Page 294 - tender-is-the-night

Hannan played a loud chord on the piano to attract at-
tention to himself.
‘I don’t believe his first stuff holds up,’ he said. ‘Even bar-
ring the Europeans there are a dozen Americans can do
what North did.’
It was the first indication Dick had had that they were
talking about Abe North.
‘The only difference is that Abe did it first,’ said Tommy.
‘I don’t agree,’ persisted Hannan. ‘He got the reputation
for being a good musician because he drank so much that
his friends had to explain him away somehow—‘
‘What’s this about Abe North? What about him? Is he
in a jam?’
‘Didn’t you read The Herald this morning?’
‘No.’
‘He’s dead. He was beaten to death in a speakeasy in New
York. He just managed to crawl home to the Racquet Club
to die—‘
‘Abe North?’
‘Yes, sure, they—‘
‘Abe North?’ Dick stood up. ‘Are you sure he’s dead?’
Hannan turned around to McKibben: ‘It wasn’t the Rac-
quet Club he crawled to—it was the Harvard Club. I’m sure
he didn’t belong to the Racquet.’
‘The paper said so,’ McKibben insisted.
‘It must have been a mistake. I’m quite sure.’
‘Beaten to death in a speakeasy.’
‘But I happen to know most of the members of the Rac-
quet Club,’ said Hannan. ‘It MUST have been the Harvard

294 Tender is the Night