• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 914 0

in the restaurant business, are paid on Monday, and failure to pay is a body blow to credit. Mr. Eckstein, of Snyder Bros. & Co., listened to Mildred with expressionless eyes, and agreed to deliver meat until she "straightened this little matter out." But all during the following week, Archie was raging at the inferior quality of the top sirloins, and Mrs. Gessler had to be restrained from calling Mr. Eckstein personally. By Monday, Snyder Bros. were paid, but Mildred was asking time on other bills, particularly her liquor bill, most of which she owed Bodega, Inc. And then one day Wally Burgan 'strolled into the Pie Wagon, and it developed that he had been retained by several of her creditors. He suggested a little conference. As mOst of the trouble seemed to be at Laguna, how would she like to meet them down there the following night? They could have dinner, and then talk things over. The following night was the night Veda was to sing at the Bowl. Mildred shrilly said it was impossible, she had to be at the Bowl; nothing could interfere. Then, said Wally, how about one night next week? How about Monday?

The delay made matters worse, for Monday saw more unpaid bills, and in addition to Mr. Eckstein, Mr. Rossi of the Bodega, and representatives of three wholesale grocers, Mildred had to face Mr. Gurney and several small-fry market men who had previously been flattered if she so much as said good morning. Wally, however, kept everything on a courteous plane. He enjoined silence about the matter in hand while dinner was being served, lest waitresses hear things. He insisted that Mildred give him the check for the creditors' banquet, as he somewhat facetiously called it. He encouraged her to talk, to lay her cards on the table, so something could be arranged. He kept reminding her that nobody wanted to make trouble. It was to 'the interest of all that she get on her feet again, that she become the Al customer she had been in the past.

Yet, at the end of two or three hours of questions, of answers, of figures, of explanations, the truth at last was out, and not even Mildred's stammering evasions could change it: All four units of the corporation, even the Laguna restaurant, would be showing a profit if it were not for the merciless milking that Mildred was giving them in order to keep up the establishment in Pasadena. Once this was in the open there was a long, grave pause, and then Wally said: "Mildred, you mind if we ask a few questions 'about your home finances? Kind of get that a little straightened out?"

"That's nobody's business but mine."

"None of it's anybody's business, so far as that goes. If we just went by what was our business, we'd have gone to court already, asking for receivers, and strictly kept our questions to ourselves. We did'n't do that. We 'wanted to give you a break. But looks like we're entitled to 'little consideration too, don't it? Looks like we could go into what we think is importani. Maybe you don't think so. Maybe that's where the trouble is. It's you that's behind the eight ball, not us."

"... What do you want to know?"

"How much does Ved'a pay in?"

"I don't charge my own child board, I hope."

"She's the big expense though, isn't she?"

"I don't keep books on her."

"This is what I'm getting at: Veda, she's making plenty. She had some dough, that I got for her, and she was smart the way she invested it. She's dragging down $500 a week'' from Pleasant, and even after she pays all them agents, teachers, and chiselers, she must have quite a lot left over. Well, wouldn't you be justified in deducting an amount to pay for her keep? If you did, that would kind of ease the pressure all around."

Mildred opened her mouth to say she couldn't do any deducting, that she had nothing to do with Veda's income. Then, under Wally's bland manner she noted something familiar, something cold. As her heart skipped a beat, she knew she mustn't fall into any traps, mustn't divulge any of her arrangements with Veda. She must stall, say this was something she hadn't thought of before, insist there were legal