money do you think you need, Ganus?”
“You mean for the bicycle?”
He nodded.
“Mr. Hutto said it’d cost forty-nine dollars and fifty cents.”
“That was before he got to thinking it over, Ganus,” Dr. English said with a faint smile. “After you left his shop and started up here to see me, he decided you ought to have some necessary extra equipment. When I talked to Mr. Hutto just now, he said you would need a battery headlight, a tire pump, a tool kit, and a few other things like that. He told me he would not be interested in selling you a bike unless all those things went along with it. I believe he’s right in wanting you to have a well-equipped bicycle. And then he said that if you didn’t take the equipment he’s already gone to the trouble of adjusting and attaching to the bicycle, there wouldn’t be any use for you to come back to see him. Of course, there’s no other store in town that sells bicycles. I advise you to take the bicycle fully equipped, Ganus.”
Ganus nodded doubtfully. Several moments passed before he said anything. “Is all that going to make it cost more, Dr. English?”
“Naturally. But it’ll probably amount to only twenty or twenty-five dollars extra. How much can you pay a week, Ganus? Five dollars?”
“Five dollars a week?” he repeated uncertainly.
Dr. English nodded.
“I might could pay five dollars a week, I suppose, if I got the job at Mr. Harry Daitch’s grocery store. But that’s a lot of money. Mr. Harry might not pay me but five dollars a week for working for him. He didn’t say how much it’d be. I sure wouldn’t have much left over.”
Dr. English picked up the phone and called Harry Daitch. He turned around in his chair and, with his back to Ganus, talked in a low voice for a while, and then hung up.
“Well, Ganus,” he said, leaning back and smiling at him. “I think I’ll be able to help you out. You seem to be the kind of boy I’d like to do business with. I don’t recall hearing of you being in any kind of trouble around town. As far as I can find out, you don’t shoot craps or spend your money on liquor or fool around with bad women. I want to help you, Ganus.”
“How—how do you mean—help me, Dr. English?”
“I’ll arrange it so you can have that bicycle you’ve got your heart set on. Every boy, black and white, ought to have a bicycle before he’s twenty-one.” He stopped and looked out the window for a moment. “I do things like this a lot these days, Ganus. Helping people buy what they want. It looks like I spend more time at it these days than I do practicing medicine.” He turned away from the window. “But there’s a need for it—sometimes, just as much as there is for a medical prescription. There’s always somebody who wants something in this world—whether he ought to have it or not—and who’d be unhappy if he couldn’t have it. I guess that’s human nature at its best. At least, some people would say so. Anyway, there’s more money in it than in doctoring bellyaches.” He began to smile. “What else is there for a lonely old man like me to do with his money? I wouldn’t get any fun out of spending it. It’s too late for that now. Most of the best things in life have passed me by. So I might just as well make some more.” He pointed his finger at Ganus. “Anyway, you bring me five dollars every Saturday, for sure.”
Ganus swallowed. “Yes, sir,” he agreed.
Dr. English took a printed form from a desk drawer, marked an ‘x’ on the bottom line, and handed it to Ganus.
“Sign it there, Ganus. I’ll get your Aunt Hazel’s signature later. Your own signature isn’t worth much to me. You’re not of legal age yet.”
Ganus signed the paper and handed it back to him.
“Now, don’t fail to bring me five dollars every Saturday from now on, for sure,” he said. “Don’t give Mr. Hutto any money at all. You won’t owe him any. Bring the money to me. Every Saturday. Five dollars. For
“You mean for the bicycle?”
He nodded.
“Mr. Hutto said it’d cost forty-nine dollars and fifty cents.”
“That was before he got to thinking it over, Ganus,” Dr. English said with a faint smile. “After you left his shop and started up here to see me, he decided you ought to have some necessary extra equipment. When I talked to Mr. Hutto just now, he said you would need a battery headlight, a tire pump, a tool kit, and a few other things like that. He told me he would not be interested in selling you a bike unless all those things went along with it. I believe he’s right in wanting you to have a well-equipped bicycle. And then he said that if you didn’t take the equipment he’s already gone to the trouble of adjusting and attaching to the bicycle, there wouldn’t be any use for you to come back to see him. Of course, there’s no other store in town that sells bicycles. I advise you to take the bicycle fully equipped, Ganus.”
Ganus nodded doubtfully. Several moments passed before he said anything. “Is all that going to make it cost more, Dr. English?”
“Naturally. But it’ll probably amount to only twenty or twenty-five dollars extra. How much can you pay a week, Ganus? Five dollars?”
“Five dollars a week?” he repeated uncertainly.
Dr. English nodded.
“I might could pay five dollars a week, I suppose, if I got the job at Mr. Harry Daitch’s grocery store. But that’s a lot of money. Mr. Harry might not pay me but five dollars a week for working for him. He didn’t say how much it’d be. I sure wouldn’t have much left over.”
Dr. English picked up the phone and called Harry Daitch. He turned around in his chair and, with his back to Ganus, talked in a low voice for a while, and then hung up.
“Well, Ganus,” he said, leaning back and smiling at him. “I think I’ll be able to help you out. You seem to be the kind of boy I’d like to do business with. I don’t recall hearing of you being in any kind of trouble around town. As far as I can find out, you don’t shoot craps or spend your money on liquor or fool around with bad women. I want to help you, Ganus.”
“How—how do you mean—help me, Dr. English?”
“I’ll arrange it so you can have that bicycle you’ve got your heart set on. Every boy, black and white, ought to have a bicycle before he’s twenty-one.” He stopped and looked out the window for a moment. “I do things like this a lot these days, Ganus. Helping people buy what they want. It looks like I spend more time at it these days than I do practicing medicine.” He turned away from the window. “But there’s a need for it—sometimes, just as much as there is for a medical prescription. There’s always somebody who wants something in this world—whether he ought to have it or not—and who’d be unhappy if he couldn’t have it. I guess that’s human nature at its best. At least, some people would say so. Anyway, there’s more money in it than in doctoring bellyaches.” He began to smile. “What else is there for a lonely old man like me to do with his money? I wouldn’t get any fun out of spending it. It’s too late for that now. Most of the best things in life have passed me by. So I might just as well make some more.” He pointed his finger at Ganus. “Anyway, you bring me five dollars every Saturday, for sure.”
Ganus swallowed. “Yes, sir,” he agreed.
Dr. English took a printed form from a desk drawer, marked an ‘x’ on the bottom line, and handed it to Ganus.
“Sign it there, Ganus. I’ll get your Aunt Hazel’s signature later. Your own signature isn’t worth much to me. You’re not of legal age yet.”
Ganus signed the paper and handed it back to him.
“Now, don’t fail to bring me five dollars every Saturday from now on, for sure,” he said. “Don’t give Mr. Hutto any money at all. You won’t owe him any. Bring the money to me. Every Saturday. Five dollars. For
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