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treat … Mrs。 Brian Smith with friendly but formal politeness； avoid any sign of interest in her more personal than the mores permItted。 He managed to shift to his celibate mode… happy to be near her when it was possible to be so without
causing Mrs。 Grundy's nose to twitch…or the even sharper
…nose of his grandfather。 …
Lazarus had … indeed been happy。 As with Tamara…or the twins…or any of his darlings…coupling was not necessary
…to love。 When it was expedient； he could bank the fires and forget it。 He was never for one instant unaware of the tremendous physical attraction of this woman who had been his mother more than … two thousand years …ago （in some odd direction）…but… the …matter was shelved； it did not affect his manner or lessen his happiness when he was permitted to be near her。 He …believed that Maureen knew what he was doing （or refraining from doing） and why； and that she appreciated his restraint。
All during March he sought approved ways to see her。 Brian Junior wanted to learn to drive； Gramp ruled that
…he was old enough； so Lazarus taught him…picked him up at the house and returned； him there……and oft鏽 was rewarded with a glimpse of Maureen。 Lazarus even found a way （other than chess） to reach Woodie。 He took the child to the Hippodrome Theater to see the magician Thurston the Great…then promised to take him （when it opened for the summer） to 〃Electric Park；〃 an amusement park and Woodie's idea of heaven。 This consolidated a truce between them。
Lazarus delivered the child home from the theater； sound asleep and with no more than normal wear and tear； and was rewarded by sharing coffee with Gramp and Maureen。
Lazarus volunteered to help with the Boy Scout … troop sponsored by the church； George was a Tenderfoot； … and Brian
was working toward Eagle。 Lazarus found being an assistant scoutmaster pleasant in itself…and Gramp invited him in when he gave the boys a lift home。
… 499Lazarus gave little attention to foreign affairs。 He continued to buy the Kansas City Post because the ne*sboy at Thirty…first and Troost regarded him as a regular customer… a real sport who paid a nickel for a penny paper and did not expect change。 But。 Lazarus rarely read … it； not even the market news once he pleted his liquidations。
The… week starting Sunday the first of April Lazarus did not plan to~ see his family for two reasons： Gramp was away； and his father was home。 Lazarus did not intend to meet his father until he could manage it naturally and easily through Gramp。 Instead he stayed home； did his own cooking； caught up on chores； did mechanical work on his landaulet and cleaned and polished it； and wrote a long letter to his Tertius family。 …
This he took with him Thursday morning； intending to prepare it for Delay Mail。 He bought a newspaper as usual at Thirty…first and Troost； after he was seated in a streetcar； he glanced at its front page…then broke his habit of enjoying the ride by reading it carefully。 Instead of going to the Kansas City Photo Supply pany； he went to the Main Public Library's reading room and spent two hours catching up with the world…the local papers； the Tuesday New York Times where he read the text of the President's message to Congress…〃God helping her； she can do no other！〃…and the Chicago Tribune of the day before。 He noted that the Tribune； staunchest foe of England outside the German…language press； was now hedging its bets。
He then went to the men's toilet； tore into small pieces the letter he had prepared； and flushed it down a water closet。
He went to the Missouri Savings Bank； drew out his account； went next to the downtown office of the Santa Fe Railroad and bought a ticket for Los Angeles with thirtyday stopover privilege at Flagstaff； Arizona； stopped at a stationer's； then on to the monwealth Bank and got at his lockbox； removed from it a smaller box heavy with gold。 He asked to use the bank's washroom； his status as a lockbox client got him this favor。 … …
With gold pieces distributed among thirteen pockets of his coat； vest； and trousers Lazarus no longer looked smart…he tended to sag here and there…but if he walked carefully； he did not jingle。 So he walked most carefully； had his nickel ready on boarding a streetcar； then stood on …the rear plat
500form rather than sit… down。 He was… not easy until he was locked and bolted into his apartment。 …
He stopped to make and eat …a sandwich； then got to work on tailoring； sewing the yellow coins into One…coin pockets of the chamois…skin vest he had made earlier； then covered it with the vest from which it had been patterncd。 Lazai~us forced himself to work slowly； restoring seams so neatly that the nature of the garment could nof be detected by anyone not wearing it。
About midnight he had a~other sandwich； got back to work。
When he was satisfied with fit and appearance； he put the money vest aside； placed a folded blanket on the table where he had been working； placed on it a heavy； tall Oliver typewriter。 He attacked the clanking monster with two fingers：
第70节
〃At Kansas City； Gregorian 5 April 1917
〃Dearest…Lor and Laz；
〃EMERGENCY。 I need to be picked up。 I hope to be at
the impact crater by Monday 9 April 1917 repeat nine
April nieen seventeen。 I may be one or two days late。
I will wait there ten days； if possible。 If not picked up；
I will try to keep the 1926 （nieen twenty…six） rendezvous。
〃Thanks！
〃Lazarus〃
… …Lazarus typed two originals of this； then addressed two sets of nesting envelopes； using different choices on each and addressing the outermost envelopes one to his local con…
… … tact and the other to a Chicago address。 He then wrote a bill of sale：
〃For one dollar in hand and other good and valuable considerations I sell and convey all my interest； right； and title to one Ford Model…T automobile； body style 'Landaulet；' engine number 1290408； to Ira Johnson； and warrant to him and his successors that this chattel is unencumbered and that I am sole owner with full right to convey title。
…… 〃（s） Theodore Bronson
…〃April 6； 1917 A。D。〃
*501
He placed this in a plain envelope； put it with the others； drank a glass of milk； went to bed。 …
He slept ten hours； undisturbed by cries of 〃Extra！ Extra！〃 along the boulevard； he had expected them； his subconscious discounted them and let him rest…he expected to be very busy the… next several days。
When his inner clock called him； he got up； quickly bathed and shaved； cooked and ate a large breakfast； cleaned his kitchen； removed all perishables from his icebox and emptied them into the garbage can on the rear service porch
and turned the ice card around to read 〃NO ICE TODAY〃 and left fifteen cents on top of the icebox； emptied the drip pan。
There ilk by the ice。 He had not ordered it； but he had not specifically not ordered it。 So he put six cents in an empty bottle； with a note telling the milkman not to leave milk until the next time he left money
out。
He packed a grip。…toilet articles； socks； underwear； shirts； and collars （to Lazarus； those high starched collars symbolized all the tightminded taboos of this otherwise pleasant age）；… then rapidly searched the apartment for everything of a personal nature。 The rent was paid till the end of April； with good luck he expected … to be in the Dora long before then。 With bad luck he would be in South America…but with worse luck he would be somewhere else…anywhere… and under another name； he wanted 〃Ted Bronson〃 to disappear without a trace。
Shortly he had waiting at the front door a grip； an overcoat； a winter suit； a set of chessmen in ivory and ebony； and a typewriter。 He finished dressing； being careful to place three envelopes and his ticket in an inner pocket of his suit coat。 The money vest was too warm but not unfortable； the distributed weight was not bad。
He