prophets."
"Yeah, you look like a new prophet, too, sitting on the edge of a day bed with a glass in your hand and showing all you've got," I said.
"Don't you like all I've got?"
"It's fine. Billy Watson would have liked it, too."
"Who's Billy Watson?"
"A friend of mine. He was interested in figures."
"Well, my figure's all right."
"Sure it's all right."
"It's a good figure for a woman my age. Look, it isn't fat. It's just I'm built solid. You don't believe that, do you?"
"Sure I believe it."
"You're not interested."
"Sure I’m interested. I'm practically excited about it."
"You're not. You're not interested in my figure."
"Sure I am. What time do the balloons go up?"
"You don't appreciate me."
"I bet I do."
"Well, who has a good figure, then?"
"You."
"No, no kidding. Who do you think has a good figure?"
"Cleopatra and. George Raft."
"No, somebody We know. I have a better figure than Patsy."
"You're better all ways than Patsy."
"No, I'm not. Patsy has brains."
"Says who?"
"Oh, she has brains, big boy."
"Brains? She hasn't got enough brains to drink willie water from a boot, not even if the directions was printed on the heel."
"Oh, she's smart, big boy. You know, she's just moved to a whole suite in a hotel."
"It doesn't need any brains to do that."
"Well, that's what I wanted to mention to you. We ought to move out of this dump and get a new apartment. I want one with some style. You know—a regular suite with a place where we can meet people. We've got to meet people. And I ought to have a maid—I can get one with a cap on and an apron for fifteen a week. I've got to live up to the Party."
She was so serious about the Ecanaanomic gag it was funny. She took it all seriously, even when I kidded.
She wais so funny I nearly died laughing.
But we got our new apartment. We moved over to the Seaview and Mamie had a colored maid to come in daytimes. After that she kept after me to quit the pier.
"It isn't dignified, like, you being down there," she'd say.
"Don't be scared," I'd tell her. "I won't hurt your social life. None of your friends need to know me if you're ashamed of me."
"It isn't that, big boy," she said. "But I'd like you in with me."
"I'm for you," I said.
"Oh, you're not. That's always the way. A man never takes any interest in anything his wife is doing. You never come to any of our meetings."
"I would," I said. "But I never have a chance."
"Well, we're having a meeting tonight and it's Wednesday and that's your day off," she said. "That's a chance."
So I couldn't get out of it. It isn't giving in. It's only that when a woman gets after you like that, I figure it's best to let her have her own way. She will sooner or later, anyhow.
When we got to the meeting-hall the girls left me and I sat in the last row. The girls had rented a mission hall and all around it they had mottoes like: Wealth Shared Is Wealth for All, and The Ecanaanomic Party Guarantees the Birthright of All. Right over the top of the platform they had a photo of Patsy ten times as big and twice as natural. It was decorated with a frame of roses and neon lights that kept blinking on and off. I sat there watching, and all I could think of was what Genter had said that night about everyone going goofy exactly the minute they came over the mountains.
The people came in: old people and women, and sometimes whole families.
Pretty soon the whole place was crowded and people were even standing at the back. A fellow from the fire department was going round, and warning the ushers that people weren't allowed to stand in the aisles.
All of a sudden everyone started to applaud, and I saw Mamie was up on the stage. She started talking, just in a plain voice, sort of joshing the people. She called them Sisters and Brothers they laughed and applauded
"Yeah, you look like a new prophet, too, sitting on the edge of a day bed with a glass in your hand and showing all you've got," I said.
"Don't you like all I've got?"
"It's fine. Billy Watson would have liked it, too."
"Who's Billy Watson?"
"A friend of mine. He was interested in figures."
"Well, my figure's all right."
"Sure it's all right."
"It's a good figure for a woman my age. Look, it isn't fat. It's just I'm built solid. You don't believe that, do you?"
"Sure I believe it."
"You're not interested."
"Sure I’m interested. I'm practically excited about it."
"You're not. You're not interested in my figure."
"Sure I am. What time do the balloons go up?"
"You don't appreciate me."
"I bet I do."
"Well, who has a good figure, then?"
"You."
"No, no kidding. Who do you think has a good figure?"
"Cleopatra and. George Raft."
"No, somebody We know. I have a better figure than Patsy."
"You're better all ways than Patsy."
"No, I'm not. Patsy has brains."
"Says who?"
"Oh, she has brains, big boy."
"Brains? She hasn't got enough brains to drink willie water from a boot, not even if the directions was printed on the heel."
"Oh, she's smart, big boy. You know, she's just moved to a whole suite in a hotel."
"It doesn't need any brains to do that."
"Well, that's what I wanted to mention to you. We ought to move out of this dump and get a new apartment. I want one with some style. You know—a regular suite with a place where we can meet people. We've got to meet people. And I ought to have a maid—I can get one with a cap on and an apron for fifteen a week. I've got to live up to the Party."
She was so serious about the Ecanaanomic gag it was funny. She took it all seriously, even when I kidded.
She wais so funny I nearly died laughing.
But we got our new apartment. We moved over to the Seaview and Mamie had a colored maid to come in daytimes. After that she kept after me to quit the pier.
"It isn't dignified, like, you being down there," she'd say.
"Don't be scared," I'd tell her. "I won't hurt your social life. None of your friends need to know me if you're ashamed of me."
"It isn't that, big boy," she said. "But I'd like you in with me."
"I'm for you," I said.
"Oh, you're not. That's always the way. A man never takes any interest in anything his wife is doing. You never come to any of our meetings."
"I would," I said. "But I never have a chance."
"Well, we're having a meeting tonight and it's Wednesday and that's your day off," she said. "That's a chance."
So I couldn't get out of it. It isn't giving in. It's only that when a woman gets after you like that, I figure it's best to let her have her own way. She will sooner or later, anyhow.
When we got to the meeting-hall the girls left me and I sat in the last row. The girls had rented a mission hall and all around it they had mottoes like: Wealth Shared Is Wealth for All, and The Ecanaanomic Party Guarantees the Birthright of All. Right over the top of the platform they had a photo of Patsy ten times as big and twice as natural. It was decorated with a frame of roses and neon lights that kept blinking on and off. I sat there watching, and all I could think of was what Genter had said that night about everyone going goofy exactly the minute they came over the mountains.
The people came in: old people and women, and sometimes whole families.
Pretty soon the whole place was crowded and people were even standing at the back. A fellow from the fire department was going round, and warning the ushers that people weren't allowed to stand in the aisles.
All of a sudden everyone started to applaud, and I saw Mamie was up on the stage. She started talking, just in a plain voice, sort of joshing the people. She called them Sisters and Brothers they laughed and applauded
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