“Who is it
“It’s somebody to see you
“It’s Nick Adams.”
“Come in.”
Nick opened the door and went into the room. Ole Andreson was lying on the bed
Outside the arc-light shone through the bare branches of a tree. Nick walked up the street beside the car-tracks and turned at the next arc-light down a side-street. Three houses up the street was Hirsch’s rooming-house. Nick walked up the two steps and pushed the bell. A woman came to the door.
“Is Ole Andreson here?”
“Do you want to see him?”
“Yes, if he’s in.”
Nick followed the woman up a flight of stairs and back to the end of a corridor. She knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s somebody to see you, Mr. Andreson,” the woman said.
“It’s Nick Adams.”
“Come in.”
Nick opened the door and went into the room. Ole Andreson was lying on the bed with all his clothes on. He had been a heavyweight prize-fighter and he was too long for the bed. He lay with his head on two pillows. He did not look at Nick.
heavy [hevɪ] weight [weɪt]
“What was it
“I was up at Henry’s,” Nick said, “and two fellows came in
It sounded silly when he said it
“George thought I better come and tell you about it
“There isn’t anything I can do about it
“I’ll tell you what they were like
“I don’t want to know
“That’s all right
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed.
“Don’t you want me to go and see the police
“No,” Ole Andreson said. “That wouldn’t do any good
“Isn’t there something I could do
“No. There ain’t anything to do.”
“Maybe it was just a bluff
“No. It ain’t just a bluff.”
Ole Andreson rolled over
“Couldn’t you get out of town
“No,” Ole Andreson said. “I’m through with all that running around
He looked at the wall.
“There ain’t anything to do now.”
“Couldn’t you fix it up some way
“No. I got in wrong
“I better go back and see George,” Nick said.
“So long,” said Ole Andreson. He did not look toward Nick. “Thanks for coming around
“What was it?” he asked.
“I was up at Henry’s,” Nick said, “and two fellows came in and tied me and the cook, and they said they were going to kill you.”
It sounded silly when he said it. Ole Andreson said nothing.
“George thought I better come and tell you about it.”
“There isn’t anything I can do about it,” Ole Andreson said.
“I’ll tell you what they were like.”
“I don’t want to know what they were like,” Ole Andreson said. He looked at the wall. “Thanks for coming to tell me about it.”
“That’s all right.”
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed.
“Don’t you want me to go and see the police?”
“No,” Ole Andreson said. “That wouldn’t do any good.”
“Isn’t there something I could do?”
“No. There ain’t anything to do.”
“Maybe it was just a bluff.”
“No. It ain’t just a bluff.”
Ole Andreson rolled over toward the wall, “I just can’t make up my mind to go out. I been in here all day.”
“Couldn’t you get out of town?”
“No,” Ole Andreson said. “I’m through with all that running around.”
He looked at the wall.
“There ain’t anything to do now.”
“Couldn’t you fix it up some way?”
“No. I got in wrong.” He talked in the same flat voice. “There ain’t anything to do. After a while I’ll make up my mind to go out.”
“I better go back and see George,” Nick said.
“So long,” said Ole Andreson. He did not look toward Nick. “Thanks for coming around.”
police [pǝˈli:s]]
Nick went out. As he shut the door he saw Ole Andreson with all his clothes on, lying on the bed looking at the wall.
“He’s been in his room all day,” the landlady said downstairs
“He doesn’t want to go out
“I’m sorry he don’t feel well
“I know it.”
“You’d never know it
“Well, good-night
“I’m not Mrs. Hirsch,” the woman said. “She owns the place
“Well, good-night, Mrs. Bell,” Nick said.
“Good-night,” the woman said.
Nick went out. As he shut the door he saw Ole Andreson with all his clothes on, lying on the bed looking at the wall.
“He’s been in his room all day,” the landlady said downstairs. “I guess he don’t feel well. I said to him: ‘Mr. Andreson, you ought to go out and take a walk on a nice fall day like this,’ but he didn’t feel like it.”
“He doesn’t want to go out.”
“I’m sorry he don’t feel well,” the woman said. “He’s an awfully nice man. He was in the ring, you know.”
“I know it.”
“You’d never know it except from the way his face is,” the woman said. They stood talking just inside the street door. “He’s just as gentle.”
“Well, good-night, Mrs. Hirsch,” Nick said.
“I’m not Mrs. Hirsch,” the woman said. “She owns the place. I just
look after it for her. I’m Mrs. Bell.”
“Well, good-night, Mrs. Bell,” Nick said.
“Good-night,” the woman said.
guess [ɡes]
Nick walked up the dark street to the corner under the arc-light
“Did you see Ole?”
“Yes,” said Nick. “He’s in his room and he won’t go out.”
The cook opened the door from the kitchen when he heard Nick’s voice.