Pal Ted:
Well, pally, I have come to the concluson that old pals are best and never put too much faith in new acquaintances or you will end up two away from the 9 ball. When I tell you that you are getting it straight from head-quarters, because I know. I have been thinking it over and the true test of friendship is if you can weather such things as for instance you and I, meaning like differences of opinon over a mouse or the dough department and things on that order. You and I certanly have had our differences of opinon over the above yet here I am when I think it over and give the matter mature consideraton I think of you as a friend and I always hope you will consider me a friend if you have the ill fortune of ever getting in a spot in which I found myself recently. Then you can count on me altho’ hoping the occason does not arise. (God forbid.)
Well I recall telling you about a little mouse one of the local 400 that her father was president of the bank (largest in town). This mouse Jean by name use to come every night to the hotel to hear me sing and it got so it was embarrasing owing to the fact that those lugs in the band would begin to kid me about it. They would say that mouse has got it for Joey but bad. She would come there and sit and just look at me and when she would get up to dance and I would sing she would just stand there in front of me with her escort and it became so that it was obvious and altho’ I pride myself on being equal to such situatons (having had the experience before) it use to disconcert me more than I can say. However she arranged an introducton and I use to take her out especially when I was singing at private parties of the local 400. In a short time she use to stop for me at the hotel damn near every evening and I came to care for her as she was different than the usual ones that make a fool of themselves over a singer or entertainer. We were reaching the stage where it was you might say only a queston of time before Joey and Jean would veil up and perhaps I would consider giving up this life. Not that I ever intended doing that but she use to discuss it with me. She often use to ask me if I thought my life interesting and was it fun and how did I happen to get in it and of course that was her subtile way of getting me to consider probably going into the banking game with her father after we got married.
Well of course she was nineteen years old and one for the book as far as looks, figure, personality is concerned and also had plenty of scratch, being the bank presidents daughter. I went to work and bought a couple new arrangements in fact she gave me one for Xmas last Xmas. I happen to say one night I needed a couple new arrangements and she asked me how much they were and I told her my guy charged $50. She also gave me a set of studs and cuff links to wear with my tails that must have set her back the price of four arrangements. It was her favorite song at the time, the arrangement she gave me. It was You go to my Head. I had an old arrangement of it from last summer but never had any call for it but she use to like it before she met me and so I got out the old arrangement and of course did not spoil it for her by saying it was one I had last summer and never had any call for. However I used the 50 to give her a Xmas present, a sport watch.
Then around the end of January they were having this ball in honor of the President (Roosevelt) to get up a fund that they would give for this infantile paralasys. Very white of them as they sit around all year and say what a heel he is and on his birthday they give him this ball and it is a club called the Junior League that she belonged to had charge of getting the talent and all that like publicity etc. So of course I gladly donated my services as I was going anyway having planned to escort Jean to the ball. The ball was in the ballroom of the hotel but I was going to escort her from her house. Then at the very last minute I said to her what should we do that evening until it was time to go to the ball (11.30 or 12) and she said she was going to a dinner party at these friends of hers named Fenton. I said it was a fine time to tell me that and said I consider it a fine thing to go to the Fenton’s for dinner knowing that they were one of the few that took a snobbish attitude in connecton with me. I told her she could take it or leave it and if she went to their house for dinner she could count me out on the subject of escorting her to the ball. I was plenty burned and she said she never understood I was taking her anyway and of course she was right. I took it for granted and didnt bother to ask her until the last minute and then I said well I will just stop for you at the Fenton’s about 11.30 and that will save you the trouble of coming to the ball alone or with another couple. Imagine my surprise to learn that she already had an escort, Jerry Towle a young dope that does nothing but fly his own plane and scaring farmer’s horses and always in some kind of jam with the law but his old man has plenty of scratch and gets him out of it. I said you go with Towle and let him take you every other place from now on and I said dont bother to come to the hotel any more but stay away and our date for the next night was off.
Well we had a quarrel about that and it ended up I didn’t go to the Fenton’s and when I was singing that night at the ball she made Towle dance her up and request Go to my Head but I said very politely I only had the newer numbers and did not sing Go to my Head this year. Did she burn? I didnt even dance with her and I only sat with the boys in the band all night and then went up to my room after I did my numbers and called up some hustler and took her to a hamburger joint where the 400 go every night after dances and hoped Jean and Towle would come in but they never did so I gave the hustler 5 bucks for her time and sent her home in a taxi.
