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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

He paid her another quarter and turned her onto her stomach. This time he was quick and savage. She was so loud he was sure they could hear out in the bar, even over the noise of the jukebox.

She went to wash herself after. Jake tipped her an extra two bits as he pulled on his pants. “That was just dandy. So long, sugar.”

“Call me Cherry. Cherry will take care of what ails you. Any. Time You. Want.”

“Cherry. Yes, ma’am. See you again real soon, Cherry.”

“That was fun, sugar, but next time I fuck in here? This place is goin to have a fan.”

17.

EVERY MORNING UNTIL THE BIG FIGHT, JAKE WENT by the diner at six o’clock sharp, just as Emaline was getting to work. He ran with a towel wrapped around his neck and he threw punches as he ran, usually with Bucky beside him in the De Soto, leaning out the window to egg him on. “C’mon, McCloskey! I know fat ladies who can run faster than that! Do you wanna lick this Polack or not?”

Jake always waved at Emaline as he passed. She would wave back because it was impolite not to do so. Bucky and Jake would climb the hill to the north until they vanished from sight. An hour or so later, they would be back, Jake toweling off the sweat and Bucky lighting another cigarette as they entered the diner for their usual breakfast—coffee and more cigarettes for Bucky, a half dozen eggs with pancakes, bacon, two big glasses of milk for Jake. Emaline had never seen a man eat like that, but she supposed that if you ran for an hour before breakfast it would give you an appetite.

If Cecil and Earl and Vern were around, they would sit with the boxer and his trainer for a while and talk to Jake about the fight game. Was it true that Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom had ducked him? Who was better, Jack Sharkey or Max Baer? Would a good big man always beat a good little man?

Emaline wearied of the endless boxing talk that had taken over the diner since Jake and Bucky came to town, but it would soon be over—and Jake was the best tipper she had ever seen. Every day he left at least fifty cents under his plate. Once he left a silver dollar. That was the day of the fight, when she found the dollar on top of an envelope under his plate. Inside were two tickets to the boxing card at the arena that night, with his name printed right on the ticket, Jake McCloskey against Dobroslaw Jarogniew. There was a note for her attached to the tickets:

Miss Emaline,

I’d be greatful if you’d come see this fite and bring a frend these here too tikets are on me.

yours truely,
Jake
(the boxer fella)

Emaline showed the tickets to Charlie Naudain.