按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
… 499Lazarus gave little attention to foreign affairs。 He continued to buy the Kansas City Post because the ne*sboy at Thirty…first and Troost regarded him as a regular customer… a real sport who paid a nickel for a penny paper and did not expect change。 But。 Lazarus rarely read … it； not even the market news once he pleted his liquidations。
The… week starting Sunday the first of April Lazarus did not plan to~ see his family for two reasons： Gramp was away； and his father was home。 Lazarus did not intend to meet his father until he could manage it naturally and easily through Gramp。 Instead he stayed home； did his own cooking； caught up on chores； did mechanical work on his landaulet and cleaned and polished it； and wrote a long letter to his Tertius family。 …
This he took with him Thursday morning； intending to prepare it for Delay Mail。 He bought a newspaper as usual at Thirty…first and Troost； after he was seated in a streetcar； he glanced at its front page…then broke his habit of enjoying the ride by reading it carefully。 Instead of going to the Kansas City Photo Supply pany； he went to the Main Public Library's reading room and spent two hours catching up with the world…the local papers； the Tuesday New York Times where he read the text of the President's message to Congress…〃God helping her； she can do no other！〃…and the Chicago Tribune of the day before。 He noted that the Tribune； staunchest foe of England outside the German…language press； was now hedging its bets。
He then went to the men's toilet； tore into small pieces the letter he had prepared； and flushed it down a water closet。
He went to the Missouri Savings Bank； drew out his account； went next to the downtown office of the Santa Fe Railroad and bought a ticket for Los Angeles with thirtyday stopover privilege at Flagstaff； Arizona； stopped at a stationer's； then on to the monwealth Bank and got at his lockbox； removed from it a smaller box heavy with gold。 He asked to use the bank's washroom； his status as a lockbox client got him this favor。 … …
With gold pieces distributed among thirteen pockets of his coat； vest； and trousers Lazarus no longer looked smart…he tended to sag here and there…but if he walked carefully； he did not jingle。 So he walked most carefully； had his nickel ready on boarding a streetcar； then stood on …the rear plat
500form rather than sit… down。 He was… not easy until he was locked and bolted into his apartment。 …
He stopped to make and eat …a sandwich； then got to work on tailoring； sewing the yellow coins into One…coin pockets of the chamois…skin vest he had made earlier； then covered it with the vest from which it had been patterncd。 Lazai~us forced himself to work slowly； restoring seams so neatly that the nature of the garment could nof be detected by anyone not wearing it。
About midnight he had a~other sandwich； got back to work。
When he was satisfied with fit and appearance； he put the money vest aside； placed a folded blanket on the table where he had been working； placed on it a heavy； tall Oliver typewriter。 He attacked the clanking monster with two fingers：
第70节
〃At Kansas City； Gregorian 5 April 1917
〃Dearest…Lor and Laz；
〃EMERGENCY。 I need to be picked up。 I hope to be at
the impact crater by Monday 9 April 1917 repeat nine
April nieen seventeen。 I may be one or two days late。
I will wait there ten days； if possible。 If not picked up；
I will try to keep the 1926 （nieen twenty…six） rendezvous。
〃Thanks！
〃Lazarus〃
… …Lazarus typed two originals of this； then addressed two sets of nesting envelopes； using different choices on each and addressing the outermost envelopes one to his local con…
… … tact and the other to a Chicago address。 He then wrote a bill of sale：
〃For one dollar in hand and other good and valuable considerations I sell and convey all my interest； right； and title to one Ford Model…T automobile； body style 'Landaulet；' engine number 1290408； to Ira Johnson； and warrant to him and his successors that this chattel is unencumbered and that I am sole owner with full right to convey title。
…… 〃（s） Theodore Bronson
…〃April 6； 1917 A。D。〃
*501
He placed this in a plain envelope； put it with the others； drank a glass of milk； went to bed。 …
He slept ten hours； undisturbed by cries of 〃Extra！ Extra！〃 along the boulevard； he had expected them； his subconscious discounted them and let him rest…he expected to be very busy the… next several days。
When his inner clock called him； he got up； quickly bathed and shaved； cooked and ate a large breakfast； cleaned his kitchen； removed all perishables from his icebox and emptied them into the garbage can on the rear service porch
and turned the ice card around to read 〃NO ICE TODAY〃 and left fifteen cents on top of the icebox； emptied the drip pan。
There ilk by the ice。 He had not ordered it； but he had not specifically not ordered it。 So he put six cents in an empty bottle； with a note telling the milkman not to leave milk until the next time he left money
out。
