I was early when I got to the theatre, so I sat down on one of those leather couches, and watched the girls. Girls with their legs crossed, girls with terrific legs, girls with lousy legs, girls that looked like swell legs, girls that looked like they’d be bitches if you knew them. It was really nice sightseeing, if you know what I mean. Finally, old Sally started coming up the stairs, and I started to walk down to meet her. She looked terrific. She really did. She had on this black coat and sort of a black beret. She hardly ever wore a hat, but that beret looked nice. The funny part is, I felt like marrying her the minute I saw her. I’m crazy. I didn’t even like her much, and yet all of a sudden I felt like I was in love with her and wanted to marry her. I swear to god I’m crazy. I admit it. We horsed around a bit in the cab on the way to the theatre. At first she didn't want to, because she had her lipstick on and all, but I was being seductive as hell and she didn’t have any alternative.

After I'd left the nuns I tried to imagine my parents working for charity. It was so goddam hard. i just couldnt seemt mum or dad asking people for money. Later on when I was walking to meet Sally I saw a family. There was this boy walking on the edge of the road where the cars had to swirve to miss him. But he was singing this song, 'when a body meet a body coming through the rye'. It made me feel much happier for some goddam strange reason. it really did. I went to the park later that day and watched a few tiny kids paying on the see saw. One of the sides was very unbalanced so I put my hand on his end of the see saw to even it up. I could tell they didnt want me around so I left.

The next morning, I called Sally Hayes and made a date with her for later that afternoon. I checked out of the hotel and left my bags in a locker at Grand Central Station. I worried about losing my money, I remembered how my my father used to get when I lost things. While I had time to think, I was remembering my mother and how she hasn’t felt too healthy since my brother Allie died. Thats another reason that I can't tell her I got chucked out of Pencey, she might have a heartattack or something, she really might. I couldnt put her throgh anything like that. I went to eat breakfast at a little sandwich bar, where I met two nuns who were moving to Manhattan to teach in a school. I stuck up a conversation with one of the nuns about Romeo and Juliet. I saw that one of them had a little basket and asked if they were taking contributions because I was willing to make one. she was lovely, she really was. and not in a phoney way either. you could tell she was genuine. at first she wouldnt take anything off me but I eventually got them to take 10 dollars off me. After they left I realised just how much I shouldn't have given them that money, I needed it for my date with Sally. Goddam money, It always ends up making you blue as hell.

There was a knock at the door. Old sunny, the prostitute, and Maurice, the pimpy looking elevator guy, was standing there. He wanted five bucks. He did all the talking. He said it was ten bucks a throw. I knew it was only five. My old heart was damn near beating out the room. I wished I was dressed at least. Then he gave me a shove with his crumby hand. I damn near fell over my can. They acted like they owned the place. Old Maurice sat down in the big chair and loosed his collar and all. Old Maurice unbuttoned his whole uniform coat. all he had on was this phoney shirt collar no shirt or anything. He had a big fat hairy stomach. He started threatening me. he really was. and i dont know why but i starte dto cry. i think it was because he was threatening me that muchand he did lokk really intimedating. He was pretty sharp in his crumby way. then suny picked up my wallet and took the five bucks. then they left. after they had i sorted myself and I stayed in the bathroom for about an hour, taking a bath. Then I got back in bed. feeling preety lousy.

I walked all the way back to the hotel. I wish I knew who stole my goddamn gloves at Pencey - not that I would have done anything about it. I'm yellow like that. The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. The whole lobby was empty and smelt like fifty million dead cigars. I was feeling sort of lousy. Depressed and all. I almost wished I was dead.That's when I got in this big mess. The elevator guy asked me if i was iterested in having a good time. I asked him what he meant, h ment a prositute coming to my room. i dont know why but i said okay. I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think.I went up to my room and put on a clean shirt. I was a little nervous. If you want to know the truth, I’m a virgin. I really am. I’ve had a few opportunities,. But I’ve never got round to it yet. I figured this was my big chance, in a way. When I opened the door to her I said, suave as hell, “How do you do.” She came in and chucked her coat on the bed right away. She seemed very nervous for a prostitute. Probably because she was young as hell. Around my age.In the end I backed out of sleeping with her. It didn’t feel right. I told her I’d just had an operation on my clavichord. I thanked her and all and gave her the 5 dollar bill. She told me that it costs ten and I said Maurice said it was 5 for a throw. She sort of just shrugged her shoulders. She was a bit of a spooky kid. As she went she said “So long, crumb bum.”

I walked all the way back to the hotel. Forty one gorgeous blocks. I put my hunting hat on. I coulda done with my gloves, cold as hell, but some sonuvabitch stole them at Pencey, I wish I knew who’d stolen them. I probly wouldn’t have done anything though even if I knew – im very yellow that way. Anyway I got in the elevator back up to my room. I didn’t feel much like sticking round that crappy lobby, I wall really depressed and all, I almost wish I was dead, I really did. The elevator guy asked me if I was interested in a good time. I didn’t know what he was talking about at first. He meant a goddam prostitute for the night. I couldn’t believe him, did I look like the sorta guy who was up for a good time right at that moment?He said it was 5 bucks a throw and 15 till noon. I said Ok, I don’t know why though, I was depressed as hell. I wasn’t even thinking. A bit later when id changed and all a young girl arrived, too young if you ask me. Her name was Sonny and she was about my age – my real age. I didn’t feel like sleeping with her, you would tell she as really scared. It made me feel sad as hell that somebody as young as her did this crappy thing for money, it really did upset me. So what I did was, I told her I was recovering from an operation on my “clavichord”. That killed me. So I gave her the 5 and asked her to leave, she said it was 10, but I didn’t give in. So she put her green dress back on and left.

I got in a cab and told him to go to Greenwich Village. The driver was called Horwitz. he was quite a talker so I ask him if he knew where the ducks go in winter. He didn’t know and started to get sore about it. boy, he was sore. Then started talking about the fish, but who gives a damn about the fish! I was talking about the ducks. He said that they just get stuck in a block of ice. He got really sore so I stopped the conversation before he crashed. i decied to go to earnys, this bar where D.B used to go. I got a seat and ordered a scotch and soda. I was surrounded by jerks. All of a sudden Lillian Simmons came up to me with this navy looking guy. She used to know my brother. She kept asking about D.B. she was phoney as hell. and then she asked if I wanted to join them but i said i was just leaving. I didnt want to leave but I wasnt going to sit with lillian and that Navy guy, people are always ruining things for you.