‘Brian, why is this list mine and that list yours?’
‘I’ve kept on my list the properties I want to handle. On your list are things that
don’t require my expertise, such as commercial bonds and municipals. It doesn’t
matter; it’s an even split.’
‘Since it is even, let’s just swap them. I’ll take everything on your list, you take
the half you listed for me.’
‘Look, I explained to you why I -‘
`Then, if there are properties on my list that you really want, you can buy them
from me. At a mutually agreeable price.’
‘Mo, do you think I am trying to cheat you?’
‘Yes, dear, you have been trying to cheat me from the moment this matter of a
divorce and property settlement came up.’ I smiled at him. `But I shan’t let you;
you would regret it later. Now take those two lists and rearrange them: Make the
division so meticulously fair that you really do not care which list I take, which
list I leave to you. Or, if you prefer it, I will make the division and you can take
your choice. But you are not going to put all of the goodies into one list and then
claim that the list with the goodies is yours. So – Do I make the lists and you
choose? Or do you make them and I choose?’
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It took him a week to do it, and the poor man almost died of frustration. But at
last fie produced new lists.
I looked at them. `This suits you, Briney? You now have our community property
divided so perfectly that you really don’t care which list I choose?’
He smiled wryly. ‘Let’s say that I will wince and shudder and bleed equally either
way.’
`Poor Briney. You remind me of the donkey and the two piles of hay. There are ample
liquid assets in each list; you can buy from me anything dear to your heart.’ I
reached for one list while watching his eyes – then picked up the other list.
‘Here’s my half. Let’s start in on the paper work.’
Brian squawked again when fie wanted to buy from me some of the items of my list and
I agreed to sell but insisted on dickering over the prices. But my memory serves me
well, and I had made a point of remembering and looking up the name D. D. Harriman
after I heard Theodore mention it on that sad, glad, mad Sunday he went away and
never came back. At the time we divided our property I knew exactly which companies
Mr Harriman controlled, whether they were listed on the NYSE or not.
So I sold Brian what he wanted, but not at nominal book value. At replacement value,
plus a reasonable profit I’m not totally ignorant about business. But Brian had
never left enough cash in my hands for me to treat it as capital. However, for years
I had found it entertaining to speculate on paper. The game made reading the Wall
Street journal quite entertaining.
Brian divorced me in the middle of 1946 and I went back to Kansas City. He did not
hold a grudge and neither did I and neither did Marian. Briney had not truly been a
bad boy; he had simply fought as hard for Marian as he had once fought for me… and
I had done the same, once 1 realised that I was on my own and that my beloved
husband was no longer my champion.
No point in holding grudges. Once the ship lifts, all bills are paid.
Chapter 17 – Starting Over
My daughter Susan married Henry Schultz on Saturday, 1 August 195, in Mark’s
Episcopal Church, The Paseo at 63rd in Kansas City. Brian was there and gave his
daughter in marriage; Marian stayed behind in Dallas, with her children… and, I
must add, with an acceptable excuse. She was at or near term with her latest baby,
and could reasonably have asked Brian to stay at home. Instead she urged him not to
disappoint Susan.
I’m not sure Susan would have noticed, but I would have.