"Remember? You laughed at note when I sat down at
the piano, but when I started to play, you had hysterics?"
"Aw, Cholly," she said fondly.
"So long, then, Maggie."
As he went down the stoop she called after him: "Tell
Gina I said she's a very lucky girl."
"That's what I keep telling her," he said. "But she don't
listen."
Eventually Denny got another job. He worked for an
Italian greengrocer whom everyone called Ceppi. They got
on well enough together. Denny insulted Ceppi every time
he spoke to him. Ceppi insulted him back. Denny enjoyed
it. He was just like his father that way.
"I worry so about Denny," confided Ilaggie-Now to
Annie. "He's going on eighteen now and . . ."
"Denty is all right," said Annie. "Only wild. You wait.
When he finds the work he likes to work on, he'll be a
new boy. You wait." Annie sighed. "My Albie, he is like
that, too. He gets .
1 36s]
nickel and goes on the elevator train and gets off by a
station and bangs on the gum machines so pennies should
fall out. Then he goes back on the train gets oflf the next
station. Same thing." She sighed again "Albie, he needs a
father. Is all what is wrong with him. No father. Your
Denty, he needs a father, too."
"He has a father, Annie," said Maggie-Now quietly.
"Excuse me." Annie blushed. "I forget."
Maggie-Now inquired after Jamesie. Jamesie had
married his Shirley and Shirley was going to keep on
working as long as she had no children. And ,:hey were
saving their money because Jamesie wanted to go into
business for himself someday. Yes, Jamesie gave her five
dollars a week, and with that and Tessie's pay they got
along hne. Of course, Annie's new flat was smaller than
the old one, but then the rent was lower.
Yes, Tessie still liked her job.
Annie had obtained a job for Tessie in Annie's old alma
mater, the dime store. Tessie dici not work behind the
lunch counter. She didn't work behind any counter. She
walked up and down the aisles wearing a wide leather belt
to which was attached a small leather satchel. When a
salesgirl tapped the bell on top of her tiny cash register,
it was Tes~ie's job to go over, take the bill that the girl
was waving in the air, and give her ones for it. No girl was
allowed to have more than five dollars in her register.
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]
~ CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE ~
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." Ilaggie-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.
"Tessie comes in the store last week," he said. "My, what
a nice young lady she turned out to be. But all your
children is nice, Annie."
"I think, yes. But then. I'm the mother."
"Even so. Now Jamesie: married to a nice girl with what
they say, class."
"Shirley," Annie shrugged. Shirley was all right only
Annie didn't think she was good enough for her son.
"And Albie." Mr. Van Clees raised his eyebrows and
spread out his hands. Annie took this as a gesture of
disparagement against her youngest.
"Albie is not worser as other boys like his age," she said.
"Did I say different? Then excuse me. But Tessie, now.
Too bad Gus don't live to see her grow up to be a lady."
There was a moment of silence our of love for a beloved
husband and a beloved friend.
"Yes, Tessie, now," continued Van Clees. "Only yesterday
a straight-up-and-down kill. And today, a woman with a
built."
Annie tucked her pocketbook under her armpit to
indicate that the visit was over. "I say to you, good day,"
she said.
"Did I say something?" he asked, worried.
"You did, then you know it. You don't know it, I don't tell
you."
She walked away angry. She didn't think it becoming of Mr.
~,701
Van Clees, who had known Tessie from infancy, to notice
and to comment on the fact that the infant had grown a
bust.
That's what I get, she thought, talking all the time to
everybody what listens.
Annie was upset about Van Clees's observation of
Tessie. She was upset that Denny W.IS, as she presumed,
after Tessie; that Tessie wanted Denny to be after her.
She trembled for Tessie's safety in a world suddenly filled
with wolves.
There is things I should tell Tessie. Like my mother
should-a told me. But she didn't know how to tell me and I
don't know how to tell Tessie. So l till her anyway because
somebody must talk.
After supper, Amlie sent Albie off on an errand in
order to Tell Tessie Things.
"Tessie, now you change to be a young lady. Young
ladies what just stopped being girls, sometimes they get
funny idears. Then a man looks on them and gets funny
idears."
Here it comes, groaned Tessie inwardly. Mama's going to
tell me about sex and it's going to be terrible for both of us.