He packed a grip。…toilet articles； socks； underwear； shirts； and collars （to Lazarus； those high starched collars symbolized all the tightminded taboos of this otherwise pleasant age）；… then rapidly searched the apartment for everything of a personal nature。 The rent was paid till the end of April； with good luck he expected … to be in the Dora long before then。 With bad luck he would be in South America…but with worse luck he would be somewhere else…anywhere… and under another name； he wanted 〃Ted Bronson〃 to disappear without a trace。
Shortly he had waiting at the front door a grip； an overcoat； a winter suit； a set of chessmen in ivory and ebony； and a typewriter。 He finished dressing； being careful to place three envelopes and his ticket in an inner pocket of his suit coat。 The money vest was too warm but not unfortable； the distributed weight was not bad。
He piled it all into the tonneau of the landaulet； drove
… to the southside postal substation； registered two letters； went from there to the pawnshop next to the Idle Hour Billiard Parlor。 He noted with wry amusement… that 〃The Swiss Garden〃 had its blinds down and a sign 〃CLOSED。〃
Mr。 Dattelbaum was willing … to accept the typewriter against a gun but wanted five dollars to boot for the little Colt pistol Lazarus selected。 Lazarus let the pawnbroker conduct both sides of the dicker。 …
Lazarus sold the typewriter and the suit； left his overcoat
502and took back a pawn ticket； received the handgun and a box of cartridges。 He was in fact giving Mr。 Dattelbaum the overcoat… since he had no intention of redeeming it…but Lazarus got what he wanted plus three dollars cash； had unloaded chattels he no longer needed； and had given his friend the pleasure of one last dicker。 …
The gun fitted into a left…side vest pocket Lazarus had retailored into a makeshift holster。 Short of being frisked… most unlikely for so obviously respectable a citizen…it would not be noticed。 A kilt was better both for concealment and for… quick access…but it was the best he could manage with the clothes 'he had to wear； and this gull had had its front sight filed off by some practical…minded former owner；
He was now through with Kansas City save for saying good…bye to his first family…then grab the first Santa Fe rattler west。 It distressed him that Gramp had gone to St。 Loui？； but that could not be helped； and this one time he would bull his way in； with a convincing cover story： The chess set as a present for Woodie was reason enough to show up in person； the bill of 郺le gave an excuse to speak to his father…No； sir； this is not exactly a present 。 。 but somebody might as well drive it until this war is over 。 。 and if by any chance I don't e back…well； this makes things simpler…you understand me； sir？…。your father…in…law being my best friend and sort of my next of kin since I don't have any。
Yes； that would work and result in a chance to say goodbye to all the family； including Maureen。 （Especially Maureen！） Without quite lying。 Best way to lie。
Just one thing… If his father wanted to enlist him into his own outfit； then one lie must be used： Lazarus was dead set
on joining the Navy。 No offense intended； sir； I know you're
… just back from Plattsburg； but the Navy needs men； too。
But he would not tell that lie unless forced to。
He left his car back of the pawnship； crossed the street to a drugstore； and telephoned：
〃Is this the Brian Smith residence？〃
〃Yes； it is。〃
〃Mrs。 Smith； this is Mr。 Bronson。 May I speak to Mr。 Smith？〃
〃This isn't Mama； Mr。 Bronson； this is Nancy。 Oh； isn't it terrible！〃
〃Yes； it is； Miss Nancy。〃
〃You want to speak to Papa？ But he's not here； he's gone
503to Fort Leavenworth。 To report in…and we don't know when we'll see him again！〃 …
〃There； there…please don't cry。 Please！〃
〃I was not crying。… I'm just a teensy bit upset。 Do you want to speak to Mama？ She's here 。 。 but she's lying down。〃
Lazarus thought fast。 Of course he wanted … to speak to Maureen。 …But… Confound it； this was a plication。 〃Please don't disturb her。 Can you tell me when your grandfather will be back in town？〃 （Could he afford to wait？ Oh； damn！）
〃Why； Grandpa got back yesterday。〃
〃Oh。 May I speak to him； Miss Nancy？〃
〃But he's not here； either。 He went downtown hours ago。 He might be at his chess club。 Do you want to leave a mes~ sage for him？〃 …
〃No。 Just tell him I called 。 。 and will call again later。 And； Miss Nancy…don't worry。〃
〃How can I help worrying？〃
〃I have second sight。 Don't tell anyone but it's true； an old
gypsy woman saw that I had it and proved it to me。 Your
father is ing home and will not be hurt in this war。 I
know。〃 …
〃Uh 。 。 I don't know whether to believe that or not…but it does make me feel better。〃
〃It's true。〃 He said good…bye gently； and hung up。
…〃Chess club~…〃 Surely Gramp would not be loafing in a pool hall today？ But since it was just across the street； he might as well see 。 … before driving out to Benton and waiting in sight of the house for him to return。
Cramp was there； at the chess table but not even pretending to work a chess problem； he was simply glowering。
〃Good afternoon； Mr。 Johnson。〃
Gramp looked up。 〃What's good about it？ Sit down； Ted。〃
〃Thank you； sir。〃 Lazarus slid into the other chair。 〃Not much good about it； I suppose。〃
〃Eh？〃 The old man looked at him as if just noticing his presence。 〃Ted； would you say that I was a man in good
physical condition？〃…
〃Yes； certainly。〃
〃Able to shoulder a gun and march twenty miles a day？〃
〃I would