Над пропастью во ржи

           Ihadquitealargebreakfast,forme—orangejuice,baconandeggs,toastandcoffee.UsuallyIjustdrinksomeorangejuice.I’maverylighteater.Ireallyam.That’swhyI’msodamnskinny.Iwassupposedtobeonthisdietwhereyoueatalotofstarchesandcrap,togainweightandall,butIdidn’teverdoit.WhenI’moutsomewhere,IgenerallyjusteataSwisscheesesandwichandamaltedmilk.Itisn’tmuch,butyougetquitealotofvitaminsinthemaltedmilk.H.V.Caulfield.HoldenVitaminCaulfield.

           WhileIwaseatingmyeggs,thesetwonunswithsuitcasesandall—Iguessedtheyweremovingtoanotherconventorsomethingandwerewaitingforatrain—cameinandsatdownnexttomeatthecounter.Theydidn’tseemtoknowwhatthehelltodowiththeirsuitcases,soIgavethemahand.Theyweretheseveryinexpensive-lookingsuitcases—theonesthataren’tgenuineleatheroranything.Itisn’timportant,Iknow,butIhateitwhensomebodyhascheapsuitcases.Itsoundsterribletosayit,butIcanevengettohatesomebody,justlookingatthem,iftheyhavecheapsuitcaseswiththem.Somethinghappenedonce.ForawhilewhenIwasatElktonHills,Iroomedwiththisboy,DickSlagle,thathadtheseveryinexpensivesuitcases.Heusedtokeepthemunderthebed,insteadofontherack,sothatnobody’dseethemstandingnexttomine.Itdepressedholyhelloutofme,andIkeptwantingtothrowmineoutorsomething,oreventradewithhim.MinecamefromMarkCross,andtheyweregenuinecowhideandallthatcrap,andIguesstheycostquiteaprettypenny.Butitwasafunnything.Here’swhathappened.WhatIdid,Ifinallyputmysuitcasesundermybed,insteadofontherack,sothatoldSlaglewouldn’tgetagoddaminferioritycomplexaboutit.Buthere’swhathedid.ThedayafterIputmineundermybed,hetookthemoutandputthembackontherack.