hr.thecarpetbaggers-第131部分

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　they　do　have　that　here。　None　of　those　weak　tea　balls　they　use　in　the　hospitals；　real　tea；　brewed　in　a　pot　the　way　tea　should　be。　Won't　you　sit　down；　child？〃
　The　last　came　so　fast　that　Jennie　wasn't　quite　sure　she'd　heard　it。　〃What；　ma'am？〃　she　stammered。
　〃Won't　you　sit　down；　child？　You　don't　have　to　be　nervous　with　me。　I　want　to　be　your　friend。〃
　〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　Jennie　said　and　sat　down；　even　more　nervous　than　before。
　The　Reverend　Mother　looked　at　her　for　a　few　moments。　〃So　you've　decided　to　bee　a　nurse；　have　you？〃
　〃Yes；　Reverend　Mother。〃
　Now　the　Reverend　Mother's　curiously　bright　eyes　were　upon　her。　〃Why？〃　she　asked　suddenly。
　〃Why？〃　Jennie　was　surprised　at　the　question。　Her　eyes　fell　before　the　Reverend　Mother's　gaze。　〃Why？〃　She　looked　up　again；　her　eyes　meeting　the　Reverend　Mother's。　〃I　don't　know。　I　guess　I　never　really　thought　about　it。〃
　〃How　old　are　you；　child？〃　the　Reverend　Mother　asked。
　〃I'll　be　seventeen　next　month；　the　week　before　graduation。〃
　〃It　was　always　your　ambition　to　be　a　nurse　and　help　the　sick；　ever　since　you　were　a　little　child；　wasn't　it？〃
　Jennie　shook　her　head。　〃No；〃　she　answered　candidly。　〃I　never　thought　about　it　much　until　now。〃
　〃Being　a　nurse　is　very　hard　work。　You'll　have　very　little　time　to　yourself　at　St。　Mary's。　You'll　work　and　study　all　day；　at　night；　you'll　live　at　the　school。　You'll　have　only　one　day　off　each　month　to　visit　your　family。〃　The　Reverend　Mother　turned　the　handle　of　her　cup　delicately　so　that　it　pointed　away　from　her。　〃Your　boy　friend　might　not　like　that。〃
　〃But　I　haven't　got　a　boy　friend；〃　Jennie　said。
　〃But　you　came　to　the　junior　and　senior　proms　with　Michael　Halloran；〃　the　Reverend　Mother　said。　〃And　you　play　tennis　with　him　every　Saturday。　Isn't　he　your　boy　friend？〃
　Jennie　laughed。　〃No；　Reverend　Mother。　He's　not　my　boy　friend；　not　that　way。〃　She　laughed　again；　this　time　to　herself；　as　she　thought　of　the　lanky；　gangling　youth　whose　only　romantic　thoughts　were　about　his　backhand。　〃He's　just　the　best　tennis　player　around；　that's　all。〃　Then　she　added；　〃And　someday　I'm　going　to　beat　him。〃
　〃You　were　captain　of　the　girl's　tennis　team　last　year？〃
　Jennie　nodded。
　〃You　won't　have　time　to　play　tennis　at　St。　Mary's；〃　the　Reverend　Mother　said。
　Jennie　didn't　answer。
　〃Is　there　anything　you'd　rather　be　than　a　nurse？〃
　Jennie　thought　for　a　moment。　Then　she　looked　up　at　the　Reverend　Mother。　〃I'd　like　to　beat　Helen　Wills　for　the　U。S。　tennis　championship。〃
　The　Reverend　Mother　began　to　laugh。　She　was　still　laughing　when　Sister　Cyril　came　in　with　the　tea。　She　looked　across　the　desk　at　the　girl。　〃You'll　do；〃　she　said。　〃And　I　have　a　feeling　you'll　make　a　very　good　nurse；　too。〃
　
　3
　
　TOM　DENTON　KNEW　THERE　WAS　SOMETHING　WRONG　THE　MOMENT　HE　CAME　UP　TO　THE　WINDOW　FOR　HIS　PAY　ENVELOPE。　Usually；　the　paymaster　was　ready　with　a　wisecrack；　like　did　he　want　him　to　hold　the　envelope　for　his　wife　so　that　the　Saturday…night　beer　parlors　wouldn't　get　it？　But　there　was　no　wisecrack　this　time；　no　friendly　raillery；　which　had　been　a　part　of　their　weekly　meeting　for　almost　fifteen　years。　Instead；　the　paymaster　pushed　the　envelope　under　the　slotted　steel　bars　quickly；　his　eyes　averted　and　downcast。
　Tom　stared　at　him　for　a　moment。　He　glanced　quickly　at　some　of　the　faces　on　the　line　behind　him。　They　knew；　too。　He　could　see　it　from　the　way　they　were　looking　at　him。　An　odd　feeling　of　shame　came　over　him。　This　couldn't　be　happening　to　him。　Not　after　fifteen　years。　His　eyes　fell　and　he　walked　away　from　the　window；　the　envelope　in　his　hand。
　Nobody　had　to　tell　him　times　were　bad。　This　was　1931　and　the　evidence　was　all　around　him。　The　families　on　relief；　the　bread　lines；　the　endless　gray；　tired　faces　of　the　men　who　boarded　his　car　every　morning。
　He　was　almost　out　of　the　barn　now。　Suddenly；　he　couldn't　wait　any　longer　and　he　ducked　into　a　dark　corner　to　open　the　pay　envelope。　He　tore　at　it　with　trembling　fingers。　The　first　thing　that　came　to　his　hand　was　the　dreaded　green　slip。
