Page 93 - The Great Gatsby

82 The Great Gatsby The funeral 83

Meyer Wolfshiem's name wasn't in the phone book. The 'Young Parke's in troublc. The poi ice arresred him when he
butler gave me his office number, bue no one answered the hamlt:<l over che bonds. Can you bclicve it?'
phone. I went back to the sitting room, and thought for a 'Helio!' I broke in breathlessl y. 'Look here - this isn'r Mr
moment rhat ali these official people werc visitors, friends of Gatsby. Mr Garsby's dead.'
his. But, though thcy drew back rhe sheet and looked at Garsby There was a long silence on rhe orher end of the phone ...
wirh shocked eyes, his protesr continucd in my head: then suddenly the connection was broken.
'Look here, old sport, you've got to get somebody for me. l rhink ir was on rhe rhird day that a wire signed Henry C.
You've got ro rry hard. I can't go rhrough this alone.' Gatz arrived from a rown in che Mid-West. lc said only thar che
Next morning I sent the butler ro New York wirh a lettcr scnder was leaving immediacely, and asked f o r the funeral to be
to Wolfshiem, which asked him to come out on the nexr train. put off uncil he came.
That request seemed unnecessary when I wrore it. l was sure lt was Garsby's fathcr, a serious-looking old man, very
he'd start for Long lsland when he saw che newspapers, just helpless and unhappy, wearing a long cheap overcoar in spite of
the warm September da), I took him to the room where his son
as I was sure there'd be a wire from Daisy before midda y.
But neither a wire nor Mr Wolfshiem arrived; no onc arrived lay, and when he came out, therc were rears on his facc. He had
excepr more police and phorographers and newspaper men. reached an age where death no longcr has the quality of horrific
When the butler broughr back Wolfshiem's answer, I began surprise, and when he looked around him now f o r thc first time
to feel scornfully that it was Gatsby and me against thcm ali. and saw the large, beauriful rooms of Gatsby's mansion, J could
see he was beginning to feel proud as well as sa<l.
Dear Mr Carraway, This has been one of the most terrible shocks 'I didn't know what you'd want, Mr Gatsby-'
of my life. What a mad thing that man did! lt should make us ali 'Gatz is my name.'
think. 1 am involved in sorne very important business and eannot 'Mr Gacz. I chought you might want ro cake che body West.'
get mixed up in this now. 1 am completely knocked out by this. He shook his head. 'Jimmy always liked it better down East.
Yours truly, MeyerWolfshiem Were you a fricnd of my boy's, Mr-?'
P.S. Let me know about the funeral. Do not know his family at ali. 'We were close friends.'
'He had a big future ahead of him. If he'd lived, he'd have
Whcn rhe phone rang that afternoon, I chought ic would be been a greac man. He'd have helped build up che counrry.'
Daisy ac last. Bur ir was a man's voice, calling from Chicago. 'That's true,' 1 said uncomforrably. I took him to one of rhe
'This is Slagle speaking .. .' bedrooms, where he fell asleep ar once.
'Yes?' T did noc recognize the voice. That night an obviously frighrened person called up, and
'Did you get my wire?' demanded to know who I was before he gave his name.
'There haven'r been any wircs.' 'This is Mr Carraway,' I said.