proceeds of the collision insurance I bought a good used car. I wasn’t cold about that. It frightened me. That was unexpected. I sat behind the wheel, and when I shut my eyes I could feel the car rolling, first sideways and then end over end. I opened my eyes quickly and the world returned to sanity. The first time I drove to the city, the sweat ran down from my armpits, soaking my shirt. I had the checks photostated on that first trip, front and back. I returned them to her file.
That night, at dinner, I put the next brick in the foundation. I looked across at Connie. “You’re mine, you know,” I said.
Little puzzled wrinkles appeared above the bridge of her nose. “Of course, dear. What brought that on?”
“I just was thinking. You know how you imagine things. I was imagining how I would react if you ever wanted to leave me. The answer is very simple. I’d never, never let you go.”
She smothered the quick alarm. “Why think of such a thing, George? Such an impossible thing!”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Say, the new car holds sixteen gallons of gas.”
The fork trembled in her hand. “What’s that got to do with—”
“Nothing, Connie. Don’t be so silly. I saw the conversation disturbed you, so in my own feeble way I was changing the subject.”
“Oh!”
“The steering seems pretty sound. I had it checked at the station. That Palmer boy seems to know his business.”
Vacant stare. “Palmer? Oh, Louie, the dark one.”
She was getting better at it. That was really a good effort. I thought it was too bad I couldn’t tell her just how good an effort it was. Then she spoiled it by being unable to finish the dinner she was eating with such appetite. That’s one thing about her that always amazed me. A tiny girl, yet almost rapacious about her food. Red lips eager and white teeth tearing and champing. Once upon a time it had been cute. Funny how little you can learn about a woman in seven years of marriage.
I had to make her see Louie. I had to give her a reason.
Over coffee I said, “I’ve been asking around.”
“About what, darling?” A shade too much casualness and disinterest.
“We could make a good deal on this house right now.”
The petulance showed immediately. “But, George! I love this house and this neighborhood. I don’t want to move.”
“I stopped in at the office. I told Mallory how the docs recommend I keep out in the air as much as possible. He hinted that they might be able to give me a traveling job, based in California. I’d cover eleven Western states, part promotion work, part digging up new talent for the list. I’d also do some coordination work with the movie agents. I’m to let him know.”
She looked as if somebody had hit her in the stomach. “But isn’t the job you had a better one? I mean, we could see that you got plenty of fresh air.”
“I don’t know if I’m too anxious to pick up this commuting treadmill again. I’m going to give it a lot of thought. We’d make a profit on the house. In the new job my trips would be so long that you would travel with me, naturally.”
“I do get a little carsick,” she said, the dread showing.
I laughed. “Say, remember in the hospital when I told you I was going to drive slow from then on?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Found out today I’ve got my nerve back. I kicked it up to seventy-five on Route Twenty-eight. The old reflexes seem pretty good.”
I watched and saw the speculative look dawn. She covered it by getting up to bring more coffee. But when she poured it into my cup, she spilled some in the saucer and didn’t seem to notice.
At a quarter to nine she said she was going for a walk. I knew that the station closed at nine. I yawned and said I might go to bed. She left. I waited five minutes and backed the car out. The station was six blocks away. I was curious to see how it was done. I took the parallel road, then turned left after six blocks and parked in the tree shadows. I could see
That night, at dinner, I put the next brick in the foundation. I looked across at Connie. “You’re mine, you know,” I said.
Little puzzled wrinkles appeared above the bridge of her nose. “Of course, dear. What brought that on?”
“I just was thinking. You know how you imagine things. I was imagining how I would react if you ever wanted to leave me. The answer is very simple. I’d never, never let you go.”
She smothered the quick alarm. “Why think of such a thing, George? Such an impossible thing!”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Say, the new car holds sixteen gallons of gas.”
The fork trembled in her hand. “What’s that got to do with—”
“Nothing, Connie. Don’t be so silly. I saw the conversation disturbed you, so in my own feeble way I was changing the subject.”
“Oh!”
“The steering seems pretty sound. I had it checked at the station. That Palmer boy seems to know his business.”
Vacant stare. “Palmer? Oh, Louie, the dark one.”
She was getting better at it. That was really a good effort. I thought it was too bad I couldn’t tell her just how good an effort it was. Then she spoiled it by being unable to finish the dinner she was eating with such appetite. That’s one thing about her that always amazed me. A tiny girl, yet almost rapacious about her food. Red lips eager and white teeth tearing and champing. Once upon a time it had been cute. Funny how little you can learn about a woman in seven years of marriage.
I had to make her see Louie. I had to give her a reason.
Over coffee I said, “I’ve been asking around.”
“About what, darling?” A shade too much casualness and disinterest.
“We could make a good deal on this house right now.”
The petulance showed immediately. “But, George! I love this house and this neighborhood. I don’t want to move.”
“I stopped in at the office. I told Mallory how the docs recommend I keep out in the air as much as possible. He hinted that they might be able to give me a traveling job, based in California. I’d cover eleven Western states, part promotion work, part digging up new talent for the list. I’d also do some coordination work with the movie agents. I’m to let him know.”
She looked as if somebody had hit her in the stomach. “But isn’t the job you had a better one? I mean, we could see that you got plenty of fresh air.”
“I don’t know if I’m too anxious to pick up this commuting treadmill again. I’m going to give it a lot of thought. We’d make a profit on the house. In the new job my trips would be so long that you would travel with me, naturally.”
“I do get a little carsick,” she said, the dread showing.
I laughed. “Say, remember in the hospital when I told you I was going to drive slow from then on?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Found out today I’ve got my nerve back. I kicked it up to seventy-five on Route Twenty-eight. The old reflexes seem pretty good.”
I watched and saw the speculative look dawn. She covered it by getting up to bring more coffee. But when she poured it into my cup, she spilled some in the saucer and didn’t seem to notice.
At a quarter to nine she said she was going for a walk. I knew that the station closed at nine. I yawned and said I might go to bed. She left. I waited five minutes and backed the car out. The station was six blocks away. I was curious to see how it was done. I took the parallel road, then turned left after six blocks and parked in the tree shadows. I could see
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