked on without speaking. Wheels rumbled through the muffling fog underlaid with the groping distant lowing of sirens and steamboatwhistles on the river.

"But at least you have a career You like your work, you're enormously successful," said Herf at the corner of Fourteenth Street, and caught her arm as they crossed.

"Dont say that You really dont believe it. I dont kid myself as much as you think I do."

"No but it's so."

"It used to be before I met Stan, before I loved him You see I was a crazy little stagestruck kid who got launched out in a lot of things I didnt understand before I had time to learn anything about life Married at eighteen and divorced at twentytwo's a pretty good record But Stan was so wonderful"

"I know."

"Without ever saying anything he made me feel there were other things unbelievable things"

"God I resent his craziness though It's such a waste."

"I cant talk about it."

"Let's not."

"Jimmy you're the only person left I can really talk to."

"Dont want to trust me. I might go berserk on you too some day."