Над пропастью во ржи

           TheysaidtheyweregoingtogetupearlytoseethefirstshowatRadioCityMusicHall. Itriedtogetthemtostickaroundforawhile,buttheywouldn’t. Sowesaidgood-byandall. ItoldthemI’dlookthemupinSeattlesometime,ifIevergotthere, butIdoubtifIeverwill.Lookthemup,Imean. 

           Withcigarettesandall,thecheckcametoaboutthirteenbucks. Ithinktheyshould’veatleastofferedtopayforthedrinkstheyhadbeforeIjoinedthem —Iwouldn’t’veletthem,naturally,buttheyshould’veatleastoffered. Ididn’tcaremuch,though. Theyweresoignorant,andtheyhadthosesad,fancyhatsonandall. AndthatbusinessaboutgettingupearlytoseethefirstshowatRadioCityMusicHalldepressedme. Ifsomebody,somegirlinanawful-lookinghat,forinstance,comesallthewaytoNewYork—fromSeattle, Washington,forGod’ssake—andendsupgettingupearlyinthemorningtoseethegoddamfirstshowatRadioCityMusicHall, itmakesmesodepressedIcan’tstandit. I’d’veboughtthewholethreeofthemahundreddrinksifonlytheyhadn’ttoldmethat. 

           IlefttheLavenderRoomprettysoonaftertheydid. Theywereclosingitupanyway,andthebandhadquitalongtimeago. Inthefirstplace,itwasoneofthoseplacesthatareveryterribletobeinunlessyouhavesomebodygoodtodancewith, orunlessthewaiterletsyoubuyrealdrinksinsteadofjustCokes. Thereisn’tanynightclubintheworldyoucansitinforalongtimeunlessyoucanatleastbuysomeliquorandgetdrunk. Orunlessyou’rewithsomegirlthatreallyknocksyouout.