106
JASCHA KESSLER
this
goddamned dump a month and a half ago, and he thinks we
did all that. Pops, that's one hell of a clever idea!"
"Try and tell me you didn't. Say I'm the judge. You just try
telling it to me you didn't!" Acker sneered with worldly sarcasm.
"Well? You think anyone old enough to
be
your father must be
deaf dumb and blind, don't you? Well, some might be. I wouldn't
know about that. But here, I'm the steward, and it's my business to
know what goes on
in
the food department. So don't you think I
don't. All right, I told myself, a little lifting up here and there, you
can't blame the kids; it's natural, considering the way they feed
them. A piece of fruit, a loaf of bread, a glass of milk-you're
entitled to it,
it
the headwaiter don't catch you, and
it
the cooks
don't catch you, and
it
I don't. But-God in heaven should only
be
my witness-twenty, thirty
cases
of gallon cans! Besides every–
thing else
in
the house! Some nerve you and your gang has got."
"Say, Mr. Acker...."
"Now don't make me angry, Davie. Because I've had it, I'm
full up to here-and you better believe it!"
"But listen ..."
"I thought you were a nice boy, Davie. At least
you,
I could
count on
you,
the head busboy, to be responsible, mature, to main–
tain a little order, to keep the boys from running wild. But this!"
"Listen, Mr. Acker...."
"No! You listen to me!" Acker screamed, and he would have
jumped up, but the woman pulled
him
back against her, and
wrapped her great comfortable arms about his waist. Nevertheless
he continued on a shrill rising pitch, "You listen to me. I hereby
give you the last warning, you hear? It has got to stop! I wanted to
protect you, Davie, because you're a poor boy. And a better boy, I
thought. And poor boys don't have a chance, and the law don't
care for better boys either.
If
I was to speak what I saw going on
up here tonight-who knows what they would do to you? The
entire god-forsaken boom would fallon you!"
"But...."
"But me no buts, but shut up I say! You-liar! thief! lecher!
Who can tell how bad you are!
If
you're like this now, god knows
what you'll be ten years from today. So answer me what you know:
what happened to the meat?
That's what I want to know. Because
