We got the things together at last and I sent for the porter to take them down. Then I arranged to square up for the rent, and that was the finish of my apartment.
“I guess we can go,” I said, looking round the room. “Everything’s down. Put your wrap on and we’ll go to the station and pick up your things.”
She said, “I won’t be a minute.”
When she had gone into the other room someone knocked on the outer door. I thought it was the porter, so I just yelled out for him to come on in. The door opened and Blondie stood there.
I’ve had some shocks in my time, but this one rang the bell. I couldn’t say anything.
She stood there, looking at me, her eyes cold and suspicious. “Movin’ out, huh?” she said.
“What the hell do you want?”
She sidled into the room. “You don’t sound so pleased to see me, darlin’,” she said. “Didn’t you say to come when I had somethin’ to tell you?”
Keeping my voice down, and hoping Mardi wouldn’t hear, I said, “I ain’t interested any more. You scram quick. I’ve had enough of your outfit for life.”
Just then Mardi came out. Blondie looked at her the same way a snake might look at its Christmas lunch. “So,” she said.
I love a dame who talks like that.
Mardi went white. Not paper-white, but the blue-white of porcelain. She put one hand to her mouth and flinched away from Blondie.
I said sharply, “Leave me for a moment. There’s no need for you two to meet.”
Mardi turned and went back into the room.
Blondie said, “Wait….”
Mardi kept going and she shut the door.
Blondie turned on me. “So that’s how it is?” she said, her eyes brooding thunder and lightning.
“Save it,” I said tensely. I wasn’t taking anything from this dame. “On your way, Blondie, and make it snappy.”
She shook her head. “You ain’t getting away with it like this,” she said. “I’ve got to have a little talk with you.”
I walked past her and threw open the door. “If you ain’t outside in two seconds, I’ll toss you out,” I said.
At that moment the guy opposite me has to come out. He stood there, his eyes popping. I took no notice of him. I just waited for Blondie to take it on the lam.
She hesitated, but she knew she wasn’t in the right place to start trouble. She walked slowly past me into the corridor. “All right, you heel,” she said, “I’ll make plenty of trouble for you.”
“Save it,” I told her. “I don’t like you, and I never did. Keep away from me if you want to stay healthy, or else you’ll run into a nasty shock.”
I stepped inside and shut the door.
Mardi was looking out of the window. I wondered if it were going to make any difference. When she heard me come in she turned and ran over to me.
“Is it all right?” she said.
I put my arms round her. “That was Blondie. She’s gone now. You see, we can’t get away from this business until we get away from here. I’m sorry about it, honey, but she’s gone. I guess we won’t see her any more.”
Mardi put her hand against my face. “I wish you had never started this,” she said. “I wish—”
“Come on, honey,” I said, taking her arm, “if I’d kept out of this I shouldn’t have met you. We’re goin’ where it’s good and where we can forget all about the whole business… you see.”
And looking back, I guess that was about the dumbest crack I’ve ever made.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TROUBLE STARTED four days after we had settled down at the lodge. They were four of the grandest days I ever spent. We had the place to ourselves and we did just what we liked. We dressed how we liked and we ate when we wanted to. We got up when we had had enough of bed, and we fooled around with fishing-lines until we had had enough of that. It was too good to last.
The first sign of trouble came with the postman. I got three articles returned. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I sat there staring at them and looking at the printed rejection slips. I had had enough of them in the past to know what they were without reading the blah.
Mardi came in from the kitchen carrying a tray. She stood still when she saw my face, then she put the tray down and came over. “What is it?”
I said I didn’t know. I said maybe there was a mistake or something.
She said, “But what is it?”
I showed her the rejection slips. She stood reading them, her brow wrinkled. “Perhaps they weren’t good enough,” she said at last.
I said I thought maybe that was it. But I knew it wasn’t. Something had gone wrong and I didn’t like it. I had been feeding these papers with stuff for years and they had grabbed everything I had given them. Now, without a word, they turned me down.
I said, “Listen, honey, we gotta go slow for a bit. I was banking on this stuff to get us by for a couple of weeks.”
She looked at me seriously, “You mean you are short of money?”
I shrugged. “Well, yes… I guess that’s about right.”
“Is that all? Are you sure that’s all?”
It was enough, but I didn’t want to worry her. “Yeah, that’s all… I’ll be just a little short.”
She put her arm round my shoulders. “We’ll get by,” she said. “Don’t you worry. We don’t have to have a lot of money.”
When we got through breakfast I went off to the study and thought things over. I checked my bank deposit and found I was shorter than I imagined. This was getting me worried. I put through a long-distance ’phone-call to one of the editors.
When I got him on the line at last I said, “What’s the big idea sending my stuff back?”
“What do you mean?” He sounded curt.
“Look, Johnson, this ain’t the way to treat me,” I said. “I’ve done some good work for you. If you didn’t like that article, why not write and tell me what’s wrong with it?”
“I’m sorry, Mason, we don’t want any more of your stuff. We’re looking round for new talent.”
I said, “You don’t have to give me this bull. I’ve been a good friend of yours, Buddy. Why not give it to me straight? I can take it.”
He said very quietly into the ’phone, “Suppose you come up to town and we’ll have lunch.”
I said, “I’ll do that,” and hung up.
I went out to find Mardi. She was in the suntrap, fixing some flowers.
“I gotta go up to town,” I said. “It’s about these articles. I gotta talk things over with the editor.”
She said, “May I come with you? I mean, may I come up and look at the shops while you’re busy?”
I shook my head. “Not just yet, honey. I want you to keep out of sight for a little while. I’ll be right back.”
She said, “I’ll have a nice supper for you.” I could see she didn’t like being left, but she wasn’t going to make things awkward. I put my arm round her. “Can I bring you anything back?” I said.
She shook her head. “We’ve got to save our money.”
I laughed. “It ain’t so bad as all that.”
“Isn’t… not ain’t.”
“You’re the teacher.”
She looked at me anxiously. “I don’t nag you, do I?”
