“Keep away!”
“Wheresh—No—Nolan?”
“Nolan’s in hell, where he belongs,” she cried angrily, and a second tirade followed, directed this time at the manager and Jimmy’s friends.
“Be c-c-careful!” he interrupted, but she added further condemnation. “Be c-c-careful!” he repeated. “No—Nolan’s a frien’ o’ mine an’ so’s P-p-piggy Wallace. Be c-c-careful!”
His defence only succeeded in infuriating her. She concluded with two or three judgments that included the families of those gentlemen. Jimmy’s good nature stopped. “You ——!” he called her and stumbled toward her.
Erna retreated, her face aflame. Once more, he called her —— and fell toward her. She tried to ward him off, for he had driven her against the couch. But Jimmy pushed himself forward and raising his fist, brought it down clumsily upon her face. Erna slipped and fell upon the couch, her mouth bleeding.
Furious, she jumped up and attacked Jimmy. He was in a defenceless condition, and blows rained upon his shoulders, body and head. He tried to raise his guard, but it was useless. At length, swearing incoherently, she struck him full in the face, and he swayed, mumbled stupidly and toppled over on the couch, unconscious or asleep—more likely the latter. Handsome Jimmy was a disgusting sight.
Erna, still struggling with herself, looked down at him. He started snoring, a part painful, part beatific smile wrinkling his face. His legs were dangling over the side of the couch. She gave them a kick, lifted them and shoved them onto the couch. She then turned away and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Erna had come to a simple determination.
Without hesitation, she went over to a closet and opened the door. She likewise pulled open the drawer of a commode. And somewhere, she found an old suit case and dragged that forth. Her packing did not last more than twenty minutes. She left a hat, a dress and some odds and ends behind her.
One pleasant late afternoon about two weeks later, Eric Nielsen was occupied in writing at his desk. He was engaged on an essay he had planned and started some time ago. His pencil was moving more rapidly than usual.