Dead End Page #2

Nothing.

Nothing as long as he shuts up.

And he'll shut up.

Had your face fixed up?

Yeah.

Been readin' about me

in the papers, huh?

Go on over and try that address

in Brooklyn, see if you can find her.

And get something for your nerves

while you're over there.

Go on, beat it.

I'm sending him over for Francey.

Remember Francey?

- Francey?

- She was my girl when we was kids.

Oh, yeah, I remember. Nice kid.

Yeah, you bet. They don't make 'em

no better than Francey, I know.

You ain't seen her around here

lately, have you?

No. She moved away a long time ago.

You're gettin' to be

quite a headliner, huh?

All over the newspapers.

Should you be around here?

I ain't here. I'm out West.

I got kind of a yen to see

my old lady and Francey.

You know, I ain't seen my mother

in ten years,

not since the day I come out

of reform school.

You've come a long way since then.

Killed eight men.

What are you trying to do?

Tell me off?

No. I guess I'm just jealous

'cause you got away from here.

Yeah, far away.

What's your racket?

Me? I'm an architect.

Build houses. That is,

I would if I could find any to build.

You don't say. An architect?

To build houses?

You went to high school, huh?

Yeah, and to college, too,

for six years.

I worked like a dog

at anything I could to get enough...

An architect. You was always

smarter than the other slobs, Dave.

Maybe it was worth it.

You must be

in the big dough now, huh?

Yeah, it was well worth it.

I've been painting for Pascagli.

He's gonna give me twenty-five bucks.

It's the first dough I've earned

in a long time.

Six years you work in a college

and all you get out of it is hand-outs.

That's a good one.

I'm glad I ain't like you saps.

Starving and freezing for what?

Peanuts.

I got mine. I took it.

The fat of the land

I'm living off of. Look.

Silk. Twenty bucks.

Custom-tailored.

A hundred and fifty bucks.

- And dames...

- Ever get scared?

Me? What of?

You can't live forever.

I don't know.

Sometimes I get the jitters,

and sometimes I get

a terrific yen to stay put.

But the eight guys won't let you.

Quit talkin' about the eight guys

or there's gonna be nine of 'em.

You and I ain't gonna be friends

anymore like we used to, hear me?

I wanna see Francey.

I wonder what she's doing.

I bet she got married, huh?

Nah. Maybe she died.

Nah, not Francey.

She had too much sense.

Hey, fellas, look what's here!

Hey, where'd ya get the suit?

All fixed up fancy like a mutt.

Maybe they're brothers.

Hey, what are you,

a boy or a girl?

- He's a girl, can't you see?

- I'm a man!

You're a what?

Wise guy, huh?

Sure! I can name all the presidents

of the United States, can you?

So what? I bet the cream puff

can't even swim.

That's how much you know.

We have a pool in there and an instructor,

and I go in swimming every day.

A pool in the house?

Baloney.

Let's see you swim.

In there? It's dirty.

- Dirty?

- Dirty? Dirty. He says dirty.

He says it's dirty. I'll sock 'em.

What's that junk you got in your mouth

like a horse?

This? It's a brace

to make my teeth straight.

What? I could do that

with one wallop.

You just try.

My uncle is Judge Griswald.

Yeah?

Did'ya ever hear of Judge Perkins?

He's a friend of mine, see?

He sent me to reform school once.

Why don't ya come down here?

You're afraid to?

I'm not afraid.

I'm not afraid of anything.

All right, then, come on down

if you're not afraid of anything.

All right, I will.

Yeah?

Well. I think, and I think, and I think,

and I can't remember the number.

Then I remember the house,

but then I forget the floor.

But I try all the bells,

but whatever she is, she ain't there. Huh?

Nothin' for nothin', kid.

That's a fine thing to do to a kid.

A fine thing, a fine thing.

My big brother was here,

you wouldn't do that.

Bang you on the head,

that's what he'd do.

Bust your nose

and give you a blinker, that's what.

Hey, Dippy.

Hey, Sharpie, come here.

All right.

- Hey, hey, hey.

- Watch it, boys.

What's the matter here?

It's those horrible children.

I see them from above.

Philip didn't want to wait

for me, Mr. Griswald.

Aw, shut up,

you big bag o' wind.

You try to hit him...

Go get him the army and navy

for a bodyguard.

Next time, try hitting them back.

They're your age.

If they try to fight, fight back.

Come here, guys.

Here's how we're gonna get

that lump of mush.

Hey, fellas, watch.

Hey, crumb, duck.

Hey, lady. Has your kitchen stove

got diamonds in it like that kid makes out?

- No.

- No.

Hey, guys, let's grab a dip.

- I don't feel like it.

- Hey, what's that?

- Oh, her? Friend of Dave's.

- No.

Yeah. Comes to see him all the time.

Hey, wait for me, fellas, will ya?

Good morning.

Good morning.

You're late.

- I know. I meant to be.

- Why?

Oh, nothing.

I don't like it when you're late.

I wish we had

somewhere else to meet.

I had fun last night.

I never knew there were so many

places to go that didn't cost anything.

I know 'em all.

I always go to the smart places

and have a dull time.

But I had fun with you.

I always have fun with you.

Fun for the first time in years.

Do you like him?

Yes, I like him.

I was pretty hard up when I met him,

and tired of being hard up.

He's been good to me.

That's his boat, isn't it?

It's a beauty. You know,

when I was a kid,

I used to make boats

and sail them here on the river.

Looks like it's getting ready

to make a trip.

- When?

- I don't know. I don't know.

You'll be going with him, won't you?

Yes...

No, I don't know.

He wants me to go.

He wants to marry me now.

But I'm not in love with him.

I haven't even told him I was.

But I'm frightened

of being poor again.

I hate what it does to people.

I saw what it did to my family and to me.

Yes, I don't blame you.

It's something to be scared of.

But...

Look, Kay,

I'm to phone Del Block this afternoon.

That's Carter and Block.

I've been trying to get a job

with them for a long while.

I left some of my drawings there,

and they liked them.

Well, two of their draftsmen are going

on a vacation. There might be something.

It wouldn't pay very much, but...

Why am I talking like this?

I'm sorry you're going away.

I haven't thought about the trip much.

I kept pushing it off because...

well, I suppose because of you.

We've never talked

about ourselves before,

but I've thought about us a lot.

Haven't you?

I've tried not to.

- Car's waiting, Miss Burton.

- Yes. All right.

Will you know about the job today?

Yes. I think so. Yes.

Maybe this afternoon.

- Will you wait for me?

- Yes.

One, two, three.

You want some more,

you little rascal? I'll fix your wagon.

Hey.

What?

Look, if you want,

I can snitch that quarter for you.

Okay, kid.

That'll put you in the gang.

- What's your name?

- Milton.

Anybody gets funny with Milt

gets funny with me, see.

Come on, kid, see what you can do.

Okay, Tommy, okay.

See, he's a good kid.

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