H took Sally to theatre on taxi

H took moves on the back seats where he annoyed the cabby who intentionally braked just to make H fall

Stepping out of taxi, in full hormone, H asked Sally to marry him

Sally asked H to grow some hair because crew cut is out of date

The whole time when movie is on, H concentrated only on Sally's sexual body

H got no time for movie or actor

Alfred Lunt acted so good that he was showing off his acting

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H started watching all the girls go by

H wondered how they all would end up into their marriages

H remembered one Harris Mackim in Elkton Hills

Mackim never stopped talking who had raspy irritating voice

But he surely was the best whistler on earth

Sally came in black overcoat and a cute black beret hat

H was so fascinated that he almost decided to marry her

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H sighed that man is the only thing that changes over time

H saw 2 kids playing seesaw (teetertotter)

H wished to help balancing weight because one is fat and one is lean

Kids refused

H hurried away

H took a cab to Baltimore

chap. 17

H sat on leather couches beside station clock watching girls

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H started recollecting his childhood days when he had to go to National History museum under miss Aigletinger's instruction

Kids were in twos and hand in hand

H's partner was always this Gertrude Levine whose palms were always sticky or sweaty

They had to sit in the big auditorium watching a movie about Columbus

Before entering auditorium, one passes through glass case showing Indians binding bonfire sticks and their squaws knitting blankets

The squaw showed all her boos in a bent-down position

Bots and girls stole glances at her boos alike

The show room displayed Indian war canoe with 20 Indians on it, each with facial war paint

The witch doctor at the back of the canoe wore an even more frightening mask

Before entering the auditorium you saw an Eskimo fishing on the frozen lake

Stuffed deer drinking from water holes, birds flying south made up an eternal picture for H

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H went to the park bandstand where he used to skate

Phoebe was not there

A girl around Phoebe's age was there tightening her skate shoes

The girl fiddled the skate key without avail

H stepped up to help

H asked if she knew Phoebe Caulfield

Girl said she's in the museum

H asked if it's the museum with pictures or the one with Indians

Girl answered Indians

H recalled it's a Sunday

Girl answered then she didn't know where Phoebe was

H went to Natural History Museum anyway

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H queued for tickets for the lunt's orchestra which Sally liked

H hated movies with actors like Sir Lawrence Olivier

H thought most of the actors were too conscientious when they acted

Only acting that was good enough for H was the movie d.b. Had taken him and Phoebe to

It was Hamlet by Lawrence Olivier

What was good was when Ophelia's brother is going to duel with Hamlet, Ophelia horsed around with her brother's dagger's sheath

And Hamlet himself patted on the head of the dog which Phoebe doted

H reached park in a cab

Park was deserted and dirty

The beach seemed to wet one's ass if one chose to sit on it

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A family walked in front of of H

H knew they were poor because the father was wearing a pearl-gray hat that was worn by poor folks

Their 6-year-old boy walked alone in an imaginary straight line right beside the curb and the sidewalk

The boy was humming "If a body catch a body coming through the rye"

The song pleased H

Broadway was jampacked with people standing in line for movie tickets

They were all dressed up and walked fast which depressed H

H finally got into record store and spent 5 bucks procuring the record

H wrnt into drugstore to phone Jane up

Jane's mother picked it up

H hung up the phone immediately

He didn't want to spend time chatting with Jane's mom

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H recalled his aunt would put on her best outfit if she was to do charitable work

She would put on her lipstick

If Salle Hayes's mother would do the charity, she would have people's attention and flatteries

If there's none, she would quit herself at the most within 30 minutes and went straight for fancy restaurants to have lunch

But these two nuns would never do that in this life

That comforted H

Snow had stopped

H kept walking to Broadway

On his way he thought of one "Little Shirley Beans" song sung by Estelle Fletcher 20 years ago

H heard it once at Pencey dorm

A boy downstairs played the record once but wouldn't sell it to H

H thought of finding a record store on Broadway and got one for Phoebe who would be roller-skating at the park

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H talked about how he thought Romeo' and Juliet had their own faults

Nun kept up her politeness

Finally they decided to leave and insisted H not pay their check

H thought of a good boy in Whooton School, Louis Shaney

Shaney sat beside H when they both were waiting for checkups

During a good conversation on tennis, Shane's suddenly asked did H know the Catholic Church in town

Caulfield is Irish last name which lead Shane's to suspect H was a Catholic too

Upon nuns' leaving, H accidentally blew cigarette smokes onto nuns' faces

H apologized

H regretted he hadn't given more of his money into nun's basket

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H helped picking up straw basket for one of the nun

H contributed 10 bucks to their basket

H started conversation with nuns to find they came from some convention in Chicago now they were moving to some other convent in uptown Manhattan

The one with iron rom glasses who sat beside H taught English

H thought what would nuns feel when they read some of the blue books

Nun asked what had he read

H listed Beowulf, Grendel, Lord Randal My Son, Thomas Hardy, Romeo and Juliet, etc

Nun asked how he accepted Romeo and Juliet

H answered he like Mercutio better than Romeo

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