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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

“I don’t know what to say. It’s fine with me and I don’t see why Jake would object, but he’ll be pretty shocked.”

“I expect so. Sometimes I wonder why I waltzed out on him.”

“He says you left because you knew he wasn’t going to win the big fights anymore.”

“He does? That was part of it, for sure. But I always knew he had an eye out for other women. He didn’t think I knew, but I knew. I had a lot of friends in Denver and stories would get around. He used to go with these two gals, the Barlow twins? They couldn’t keep their eyes off prizefighters. Two of these little gals at once and them sisters. I’m sorry, I don’t want to shock you, honey, but Jake when he was young was a real tomcat, I’m sure he’s not like that anymore.”

Emaline smiled ruefully. “There are two sides to every story.”

“There sure is, girl. There sure is. Anyhow, what do you say? Are you game to look after Junior for a while?”

“How long did you have in mind?”

“A month, maybe two months? After that, maybe we can work something out so little Jake can spend summers with his papa. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Junior?”

The boy looked from his mother to Emaline and back. He nodded, but Emaline thought he was going to cry.

“Well, sure, he can stay with us. I’d be happy to have him. Once he gets over the shock, I think Jake will be pleased. He always wanted a boy.”

“That’s swell, if Junior can stay with you. Isn’t it swell, snuggums? You’re going to stay with this nice lady Emaline for a while, because Mommy has to work. When I get back on my feet, I’ll come to get you.”

Before Emaline knew it, Thelma Pearl had darted out to the car. She returned dragging a heavy trunk which seemed to contain all the boy’s things, even some of his old baby things. Emaline thought it odd that she was bringing so much if she only planned to leave him for a month, but she didn’t say anything. She asked Thelma Pearl to stay for supper and wait for Jake to come home, but Thelma said she had to get back to Denver to work the remaining days before Christmas at the dry goods store.

“Tell you the truth, I’d like to get out of here before Jake comes back, if you don’t mind. If he sees me here and he finds out he had a son all this time that he don’t know about, I’m afraid he’ll just plain explode.”