Well the next night I am singing and in she comes but I never give her a tumble but she gets her load on I notice and about one a.m: a note comes over by waiter and she wants me to meet her but she is with this party and I am burned so I dont answer the note. I just tell the waiter no reply and when I finish my last number I screw and go around the corner to have a cup of coffee and there she is, followed me. I do not want to make a scene then and there and she has her load on and will not go back and rejoin her party so I send around and get my car out of the garage hoping to take her for a ride and sober her up but oh no. Instead we go for a ride and altho’ it was freezing and we did not have a coat either of us we are out for about an hour and always fighting and it began to get late and I knew the grill at the hotel would be putting the chairs up on the tables so I ignored her and turned around and went back. No sign of her party. They have gone. That means I have to take her home and she lives out in the suburbs and by the time we get there somebody has called her up to see if she got home and woke up the old man and he is waiting for her in a dressing gown. She is still plastered the little lush and her old man asks what the meaning of this is and who am I and bringing his daughter home in this conditon. Then I tell him who I am and he says Oh, he has heard about me and has always wanted to meet me and without any warning brings one up from the floor and I stop it with my chin, as dirty a punch as I ever saw. I got up but had the presence of mind so that I did not let him have one but said I dont want any part of his daughter, the lush. Keep her home or he would be a grandfather one of these days without a son in law. I think he would have got a gun but I was out of there before he had the chance.
Well the next a.m. about 10 the phone rings and it is the manager, my boss. He wants me down in his office so I go and he hears all about it only an exageraton of what really happened. To make a long story short I am out. I say what about my contract and he says read your contract and then I remember he had the right to fire me if I get out of line and he gives me the rest of the week (pay) and an extra week and says he advised me to lam out of there as I insulted the most powerful man in the whole town as I will soon find out. I find out alright. I call up this ad agency that pays me for singing on the local radio staton where my sponsor is this credit jewelry company. They were just about to call me. I am out. The mouse’s old man only owns the God damn staton. I go to a lawyer but he wont take my case as he says I havent any case. Even if I had he would think twice about bucking this mouse’s old man. So there I am holding an empty bag with my wardrobe and a car only about half paid for and all told about a little over 300 in my kick. So I go back to the hotel and start in packing (about 5 in the afternoon this is) and a messenger comes and brings me a note from Jean. She is sorry about it and did not want to cause me all this trouble and would do anything to make or mend. Her old man had her at the doctor’s or she would have got in touch with me sooner and will I call her at this number, a girl friend of hers. They are going to take her to some place in N. Carolina the next day and she has to see me. I do not have to worry as the dr. says she is okay, but she would not be able to stand it going like this with me feeling this way all over a little thing like a misunderstanding over the Fenton’s dinner and she heard her old man threaten to get me bounced out of town etc and she is desperate because she loves me. Well I thought it over and what a fine chance I had to show her old man who was the most powerful man in town as far as his own family are concerned. All I had to do was pick up Jean and drive over the state line and inside of two hours he would have a son in law alright. I am sitting there debating within myself as to whether I will call her or not and the door opens. “You know me,” he says. Towle. “I see you are packing. Good. There is a 9 oclock for Chicago and an 8.30 for N. Y. and I would suggest the 8.30 but I leave the choice entirely up to you,” he says. “I think I will sit around and take you to the train.” I ignore him but go on packing and when I finish up I send down and have room service bring me up a steak sandwich with French fries, a cup of coffee and a piece of pie and I eat it there with him sitting there. I had to pay cash for it as room service will not let me sign. Then I lit a butt and smoke it calmly and then I phone the railroad and order a lower on the 9 oclock for Chi. I can see he is burned but that is what I intend. Then the phone rings and he answers it and says he is not here but has just left and then he says “Dont be a damn fool Jean this is Jerry and yes he is here but you are not going to see him if I can help it and you may not speak to him as I am acting on your fathers orders.” Then he hangs up. He is a big lug. Over 200.
Well I phone the garage and tell them to put my car into dead storage and take out the battry and then it is time to go to the train and he goes with me. When we get there I tell him he can have the pleasure of paying the taxi and he says it is a pleasure alright and I said I thought it would be and also a pleasure for me. When I go to get my ticket he even pays for the ticket, tips the porter, etc. I did not lose my sense of humor. I said “By the way I have nothing to read on the train” and he buys me papers and magazines. I see the humor in it and I also say I always have chewing-gum on trains so he buys me some gum. But he does not see the humor for when the train is ready to pull out I reach out my hand and say it was a pleasure to have him come down and see me off, him of all people and just then he hauls off and slaps my hand, burned like I never saw anybody burned.
Well the train pulled out and that is the story of how I am now in Chi. I am singing for coffee & cakes at a crib on Cottage Grove Ave. here. It isnt much of a spot but they say it is lucky as four or five singers and musicians who worked here went from here to big things and I am hoping. Well give my best to Artie and Fred and Chink and Mort. Tell Mort congratulations as I hear he is starting up a new band and I would be willing to work for scale. Tell Fred when he comes out to look me up as I plug his last two numbers every nite. Well Ted all the best and I don’t have to say I think your solo in Jeepers Creepers is as good as Vanuti. I am glad a pal is having such good luck and I mean that sincerely as ever. Will write soon again.
Pal Joey