Properties
- end_line
- 1659
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-27T17:14:41.543Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 1600
- text
- 1531 "Who's this?" she said. "Who's calling me up at this crazy goddam hour?"
1532 That sort of scared me a little bit. "Well, I know it's quite late," I said, in this very
1533 mature voice and all. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I was very anxious to get in touch
1534 with you." I said it suave as hell. I really did.
1535 "Who is this?" she said.
1536 "Well, you don't know me, but I'm a friend of Eddie Birdsell's. He suggested that
1537 if I were in town sometime, we ought to get together for a cocktail or two."
1538 "Who? You're a friend of who?" Boy, she was a real tigress over the phone. She
1539 was damn near yelling at me.
1540 "Edmund Birdsell. Eddie Birdsell," I said. I couldn't remember if his name was
1541 Edmund or Edward. I only met him once, at a goddam stupid party.
1542 "I don't know anybody by that name, Jack. And if you think I enjoy bein' woke up
1543 in the middle--"
1544 "Eddie Birdsell? From Princeton?" I said.
1545 You could tell she was running the name over in her mind and all.
1546 "Birdsell, Birdsell. . . from Princeton.. . Princeton College?"
1547 "That's right," I said.
1548 "You from Princeton College?"
1549 "Well, approximately."
1550 "Oh. . . How is Eddie?" she said. "This is certainly a peculiar time to call a person
1551 up, though. Jesus Christ."
1552 "He's fine. He asked to be remembered to you."
1553 "Well, thank you. Remember me to him," she said. "He's a grand person. What's
1554 he doing now?" She was getting friendly as hell, all of a sudden.
1555 "Oh, you know. Same old stuff," I said. How the hell did I know what he was
1556 doing? I hardly knew the guy. I didn't even know if he was still at Princeton. "Look," I
1557 said. "Would you be interested in meeting me for a cocktail somewhere?"
1558 "By any chance do you have any idea what time it is?" she said. "What's your
1559 name, anyhow, may I ask?" She was getting an English accent, all of a sudden. "You
1560 sound a little on the young side."
1561 I laughed. "Thank you for the compliment," I said-- suave as hell. "Holden
1562 Caulfield's my name." I should've given her a phony name, but I didn't think of it.
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1563 "Well, look, Mr. Cawffle. I'm not in the habit of making engagements in the
1564 middle of the night. I'm a working gal."
1565 "Tomorrow's Sunday," I told her.
1566 "Well, anyway. I gotta get my beauty sleep. You know how it is."
1567 "I thought we might have just one cocktail together. It isn't too late."
1568 "Well. You're very sweet," she said. "Where ya callin' from? Where ya at now,
1569 anyways?"
1570 "Me? I'm in a phone booth."
1571 "Oh," she said. Then there was this very long pause. "Well, I'd like awfully to get
1572 together with you sometime, Mr. Cawffle. You sound very attractive. You sound like a
1573 very attractive person. But it is late."
1574 "I could come up to your place."
1575 "Well, ordinary, I'd say grand. I mean I'd love to have you drop up for a cocktail,
1576 but my roommate happens to be ill. She's been laying here all night without a wink of
1577 sleep. She just this minute closed her eyes and all. I mean."
1578 "Oh. That's too bad."
1579 "Where ya stopping at? Perhaps we could get together for cocktails tomorrow."
1580 "I can't make it tomorrow," I said. "Tonight's the only time I can make it." What a
1581 dope I was. I shouldn't've said that.
1582 "Oh. Well, I'm awfully sorry."
1583 "I'll say hello to Eddie for you."
1584 "Willya do that? I hope you enjoy your stay in New York. It's a grand place."
1585 "I know it is. Thanks. Good night," I said. Then I hung up.
1586 Boy, I really fouled that up. I should've at least made it for cocktails or something.
1587 10
1588 It was still pretty early. I'm not sure what time it was, but it wasn't too late. The
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