name is O’Hennessy – as I can tie it down for twelve months with a discount of four
points. Does that mean anything to you?’
I thought about it. ‘Mortgage money is six per cent today… so three points
represents the average cost of hiring, the money, since you are paying in advance
and they don’t own the money until they have earned it, month by month. One point
must be because Mr O’Hennessy Scrooge won’t have to make twelve trips here to
collect his rent. So that comes to one hundred and thirty-eight dollars and twenty
four cents.’
‘Flame Top, you continue to amaze me.’
‘But they really ought to give you another point, for administrative overhead.’
‘How is that?’
`For the bookkeeping they don’t have to do because you are paying it all in a lump.
That brings it down to one hundred thirty-six eighty. Offer him one hundred and
thirty five, Briney. Then settle for one thirty-six.’
My husband looked at me in astonishment. ‘To think I married you for your cooking.
Look, I’ll stay Nome and have the baby; you go do my job. Mo, where did you learn
that?’
‘Tbebes High School. Well, sort of. I worked a while on Father’s accounts, then I
found a textbook at home that my brother Edward had used, Commercial Arithmetic and
Introduction to Bookeeping. We had our school books in common; there were shelves of
them in the back hallway. So I didn’t take the course but I read the book. But is
silly to talk about me doing your job; I don’t know beans about mining. Besides I
don’t want that long streetcar ride down to the west bottoms.’
‘I’m not sure I can have a baby, either.’
I’ll do that, sir; I’m looking forward to it. But I would like to ride downtown with
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Heinlein, Robert A – To Sail Beyond the Sunset.txt
you each morning as far as McGee Street.’
‘You are more than welcome, Madam. But why MeGee Street?’
‘Kansas City Business College. I want to spend the next few months, before I get too
big, learning to use a typewriter and to take Pitman shorthand. Then, if you ever
become ill, dearest man, I could work in an office and support us… and if you ever
go into business for yourself, I could do your office work. That would save you
hiring a girl and maybe get us past that tight spot the books say every new business
has.’
Briney said slowly, It was your cooking and one other talent; I remember clearly.
Who would have guessed it?’
‘Do you mean I may?’
‘Better figure up what it will cost in tuition and carfare and lunch money -‘
`I’ll pack lunches for both of us.’
‘Tomorrow, Mo. Or the next day. Let’s settle this house.’
We took the house, although that skinflint held out for one hundred and thirty-eight
dollars. We stayed in it two years and another girl baby, Carol, then moved around
the comer on to Mersington and into a slightly larger house (same landlord), where I
had my first boy, Brian junior, in 1905… and learned what had become of the Howard
bonuses.
It was the spring of 1906, a Sunday in May. We often took a streetcar ride on
Sundays, to the far end of some line we had never explored before – our two little
girls in their Sunday best and Briney and me taking turns holding junior. But this
time he had arranged to leave our three with the lady next door, Mrs 0hlschlager, a
dear friend who was correcting and extending my German.
We walked up to 27th Street and caught the streetcar heading west; Briney asked for
transfers as usual, as on Sundays we might change anywhere, wind up anywhere. This
day we rode only ten blocks when Briney pushed the button. ‘It’s a lovely day; let’s
walk the boulevard a while.’
‘Suits.’
Brian handed me down; we crossed to the south side, headed south on the west side of
Benton Boulevard. `Sweetheart, would you like to live in this neighbourhood?’
`I would like it very much and I’m sure we will, in twenty years or so. ‘It’s