　He　stared　at　it　unbelievingly。　It　must　be　a　mistake。　They　couldn't　mean　him。　He　wasn't　a　one…year　or　two…year　man；　not　even　a　five…year　man。　He　had　seniority。　Fifteen　years。　They　weren't　laying　off　fifteen…year　men。　Not　yet。
　But　they　were。　He　squinted　at　the　paper　in　the　dim　light。　Laid　off。　What　a　bitter　irony。　That　was　the　reason　given　for　all　the　pay　cuts　…　to　prevent　layoffs。　Even　the　union　had　told　them　that。
　He　shoved　the　envelope　into　his　pocket；　trying　to　fight　the　sudden　sick　feeling　of　fear　that　crawled　around　in　his　stomach。　What　was　he　to　do　now？　All　he　knew　was　the　cars。　He'd　forgotten　all　about　everything　else　he'd　ever　done。　The　only　other　thing　he　remembered　was　working　as　a　hod…carrier　when　he　was　young。
　He　came　out　of　the　dark　barn；　blinking　his　eyes　at　the　daylight。　A　group　of　men　were　standing　there　on　the　sidewalk；　their　worn　blue　uniforms　purplish　in　the　light。　One　of　them　called　to　him。　〃You　got　it；　too；　Denton？〃
　Tom　looked　at　him。　He　nodded。　〃Yes。〃
　〃We　did；　too；〃　another　said。　〃They're　letting　out　the　senior　men　because　we're　getting　a　higher　rate。　All　the　new　men　are　being　kept　on。〃
　〃Have　you　been　to　the　union　yet？〃　Tom　asked。
　〃We've　been　there　and　back。　The　hall　is　closed。　The　watchman　there　says　e　back　on　Monday。〃
　〃Anybody　call　Riordan？〃
　〃His　phone　home　don't　answer。〃
　〃Somebody　must　know　where　Riordan　is；〃　Tom　said。　〃Let's　go　to　the　hall　and　make　the　watchman　let　us　in。　After　all；　what　do　we　pay　dues　for　if　we　can't　meet　there？〃
　〃That's　a　good　idea；　Tom。　We　can't　just　let　them　replace　us　with　fifty…five…centers；　no　matter　what　they　say。〃
　They　began　to　walk　to　the　union　hall；　about　two　blocks　from　the　car　barn。　Tom　strode　along　silently。　In　a　way；　he　still　couldn't　believe　it。　Ten　cents　an　hour　couldn't　mean　that　much　to　the　pany。　Why；　he'd　have　taken　even　another　cut　if　they'd　asked　him。　It　wasn't　right；　the　way　they　were　doing　it。　They　had　to　find　Riordan。　He'd　know　the　answers。　He　was　the　union　man。
　The　union　hall　was　dark　when　they　got　there　and　they　banged　on　the　door　until　the　old　night　watchman　opened　it。　〃I　tol'　you　fellers　Riordan　ain't　here；〃　he　said　in　an　aged；　irritated　voice。
　〃Where　is　Riordan？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　the　watchman　answered；　starting　to　close　the　door。　〃You　fellers　go　home。〃
　Tom　put　his　foot　in　the　door　and　pushed。　The　old　man　went　flying　backward；　stumbling；　almost　falling。　The　men　surged　into　the　building　behind　Tom。
　〃You　fellers　stay　outa　here；〃　the　old　man　cried　in　his　querulous　voice。
　They　ignored　him　and　pushed　their　way　into　the　meeting　hall；　which　was　a　large　room　at　the　end　of　the　corridor。　By　now；　the　crowd　had　swelled　to　close　to　thirty　men。　Once　they　were　in；　they　stood　there　uncertainly；　not　knowing　what　to　do　next。　They　milled　around；　looking　at　each　other。　〃Let's　go　into　Riordan's　office；〃　Tom　suggested。　〃Maybe　we　can　find　out　where　he　is　in　there。〃
　Riordan's　office　was　a　glass…enclosed　partition　at　the　end　of　the　meeting　hall。　They　pushed　down　there　but　only　a　few　of　them　were　able　to　squeeze　into　the　tiny　cubbyhole。　Tom　looked　down　at　the　organizer's　desk。　There　was　a　calendar；　a　green　blotter　and　some　pencils　on　it。　He　pulled　open　a　drawer；　then；　one　after　another；　all　of　them。　The　only　thing　he　could　find　were　more　pencils；　and　dues　blanks　and　receipts。
　The　watchman　appeared　at　the　back　of　the　hall。　〃If　you　fellers　don't　get　outa　here；〃　he　shouted；　〃I'm　gonna　call　the　cops。〃
　〃Go　take　a　shit；　old　man；〃　a　blue…coated　conductor　shouted　back　at　him。
　〃Yeah；〃　shouted　another。　〃This　is　our　union。　We　pay　the　dues　and　the　rent。　We　can　stay　here　if　we　want。〃
　The　watchman　disappeared　back　into　the　corridor。　Some　of　the　men　looked　at　Tom。　〃What　do　we　do　now？〃
　〃Maybe　we　better　e　back　Monday；〃　one　of　them　suggested。　〃We'll　see　what　Riordan　has　to　say　then。〃
　〃No；〃　Tom　said　sharply。　〃By　Monday；　nobody　will　be　able　to　do　nothing。　We　got　to　get　this　settled　today。〃
　〃How？〃　the　man　asked。
　Tom　stood　there　for　a　moment；　thinking。　〃The　union's　the　only　chance　we　got。　We　got　to　make　the　union　do　something　for　us。〃
　〃How　can　we　if　Riordan　ain't　here？〃
　〃Riordan　isn't　the　union；〃　Tom　said。　〃We　are。　If　we　can't　find　him；　we　got　to　do　it　without　him。〃　He　turned　to