Properties
- end_line
- 3266
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-27T17:16:48.807Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 3216
- text
- 3079 twitcher of a dress to wear. She really did look damn good in it, though. I save to admit it.
3080 And don't think she didn't know it. The kept walking ahead of me, so that I'd see how
3081 cute her little ass looked. It did look pretty cute, too. I have to admit it.
3082 The funny part was, though, we were the worst skaters on the whole goddam rink.
3083 I mean the worst. And there were some lulus, too. Old Sally's ankles kept bending in till
3084 they were practically on the ice. They not only looked stupid as hell, but they probably
3085 hurt like hell, too. I know mine did. Mine were killing me. We must've looked gorgeous.
3086 And what made it worse, there were at least a couple of hundred rubbernecks that didn't
3087 have anything better to do than stand around and watch everybody falling all over
3088 themselves.
3089 "Do you want to get a table inside and have a drink or something?" I said to her
3090 finally.
3091 "That's the most marvelous idea you've had all day," the said. She was killing
3092 herself. It was brutal. I really felt sorry for her.
3093 We took off our goddam skates and went inside this bar where you can get drinks
3094 and watch the skaters in just your stocking feet. As soon as we sat down, old Sally took
3095 off her gloves, and I gave her a cigarette. She wasn't looking too happy. The waiter came
3096 up, and I ordered a Coke for her--she didn't drink--and a Scotch and soda for myself, but
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3097 the sonuvabitch wouldn't bring me one, so I had a Coke, too. Then I sort of started
3098 lighting matches. I do that quite a lot when I'm in a certain mood. I sort of let them burn
3099 down till I can't hold them any more, then I drop them in the ashtray. It's a nervous habit.
3100 Then all of a sudden, out of a clear blue sky, old Sally said, "Look. I have to
3101 know. Are you or aren't you coming over to help me trim the tree Christmas Eve? I have
3102 to know." She was still being snotty on account of her ankles when she was skating.
3103 "I wrote you I would. You've asked me that about twenty times. Sure, I am."
3104 "I mean I have to know," she said. She started looking all around the goddam
3105 room.
3106 All of a sudden I quit lighting matches, and sort of leaned nearer to her over the
3107 table. I had quite a few topics on my mind. "Hey, Sally," I said.
3108 "What?" she said. She was looking at some girl on the other side of the room.
3109 "Did you ever get fed up?" I said. "I mean did you ever get scared that everything
3110 was going to go lousy unless you did something? I mean do you like school, and all that
3111 stuff?"
3112 "It's a terrific bore."
3113 "I mean do you hate it? I know it's a terrific bore, but do you hate it, is what I
3114 mean."
3115 "Well, I don't exactly hate it. You always have to--"
3116 "Well, I hate it. Boy, do I hate it," I said. "But it isn't just that. It's everything. I
3117 hate living in New York and all. Taxicabs, and Madison Avenue buses, with the drivers
3118 and all always yelling at you to get out at the rear door, and being introduced to phony
3119 guys that call the Lunts angels, and going up and down in elevators when you just want to
3120 go outside, and guys fitting your pants all the time at Brooks, and people always--"
3121 "Don't shout, please," old Sally said. Which was very funny, because I wasn't
3122 even shouting.
3123 "Take cars," I said. I said it in this very quiet voice. "Take most people, they're
3124 crazy about cars. They worry if they get a little scratch on them, and they're always
3125 talking about how many miles they get to a gallon, and if they get a brand-new car
3126 already they start thinking about trading it in for one that's even newer. I don't even like
3127 old cars. I mean they don't even interest me. I'd rather have a goddam horse. A horse is at
- title
- Chunk 5