Read "The Facts" by Ring Lardner online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
It is a compound fracture of the rules to have so important a character as Tommy Richards appear in only one chapter. But remember, this isn't a regular story, but a simple statement of what occurred when it occurred. During Chapter Four, Tommy had been on his way home from the Pacific Coast, where business had kept him all fall. His business out there and what he said en route to Chicago are collateral.
Tommy had been Billy's pal at college. Tommy's home was in Minnesota, and Billy was his most intimate, practically his only friend in the so-called metropolis of the Middle West. So Tommy, not knowing that Billy had gone to St. Louis, looked forward to a few pleasant hours with him between the time of the coast train's arrival and the Minnesota train's departure.
The coast train reached Chicago about noon. It was Thursday noon, the twenty-third. Tommy hustled from the station to Billy's office, and there learned of the St. Louis trip. Disappointed, he roamed the streets a while and at length dropped into the downtown ticket office of his favorite Minnesota road. He was told that everything for the night was sold out. Big Christmas business. Tommy pondered.
The coast train reached Chicago about noon. It was Thursday noon, the twenty-third.
"How about tomorrow night? " he inquired.
"I can give you a lower tomorrow night on the six-thirty," replied Leslie Painter, that being the clerk's name.
"I'll take it," said Tommy.
He did so, and the clerk took $10.05.
"I'll see old Bill after all," said Tommy.
Leslie Painter made no reply.
In the afternoon Tommy sat through a vaudeville show, and at night he looped the loop. He retired early, for the next day promised to be a big one.
Billy got in from St. Louis at seven Friday morning and had been in his office an hour when Tommy appeared. I have no details of the meeting.
At half-past eight Tommy suggested that they'd better go out and h'ist one.
"Still on it, eh? " said Billy.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I'm off of it."
"Good Lord! For how long?"
"The last day of November."
"Too long! You look sick already."
"I feel great," averred Billy.