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（More like four blocks and you'll be soaked； Gramp。） 〃Mr。 Johnson； I'm going to crank up that flivver anyhow； to go home myself。 It's no troubl？to drop you anywhere； I like
to drive。 In about three minutes I'll …pull up in front and honk。 If you're there； fine。 If you aren't； I'll assume that you prefer not to accept rides from strangers and will take no offense。〃
〃Don't be touchy。 Where's your automobile？ I'll e with you。〃 …
〃No； please。 No need for us both to go out in the rain for a
…one…man job。 I'll slide out the back through the alley； then I'll be at the curb almost before you reach the front door。〃 （Lazarus decided to be stubborn； Gramp could smell a mouse farther than a cat could…and would wonder why 〃Ted Bronson〃 kept a garage at hand when he claimed to live a driving distance away。 Bad。 How are you going to handle this； Bub？ You've got to tell Gramp a passel of lies or you'll never get inside that house…your own home！…to meet the rest of your family。 But plexity is contrary to the basic prin雐ple of successful lying； and Gramp is the very man who taught you that。 Yet the truth could not serve and keeping silent was just as useless。 How are you going to solve this？ When Gramp is as suspicious as you are and twice as shrewd。）
Ira Johnson stood up。 〃Thank you； Mr。 Bronson； I'll be at the front door。〃 …
By the time Lazarus had his landaulet cranked； he had settled on tactics and outlined a long…range policy： （a） Drive around the block； this wagon should be wet； （b） don't use this shed again； better to have this puddle jumper stolen than to leave a hole in your cover story； （c） when you surrender the shed； see if 〃Uncle〃 Dattelbaum has an old set of chessmen； （d） make your lies fit； what you've said； including that toohasty truth about who taught you to play chess； （e） tell as much truth as possible even if it doesn't sound good…but； damn it； you should be a foundling 。 。 and that doesn't fit having a grandfather； unless you invent plexities； any one of which might snap back and catch you out。
When Lazarus sounded the klaxon； Ira Johnson darted out and scrambled in。 〃Where now？〃 asked Lazarus。
His grandfather explained how to reach his daughter's home and added； 〃Pretty ritzy rig to call a 'flivver。'〃
〃I got a good price for the ~rooklyn Bridge。 Should I swing up to Linwood or follow the car tracks？〃
〃Suit yourself。 Since you've unloaded the bridge； you might tell me about these 'Spanish Prisoners。' Good investment？〃
Lazarus concentrated a while on getting his vehicle headed down the tracks while avoiding the tracks themselves。 〃Mr。
477
478Johnson； I evaded your question about what I do for …a living。〃 〃Your business。〃
〃I really have hustled pool。〃
〃Again； your business。〃
〃And I ran out and let you pay the table fee a second time； as well as letting you pay for the pop。 I did not intend to。〃
〃So？ Thirty cents； plus a nickel tip。 Knock off five cents the s…treetcar would have cost me。 That makes your j~alf fifteen cents。 If it worries you； drop… it in his cup the next time you pass a blind man。 I'm getting a chauffeured ride on a wet
night。 Cheap。 This is hardly a jitney bus。〃
〃Very well； sir。 I wanted to get straight with you 。 。 because I enjoyed the games and hope to play you again。〃
〃The pleasure was mutual。 I enjoy a game where a man makes me work。〃
〃Thank you。 Now to answer your question properly： Yes； I've hustled pool…in the past。 It's not what I do now。 I'm in
business for myself。 Buying things； selling things…but not the Brooklyn Bridge。 As for the 'Spanish Prisoner' con； I've had it tried on me。 I deal in the modities market； grain futures and such。 I do the same with stock margins。 But I won't try to
sell you anything； I'm neither a broker nor a bucket…shop op
