Kid Galahad Page #7

- I was only trying to tell that young punk...

- I know what you were telling him.

You were so teed off at the idea

of Rose getting married...

that you arranged to have his brains

knocked out by Romero.

It's just that you and marriage

have never learned to mix.

All right.

All right, what?

I lay you 3-to-1, angel,

I never bet on another horse.

What's the matter? What did I do now?

You'll probably never know. Excuse me.

- Sorry, Chuck.

- It's okay, kid.

Time.

When he throws a left hook,

that right of yours is great. It's great.

- Willy, we're just doing great.

- That's fine.

Start working on the left hook.

All lefts. Left jabs.

Time.

Frankly, the kid's much improved.

This way he don't figure to get murdered

by Romero. Just a few weeks in the clinic.

Look at him. Look at that kid work, huh?

Fine.

Garfield.

It wouldn't look right, me going upstairs

in uniform to a bookie joint.

Not this time of the morning, anyhow.

- Maybe yes, maybe no.

- I'd like to bet a few dollars on Galahad.

All right, give it to me later.

You know, everybody in this town

is trying to throw their cash at me.

From the barber to the mayor.

The mayor, too?

- Well, here we are.

- We are?

We talk to him here?

- Fill out the papers and things now?

- I'm pretty sure.

Excuse me. Could we see Father Higgins?

Of course. Won't you come in?

- Please sit down.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

Rose Grogan!

Why didn't you say it was you?

Well, you've grown up to be the fine big girl

your father always said you'd be.

Thank you.

Father, this is Walter Gulick.

- Father.

- I know.

I saw the two of you in church

a few times, and I took the trouble to ask.

I've heard them talking about you

all over town, Galahad.

It mightn't hurt if you carried

your shield a little higher.

Father, the reason we dropped in

to see you this morning...

I know the reason you dropped in to see me.

One look at you

and it's obvious you didn't come here...

to make arrangements for a wake. Sit down.

How long have you known him, Rose?

A few months.

Well, that could be too short a time

in some situations...

and too long a time in others.

- When do you plan being married?

- Next month, Father.

It'll take a month, anyhow,

with the publishing of the banns.

- You know what you're getting into, I hope.

- I'm sure I do.

And you know how it is in this league, Rose.

There's no second time around.

You buy a pig in a poke

and you darn well better learn to like pork.

- I love him.

- Well, it's a wonderful motive.

Not the most original, but certainly the best.

I guess we can start filling out the papers.

- You were baptized someplace, I gather?

- Yes, Father.

- I have the certificate with me.

- Where were you baptized?

Right here.

No, you misunderstand me, son.

I asked where you were baptized.

Yes, I know. Right here in Cream Valley.

I don't get it.

All I've heard in town,

in Dolce's Barber Shop, for instance...

where they've got your picture on the wall...

is that you came from some little town

in Kentucky.

Well, that's where I was brought up,

but I was born here, Father.

"Church of St. Stanislaus, August the 14th,

1939, Walter Joseph Gulick."

Well, I'll have to check this with the records,

of course. Meanwhile...

congratulations to both of you.

- And welcome home.

- Thank you, Father.

Keep crowding him, keep crowding him.

Move.

- You know the Model T Ford he fixed up?

- Yeah.

Turned down $1,000 from an antique dealer.

He's gonna be my partner, too.

What?

I'll tell you one thing

about this young Galahad...

a Benny Leonard he ain't, but he's willing.

Yeah, you bet.

That's it. Keep crowding him.

Keep crowding him, kid.

Get it up. Get it up there.

Right up. Keep the right up. All right, time.

Thanks, Orlando. That's all for now.

How was I doing?

You were all right, dancing around

with a welterweight, with speed.

But, now I've got a guy coming into the ring

with six hands and a buggy whip.

It's his job to slap you silly,

until you're really in shape.

What are you talking about, Lew?

You heard what he said,

and he's not kidding.

- Joie!

- Galahad, how are you?

- Just fine.

- Good to see you.

- Great fight in Boston, man.

- Knocked him out in the first round.

I thought I'd come up and help you out

before the big fight.

- You ain't gonna knock me out, are you?

- Let's see what happens.

Let's go. Honeymoon's over. Time.

Joie, throw a left hook.

Oh, no you don't.

This guy did this to me once before.

He's rough.

You better get me a headgear, pal.

- Hey, where did you learn that jab?

- Come on, I'll show you.

You've been doing a lot of work.

So what? These two clowns together

couldn't handle Romero with a baseball bat.

I wonder.

- Well, Father!

- Hello, Father.

- Hello, Max.

- It's Father Higgins!

That's the stuff. Come on, Galahad.

Keep that guard up.

Good boy, Galahad.

Hey, who's working out who here?

Left. Jab left, Galahad.

Now cross. Hit him!

I never knew you were such a fight fan, Max.

Well, it's only...

Well, it's the Chamber of Commerce,

for one thing...

and I happen to like this boy.

It's not like the old days.

Fighters were fighters then, Father.

"KO" Phil Kaplan, Augie Ratner,

Battling Levinsky.

I remember them

like they were here in front of us.

I'm telling you,

even the little men were giants then.

Jack Bernstein, Louis "Kid" Kaplan,

"Ruby" Goldstein, "Corporal Izzy" Schwartz.

I could go back even further, to Abe Attel...

Well?

All right then, "Harlem" Tommy Murphy.

Thank you.

Want another cup of coffee, Lew?

I'm packing in for the night.

This will do for me. Hey, where's Willy?

That's easy. The same place he's been

the last three nights.

- What are you talking about?

- Over at Lieberman's.

Like a big grasshopper,

hidden in the flora and the fauna.

Get out of here. Willy?

He's carrying a torch for Dolly.

Like life ain't worth a chopped chicken

liver sandwich without her.

Maynard, you mean to tell me he goes

over to Lieberman's, sneaks in to see her?

Like I say, he merges with the flora

and the fauna, whatever...

just to get a chance to see her,

to hear her sing a song.

How do you like that?

You know, just between the two of us,

Lew, for a bum like Willy...

I think it's kind of beautiful and sweet.

How do you like that?

- Evening.

- Willy ain't here.

Oh, that's fine.

You're the one I wanted to see.

You've been around this business

long enough...

I don't have to draw any pictures, Lew.

I'm not as smart as you are.

Sometimes I need a picture.

Not for this, you don't.

You know as well as I do

this two-for-a-nickel knight in armor...

can't lick one half of Romero.

So what're you all doing here, then?

Accidents happen.

Some people call them miracles.

Give me a "for instance."

This kid takes a punch like a barn door,

Marvin tells me.

He could get lucky

with a wild punch of his own.

Now, with all the dough that's riding

on this fight...

that's something I couldn't afford.

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