From the Cabby's Seat (Henry)
from the Collection « Four Million»
On a night when there was a wedding celebration in the big brick tenement-house next door to McGary's Family Café, Jerry O'Donovan's cab was parked close to the curb.
Jerry had been drinking at the celebration and was in a state of intoxication. A young woman stepped up to the cab and Jerry, despite his inebriated state, managed to get her into the cab and take her for a ride.
They drove up Fifth Avenue and then into Central Park. The young woman was entranced by the sights and smells of the park and Jerry, despite his drunkenness, managed to keep the cab on the right side of the road. He asked her if she wanted to stop at the Casino and she agreed.
At the Casino, the young woman was given a numbered card and she sat at a table and ordered a beer. She watched the people around her, dressed in their finery, and felt out of place in her plain pink silk dress. After two hours, the Casino began to close and the young woman was given her cab check.
Jerry drove her back to the police station, where he had left his cab. On the way, Jerry became suspicious that the young woman had no money to pay for the ride and he demanded to see four dollars before he would take her any further. The young woman laughed and said she only had a few pennies and a few dimes.
At the police station, Jerry introduced the young woman to the sergeant as his wife, whom he had just married at the wedding celebration. The young woman sighed deeply and said she had had a nice time. Jerry and his new wife then got into the cab and drove off to their new home.