kid."
Mike looked at him in some surprise. Ross must be hit hard. He had never known him to act hke this. He tried again to see the girl, but the light was too dim.
Ross spoke again. "Come over to the car. I'll introduce you."
A curious perverseness came into Mike. He shook his head. "What for?" he asked in an unnecessarily loud voice. "A broad is a broad. Seen one an' you seen 'em all." He flipped his cigarette butt toward the curb. It spattered spgirks in front of the car. He climbed off the bale. "Want your papers, Ross?" he asked.
Ross nodded, not speaking.
Mike bent and pulled out a group of them. He held them toward Ross. Ross dropped a few coins into his hand and took the papers.
Riordan's voice came aroimd the newsstand. "Bring up some Americans, Mike. We're runnin' short."
Automatically Mike bent to pick up a stack of papers. When he straightened up, Ross was halfway back to his car. He looked after him. Some guys had it soft. They had nothing to worry about. He hefted the papers to his shoulder and started around the stand.
Ross climbed into the car and leaned forward to touch the starter button. The motor whirred and caught, and he turned out into the street.
"Your friend don't hke me," Marja's voice said.
He looked at her. "How could that be?" he asked defensively. "He doesn't even know you."
"I heard what he said," she replied.
"He's just tired," Ross explained. "Usually he's not like that."
They rode a block silendy. Then Marja spoke again. "Is that Mike? The one who wouldn't come out to the island with us?"
"Yeah," he answered.
She thought about the way Mike had stood there in back of the stand. The sweat had formed an oily sheen on his
arms, and the muscles were like wire cords in his back and arms. "Thinks he's pretty great, doesn't he?" she asked sarcastically. "Too good for the rest of us?"
Wisely, Ross didn't answer. He knew better than to get into a foolish argument. Besides, he didn't care what they thought of each other.
Her voice was speculative. "Maybe someday I'll show him a Uttle bit.'*
He glanced at her in surprise. There was a hurt expression in her eyes. Suddenly he understood. She was still brooding over what Mike had said.
Katti had started for the front pews of the church as usual, but Marja grabbed her arm.
"There's no room down there, Mama," she whispered. "Let's get in here."
Katti turned into the pew that Marja steered her to. She wasn't thinking about anything except what Father Jano-wicz had said the other day. To tell Marja as soon as she could. That was the only way to stop worrying about it.
There was a young man in the pew. Katti mumbled an apology and she pushed past him. She settled down heavily on the bench and bent her head forward as the Mass began.
She closed her eyes and prayed hard to God to make everything right. For Marja to understand. For Peter to get a job. She prayed for everyone except herself. When the Mass was over, she felt better. She glanced at Marja
There was a famt flush on the girl's face, a touch of contentment in the echo of a smile in the corners of her mouth She was glad she had been able to take Marja to Mass with her.
The congregation was filing out, and Katti pushed past
Marja toward the aisle. She glanced at the young man's face as she crossed in front of him. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. It was warm in the church today.
Marja was a few steps behind her, and she turned, waiting for her to catch up. Marja's eyes were laughing as she took her mother's arm.
For a long moment Katti looked at her daughter. It had been long since she had seen Marja look so happy. She was beautiful when she smiled. Katti decided not to say anything about the baby until the evening.
She didn't want to do anything to take the smile of happiness from Marja's face.
Chapter 11
HE PUT the lock on the elevator door and sat down on the small bench in the hall. He picked up his math book and turned to his place. He wasn't as tired this
Mike looked at him in some surprise. Ross must be hit hard. He had never known him to act hke this. He tried again to see the girl, but the light was too dim.
Ross spoke again. "Come over to the car. I'll introduce you."
A curious perverseness came into Mike. He shook his head. "What for?" he asked in an unnecessarily loud voice. "A broad is a broad. Seen one an' you seen 'em all." He flipped his cigarette butt toward the curb. It spattered spgirks in front of the car. He climbed off the bale. "Want your papers, Ross?" he asked.
Ross nodded, not speaking.
Mike bent and pulled out a group of them. He held them toward Ross. Ross dropped a few coins into his hand and took the papers.
Riordan's voice came aroimd the newsstand. "Bring up some Americans, Mike. We're runnin' short."
Automatically Mike bent to pick up a stack of papers. When he straightened up, Ross was halfway back to his car. He looked after him. Some guys had it soft. They had nothing to worry about. He hefted the papers to his shoulder and started around the stand.
Ross climbed into the car and leaned forward to touch the starter button. The motor whirred and caught, and he turned out into the street.
"Your friend don't hke me," Marja's voice said.
He looked at her. "How could that be?" he asked defensively. "He doesn't even know you."
"I heard what he said," she replied.
"He's just tired," Ross explained. "Usually he's not like that."
They rode a block silendy. Then Marja spoke again. "Is that Mike? The one who wouldn't come out to the island with us?"
"Yeah," he answered.
She thought about the way Mike had stood there in back of the stand. The sweat had formed an oily sheen on his
arms, and the muscles were like wire cords in his back and arms. "Thinks he's pretty great, doesn't he?" she asked sarcastically. "Too good for the rest of us?"
Wisely, Ross didn't answer. He knew better than to get into a foolish argument. Besides, he didn't care what they thought of each other.
Her voice was speculative. "Maybe someday I'll show him a Uttle bit.'*
He glanced at her in surprise. There was a hurt expression in her eyes. Suddenly he understood. She was still brooding over what Mike had said.
Katti had started for the front pews of the church as usual, but Marja grabbed her arm.
"There's no room down there, Mama," she whispered. "Let's get in here."
Katti turned into the pew that Marja steered her to. She wasn't thinking about anything except what Father Jano-wicz had said the other day. To tell Marja as soon as she could. That was the only way to stop worrying about it.
There was a young man in the pew. Katti mumbled an apology and she pushed past him. She settled down heavily on the bench and bent her head forward as the Mass began.
She closed her eyes and prayed hard to God to make everything right. For Marja to understand. For Peter to get a job. She prayed for everyone except herself. When the Mass was over, she felt better. She glanced at Marja
There was a famt flush on the girl's face, a touch of contentment in the echo of a smile in the corners of her mouth She was glad she had been able to take Marja to Mass with her.
The congregation was filing out, and Katti pushed past
Marja toward the aisle. She glanced at the young man's face as she crossed in front of him. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. It was warm in the church today.
Marja was a few steps behind her, and she turned, waiting for her to catch up. Marja's eyes were laughing as she took her mother's arm.
For a long moment Katti looked at her daughter. It had been long since she had seen Marja look so happy. She was beautiful when she smiled. Katti decided not to say anything about the baby until the evening.
She didn't want to do anything to take the smile of happiness from Marja's face.
Chapter 11
HE PUT the lock on the elevator door and sat down on the small bench in the hall. He picked up his math book and turned to his place. He wasn't as tired this
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