Taylor arrived at the same time Joycie and John were having an argument. Clara, remaining silent, witnessed a brutal verbal exchange between her husband and granddaughter. Taylor could hear the shouts, as he walked up the front sidewalk.
"Sam Masters is nothing but a damn bum!" John said.
"You're a crazy old man!" Joycie replied. "You don't know Sam at all!"
Taylor rang the doorbell.
"Oh, Lord, John," Clara said. "You two, please shut up! Joycie, please go to your room. Joycie left, as John answered the door.
"Taylor!" John welcomed. "Come in and have a drink!"
"Oh, have I had a day!" Taylor sighed.
Clara brought Taylor a double scotch, and sat down, ready to listen.
Joycie, meanwhile, thought for the next few minutes about her argument with John. Finally, from her bed, she called Sam.
"Please come and get me, Sam," Joycie begged.
"You're finally ready to elope?"
"Yes," she answered. "You'll have to come quick. It's easier for us to leave from here than me going all the way back to Florida. I'll--I'll meet you on the street behind the house! Oh, Sam, when I'm with you, nothing else matters."
"I'll be there as soon as I can," Sam said.
Meanwhile, John, Clara, and Taylor were discussing the events of Saturday night. They carefully avoided the business between Taylor and Marie, and lingered more on how the whole town found out.
"You never know what people will do--er--say, in Cole!" Clara said.
"Things have really been blown out of proportion," John stated. "I heard someone in the grocery store say that, instead of Jim beating Fifi up, that you beat Ginger up!"
Taylor thought about that remark. "Could you explain that, Clara? What do you mean?"
"Well," Clara began, "in the beauty shop, Janie Engle said that Marie had been going all over town telling everyone how much she loves you. Apparently, she caused a lot of this nonsense talk!"
"Well," John said, "I think we've talked enough about the matter. How are Jim and Fifi, Taylor?"
"Fine," Taylor, his mind on Marie's alleged remarks, replied. "Just fine."
It had not struck Taylor until that moment that Marie was the main cause of all his martial and general business problems. She had distracted, he realized, not only his loyalty to home and work, but also his sense of honor. She, by "letting the cat out of the bag," had done the main damage, he thought.
After more drinks and chatter, Taylor left the Madison's house. Destination: the home of Marie Treacher.
At that same time, Bob Armstrong was talking to Julia over the telephone.
"Yes, that was some party," Bob hollered. "Jim drags Fifi out, and half an hour later, Taylor Baker comes in and says, 'Jim beat up Fifi.'"
"A doctor can't go around spilling the beans about his patients!" Julia replied. "Hell, I never trusted that Taylor Baker, anyway!"
"Somebody told me this morning that a man from the state board of health was here investigating Clarence Donovan," Bob continued.
"Clarence Donovan's another one who should be run out of town!"
"Listen," Bob said, "the real reason I called you was to find out how our girl is!"
"She's fine," Julia said. "I'm the one whose tired! I've made a hundred trips up and down those steps today! The next time you see young Joycie Madison, warn her to have her 'chillens' early in life!"
"She'll have to get married first, honey!" bob laughed. "She's just a picture of innocence now!"
Owing to the thoughts then in Joycie's head, she could have really surprised Bob and Julia.
After saying "goodnight" to her grandparents and apologizing for her behavior, Joycie went to her room, packed, and turned out the lights. Suitcase in hand, she then climed out the back window.
Sam never showed up.
Joycie realized, after some deliberation, that her whole idea to elope was just a big joke to Sam.
Taylor drove past Marie's house severeal times before he stopped, mainly to assure himself that her rough husband, Mack, was gone.
Finally, he had to courage to stop. He'd only stay a few minutes, and he didn't care what people said--he was going to get several things straight, once and for all. He would merely attempt to find out how much Marie talked, and to distinguish truth from rumor.
Taylor nervously walked to the door. He rang the doorbell. marie, clad in lingerie, answered.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down!" Marie said, grabbing Taylor. "Please sleep here with me tonight. Mack won't be back until tomorrow."
Taylor brutally pushed Marie away.
"I came here for one reason, and one reason only!" he yelled.
"Taylor," a shocked Marie said. "Calm down. Please! Come sit down and tell me what the matter is!"
"I'll kill you if I have to," Taylor said. "Are you going to answer what I ask you?"
"It depends on what the question is."
"I want to know something from you--one thing--then I'm gonna get outta this hole! How much have you talked about our relationship? I know it didn't leak out without someone telling, and it sure as hell wasn't me!"
Marie was silent.
"You tell me, or I'll kill you right here!" Taylor, raising his fist, yelled. "I'm in so much trouble, I don't care what happens now!"
Marie lit a cigarette, and sat back on the sofa.
"Tell me!"
"Please--please get out of here and leave me alone! I'm going to call the police if you don't get out of here! You're being completely unreasonable. You should have known all along that everyone knew about us! Leora Carter was just too sumpathetic to talk to your wife about it much, but she knew. You never understood that."
Taylor sighed. A long silence followed.
"Who else knew besides Leora? Was there anyone in particular you told?"
"My sister, Betty Rayburn."
"Are you completely crazy? Your sister has one of the biggest mouths in town! Why did you tell
her?"
"Betty and I share everything," Marie laughed.
"Well," Taylor said, "there is one thing you aren't going to share--me! I'm through with you forever. You've ruined my family life--and practically ruined my reputation as a doctor! It might do me good to leave this town!"
"Wouldn't you take me with you?"
"You've got to be kidding!" Taylor laughed. "Do you realize that there is little hope of reconciliation between me and my wife? You must be nuts, just as I had imagined."
"But you told me you loved me!"
"To make this less painful for both of us, I'll be blunt! I don't love you, Marie. I'm leaving this house right now!"
As Taylor walked toward the door, he turned around and said, "Go cry to your husband. He probably still loves you!"
Marie sat motionless for awhile. Her show was over. Another lover had just walked out of her life, and she began thinking of the next. He would be much younger, she thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment