Part 4 (2/2)

”Wait a minute! You mean to say this telephone hasn't been connected all day today?”

The telephone man nodded. ”That's right. But I'm putting it back in order now.”

”We got calls over that phone today!” Mike a.s.serted vigorously. ”It couldn't have been disconnected.”

The telephone man chuckled. ”Good joke. You couldn't have received a call over this telephone. It would have been utterly impossible. It was completely disconnected.” He went on tool sorting.

Mike was looking at Mort. Mort was looking at the telephone man. I was looking at all three, and the telephone man was unconcernedly taking out wires from his bag.

”You--you aren't kidding?” Mort's voice came choked. ”This was really disconnected?”

The telephone man shoved the booth a little to one side, grabbed some wires then visible beneath the booth, and pulled them forth. They were all neatly severed, with the ends taped.

Mike and Mort were staring at the severed ends of the wires, then at one another.

”Mike,” said Mort, ”I think it is a good idea we should get drunk.”

”My old lady,” said Mike, ”used to believe in this sort of stuff.

Maybe she wasn't such a dope.”

Mort nodded. ”My old man, too.”

Neither said a word to me. Neither spoke to the telephone man. They just walked out, arm in arm, never looking back once, even at the cash register.

I understand they got drunk that night. But I understand Mike kept his ulcer carefully under the explosive line, so that he pa.s.sed the enlistment exams the following morning. Mort left his medical statements home, and of course a direct exam showed him nicely suited for the army. They were inducted by noon that day, and on their way to camp by dinner time.

They left that sign on the door. The sign that puzzled so very many people, even to the ”G.o.d Bless America” on it. For Mike and Mort were as little known for their religious leanings as they'd been for their patriotic urgings.

Relatives of the two, I am told, disposed of the store's stock and equipment. Mort didn't discuss any of that in the short note he left for me before leaving with Mike.

”Dear Chum:

Of course when you get a message like we got, and are told to pa.s.s it along personally to the two jerks it was intended for, there's nothing else you can do. We'll see that it gets to Adolf and Benito--for Gabriel's boss.

Mort & Mike.”

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