Just because I want to go out with Denny, all of a sudden all
eaten are awf ul.
"In the world," began Annie portentously, "there gives
men and women And from men and women together,
come babies."
"No kidding!" said Tessie.
"Get fresh with me," said Annie, "and I'll give it to
you big like you are."
"I didn't mean to get fresh, Mama. But this makes me
nervous; this all about where babies come from. I know all
about it."
"Ha! "
"Listen, Mama. I know how you and Papa had us three
are going to have a baby. A girl gets married, she's going
to have a baby. That's all."
"Sometimes," said Annie darkly, "a girl could have a
baby even if they ain't married."
"Not a decent girl, Mama."
"Them kind, too. A i~m
ercent girl she loves a
nice-looking man and they go out dancing and they dance
like they was stuck together like flypaper. After, they
stand in the hallway where is dark and he says: 'You is
beautiful like a queen with a crown on.'
t37i 1
And then . . ."
Annie's face flamed red with embarrassment. She
looked the other way.
"And then . . . and then . . . he kisses her on the neck
where it tickles and the next thing, she's got a baby."
Tessie choked back a laugh. "Sit in the rocker, Mama."
Tessie faced her mother, her hands on the rocking-chair
arms, and rocked her mother back and forth soothingly as
she spoke. "Look, Mama, I appreciate it that you're trying
to tell me . . . things. But listen, Mama, I know. In high
school the girls and me talked about such things and w hat
one didn't know, the other one did. And one of the girls
had a book that told all about it. So I know, Mama. And
you don't have to knock yourself out telling me. Okay? "
"Ho-key. NONV stop rocking me. You want your mama
should get a headache?"
~ CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR ~
". . . and as far as I'm concerned, Denny, you're good
enough for any girl. But Annie's worried...."
"Okay! Okay! Do I have to sign a paper? I felt sorry for
the kid. Who'd give her a second look; I offered to take
her to a movie. Tell your Annie for me that her kid's
poison as far as I'm concerned." He threw himself out of
the house.
Maggie-Now sighed and wished that Denny wouldn't, as
always, give up so easily.
Each Sunday when Tessie came out of church, she
walked slowly, expecting Denny to appear and fall into
step with her. She gave up expecting that after three
Sundays in a row.
Denny went out with other girls. Maggie-Now always
knew when, because he made a derogatory remark about
Tessie after each date with some other girl.
"That Tessie!" He mimicked her in a mincing way. "My
goodness! I must ask my mama." That was one remark.
[ 372 ~
"All you got to do is say hello to that Tessie and she
thinks she's engaged to you." Remarks like that.
He likes her, deduced Maggie-Now.
Denny got to staying out late nights. Pat got tired of
telling him to get home early. He issued a simple
ultimatum: "From now on, if you ain't in the house by ten
o'clock, I'll go looking for you with me big stick."
Denny took the easy way out and got home before ten.
His father was always sitting by the window with his
shillelagh between his knees, his expression black with
disappointment because Denny got in on time and he
couldn't go out looking for him.
One night, Denny wasn't home by ten and Pat went out
looking for him. He found him in the areaway of a vacant
store. Dennv and four other boys were kneeling in a
circle. They were shooting craps. Facing Pat was a fat
backside straining at the seat of a pair of pants. It was as
though Pat had been waiting all his life for that. He gave
it a good whack with his thorny shillelagh. The boys
scattered, except Denny, who knew it was no use to run,
and the fat boy, who was in too much pain to run.
Pat spoke gently to his son. "Here, me boy. Hold me
stick." Denny held it while Pat got down on his knees and
scooped up the nickels and dimes.
"Hey, mister," whined the fat boy, "that money belongs to
us."
"I will give it to the Churcll,'' said Pat, "for the sins of
all of youse."
(Of course, the Church never saw the money.)
After that, Denny took to hanging out in the pool
parlor. In those prohibition days, nearly every poor section
of Brooklyn was the headquarters of some crime syndicate
or some gangster corporation. The poolroom where
Denny hung out was a front for the neighborhood gang
lord.
Sal (The Gimp) Hazzetti (he got his nickname because
one of his legs was a half inch shorter than the other)
used this poolroom as a sort of gangster college. Entrance