STUDS LONIGAN
"What time is it?" said Studs.
"Two o'clock," said Red.
"Lonigan's waitin' for supper again," said Kenny; they
laughed.
"Let's go over to the park," said Studs.
"Walk a block and a half in this sun? Not this sundodger,"
Kilarney said.
"Oh, by the way, fellows, I forgot to tell you that I saw
Paulie Haggerty," Red said.
"Is he still chasin' that jane of his?" asked Studs.
"Married her. I think it was a shot-gun wedding," said Red.
Kilarney suddenly changed their astonishment to amuse-
ment by melodramatically lamenting that poor Paulie preferred
double wretchedness to single blessedness.
"You know, fellows, getting your ashes hauled is one thing,
and getting married is another. You can joke all you want
about marriage, but it's sacred, a sacrament of the Church and
when you're married it's serious, for life. Paulie's too young
for that, he's only seventeen. He might be ruining his whole
life. . .. Well, he can't say that I didn't warn him because 1
did, plenty," Red Kelly said.
"Hey, Kelly, why don't you hire a hall?" Kilarney said.
"Kilarney, you couldn't be serious about anything, could
you?" Kelly said, good naturedly.
"He must be cured," Studs said, butting in on Kilarney's
rejoinder.
"He said it cured itself, but he can't kid me, and nobody
can tell me that a dose cures itself without even a doctor. And
if you ask me, he's playing a damn rotten trick on Eileen. She
was a sweet girl, coming from a decent family and a good home.
She falls for him, and what does he do but knock her up, and I
suppose dose her. Paulie is a pal of mine, and I'd stick through
hell with him, but he certainly did act like a rat with Eileen."
"Hell, Red, that jane is five years older than he is, and
don' t tell me she didn ' t know what he was doing. She chased
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