…erator； instead I deal through established … brokers。 Oh； yes；
one more thing…I don't peddle tips。 Give a man what seems
to me a good tip…and he loses his shirt and blames me。 So I
don't。〃 ……
〃Mr。 Bronson； I had no call to ask about your； business。 That was nosy of me。 But it was meant to be a friendly in
quiry。〃…
〃I took it as friendly； so I wanted to give it a proper answer。〃 …
… 〃Nosy； just the same。 I don't need to know your background。〃 … …
〃That's just it； Mr。 Johnson； I don't have a background。 Pool hustler。〃 … …
〃Not much wrong with that。 Pool is an open game； like chess。 Difficujt to cheat。〃
〃Well 。 。 I do something that you might regard as cheat
ing。〃…
〃Look； son…if you need a father confessor； I can tell you where to find one。 I am not one。〃 …
〃Sorry。〃
〃Didn't meant to be blunt。 But you do have something on your mind。〃
479〃Uh； nothing much perhaps； It has to do with having no background。 None。 So I go to church…to meet people。 To meet nice people。 Respectable people。 People a man with no background otherwise could never meet。〃
〃Mr。 Bronson； everybody has some background。〃 …
Lazarus turned down Benton Boulevard before answering。
〃Not me； sir。 Oh； I was born…somewhere。 Thanks to the
man who let me call him 'Grandfather'…and his wife…I had
a pretty good childhood。 But they're long gone and…shucks；
I don't even know that my name is 'Ted Bronson。'〃
〃Happens。 You're an orphan？〃 …
〃I suppose so。 And a bastard； probably。 Is this the house？〃 Lazarus stopped one house short of his…their home。
〃Next one； with the porch light on。〃
Lazarus eased the car forward； stopped again。 〃Been nice meeting you； Mr。 Johnson。〃 …
〃Don't be in a hurry。 These people…Bronson？…who took care of you。 Where was this？〃
〃'Bronson' is a name I picked off a calendar。 I thought it sounded better than 'Ted Jones' or 'Ted Smith。' I was probably born in the southern part of the state。 But 'I can't prove even that。〃
〃So？ I practiced medicine down that way at one time。 What county？〃
（I know you did； Gramp…so let's be careful with this one。） 〃Greene County。 I don't mean I was born there； I just mean I was told I came from an orphanage in Springfield。〃
〃Then I probably didn't deliver you； my practice was farther north。 Mrrph。 But we might be kinfolk。〃
〃Huh？ I mean 'Excuse me； Dr。 Johnson？'〃
〃Don'f call me 'Doctor；' Ted； I dropped that title when I quit delivering babies。 What I mCan is this： When I first saw you； you startled me~ Because you are the spit 'n'image of my older brother； Edward 。 。 who was an engineer on the St。 Looie and San Francisco 。 。 till he lost his air brakes and that ended his triflin' wa？s。 He had sweethearts in Fort Scott； St。 Looie； Wichita； and Memphis； I've no reason to think he
neglected Springfield。 Could be。〃
Lazarus grinned。 〃Should I call you 'Uncle'？〃
〃Suit yourself。〃
〃Oh； I shan't。 Whatever happened； there's no way to prove it。 But it would be nice to have a family。〃
〃Son； quit being self…conscious about it。 A country doctor learns that such mishaps are far more mon than most
people dream。 Alexander Hamilton and Leonardo da Vinci are in the same boat with you； to name just two of the many great men' entitled to wear the bend sinister。 So stand tall and proud and spit in their eyes。 I see the parlor light is still burning； what would you say to a cup of coffee？〃
〃Oh； I wouldn't want to inconvenience you…or disturb your family。〃
〃It'll do neither。 My daughter always leaves the pot on the
back of the range for me。 If she happens to。 be downstairs in a wrapper…unlikely…she'll go flying up the back stairs； then
reappear。 instantly dOwn the front stairs； dressed fit to kill。 Like a fire… horse when the bell rings； I don't know how she does it。 e on in。〃Ira Johnson unlocked the front door； then called out as he
opened it： 〃Maureen！ I ha