I
THEY had four hours in New York between trains. The
one thing Babbitt wished to see was the Pennsylvania Hotel,
which had been built since his last visit. He stared up at it,
muttering, "Twenty-two hundred rooms and twenty-two hundred
baths! That's got everything in the world beat. Lord,
their turnover must be—well, suppose price of rooms is four
to eight dollars a day, and I suppose maybe some ten and—
four times twenty-two hundred-say six times twenty-two hundred—
well, anyway, with restaurants and everything, say summers
between eight and fifteen thousand a day. Every day!
I never thought I'd see a thing like that! Some town! Of
course the average fellow in Zenith has got more Individual
Initiative than the fourflushers here, but I got to hand it to
New York. Yes, sir, town, you're all right—some ways. Well,
old Paulski, I guess we've seen everything that's worth while.
How'll we kill the rest of the time? Movie?''
But Paul desired to see a liner. "Always wanted to go to
Europe—and, by thunder, I will, too, some day before I past
out,'' he sighed.
From a rough wharf on the North River they stared at the
stern of the Aquitania and her stacks and wireless antenna
lifted above the dock-house which shut her in.
"By golly,'' Babbitt droned, "wouldn't be so bad to go over
to the Old Country and take a squint at all these ruins, and
the place where Shakespeare was born. And think of being
able to order a drink whenever you wanted one! Just range
up to a bar and holler out loud, `Gimme a cocktail, and darn
the police!' Not bad at all. What juh like to see, over there,
Paulibus?''
Paul did not answer. Babbitt turned. Paul was standing
with clenched fists, head drooping, staring at the liner as in
terror. His thin body, seen against the summer-glaring planks
of the wharf, was childishly meager.
Again, "What would you hit for on the other side, Paul?''
Scowling at the steamer, his breast heaving, Paul whispered,
"Oh, my God!'' While Babbitt watched him anxiously he
snapped, "Come on, let's get out of this,'' and hastened down
the wharf, not looking back.
"That's funny,'' considered Babbitt. "The boy didn't care
for seeing the ocean boats after all. I thought he'd be interested
in 'em.''