hr.thecarpetbaggers-第102部分

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elf。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　〃Got　to　get　back　to　work；〃　she　said。　She　walked　back　to　the　stairway。　〃See　yuh。〃
　〃See　yuh。〃　He　looked　down　at　the　small　tin　in　his　hand　and　opened　it。　She　was　right。　You　could　read　right　through　them。　There　was　a　slip　of　paper　in　the　bottom。　Written　on　it　in　black　pencil　was　the　name　Betty　and　a　telephone　number。
　Wagner　was　sitting　at　his　desk　when　David　walked　by。　〃You　were　pretty　lucky；〃　he　said。　〃The　doctor　said　that　all　Tony　has　is　a　concussion　and　a　couple　of　broken　ribs。　He'll　need　twelve　stitches　in　his　cheek；　though。〃
　〃He　was　lucky；〃　David　said。　〃It　was　an　accident。〃
　The　supervisor's　gaze　fell　before　his。　〃The　garage　across　the　street　wants　ten　bucks　to　fix　the　jack。〃
　〃I'll　give　it　to　them　tomorrow。〃
　〃You　don't　have　to；〃　Wagner　said　quickly。　〃I　already　did。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　The　foreman　looked　up　from　his　desk。　His　eyes　met　David's　squarely。　〃I　wish　we　could　pretend　this　morning　never　happened；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　〃I'd　like　to　start　all　over　again。〃
　David　stared　at　him　for　a　moment。　Then　he　smiled　and　held　out　his　hand。　〃My　name　is　David　Woolf；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　supposed　to　see　the　foreman　about　a　job。〃
　The　foreman　looked　at　David's　hand　and　got　to　his　feet。　〃I'm　Jack　Wagner；　the　foreman；〃　he　said；　and　his　grip　was　firm。　〃Let　me　introduce　you　to　the　boys。〃
　When　David　turned　toward　the　packaging　tables；　all　the　men　were　grinning　at　him。　Suddenly；　they　weren't　strangers　any　more。　They　were　friends。
　
　7
　
　BERNARD　NORMAN　WALKED　INTO　HIS　NEW　YORK　OFFICE。　It　was　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　his　eyes　were　bright　and　shining；　his　cheeks　pink　from　the　winter　air；　after　his　brisk　walk　down　from　the　hotel。
　〃Good　morning；　Mr。　Norman；〃　his　secretary　said。　〃Have　a　nice　trip？〃
　He　smiled　back　at　her　as　he　walked　on　into　his　private　office　and　opened　the　window。　He　stood　there　breathing　in　the　cold　fresh　air。　Ah；　this　was　geshmach。　Not　like　the　day…in；　day…out　sameness　of　California。
　Norman　went　over　to　his　desk　and　took　a　large　cigar　from　the　humidor。　He　lit　it　slowly；　relishing　the　heavy　aromatic　Havana　fragrance。　Even　the　cigars　tasted　better　in　New　York。　Maybe；　if　he　had　time；　he'd　run　down　to　Ratner's　on　Delancey　Street　and　have　blintzes　for　lunch。
　He　sat　down　and　began　to　go　over　the　reports　lying　on　his　desk。　He　nodded　to　himself　with　satisfaction。　The　billings　from　the　exchanges　were　up　over　last　year。　He　turned　to　the　New　Yorker　theater　reports。　The　Norman　Theater；　his　première　house　on　Broadway；　had　picked　up　since　they　started　having　stage　shows　along　with　the　picture。　It　was　holding　its　own　with　Loew's　State　and　the　Palace。　He　leafed　through　the　next　few　reports；　then　stopped　and　studied　the　report　from　the　Park　Theater。　An　average　gross　of　forty…two　hundred　dollars　a　week　over　the　past　two　months。　It　must　be　a　mistake。　The　Park　had　never　grossed　more　than　three　thousand　tops。　It　was　nothing　but　a　third…run　house　on　the　wrong　side　of　Fourteenth　Street。
　Norman　looked　further　down　the　report　and　his　eyes　came　to　rest　on　an　item　labeled　Employee　Bonuses。　They　were　averaging　three　hundred　a　week。　He　reached　for　the　telephone。　Somebody　must　be　crazy。　He'd　never　O。K。'd　bonuses　like　that。　The　whole　report　must　be　wrong。
　〃Yes；　Mr。　Norman？〃　his　secretary's　voice　came　through。
　〃Tell　Ernie　to　get　his　ass　in　here；〃　Norman　said。　〃Right　away。〃　He　put　down　the　telephone。　Ernie　Hawley　was　his　treasurer。　He'd　be　able　to　straighten　this　out。
　Hawley　came　in；　his　eyes　shadowed　by　his　thick　glasses。　〃How　are　you；　Bernie？〃　he　asked。　〃Have　a　good　trip？〃
　Norman　tapped　the　report　on　his　desk。　〃What's　with　this　on　the　Park　Theater？〃　he　said。　〃Can't　you　bastards　get　anything　right？〃
　Hawley　looked　confused。　〃The　Park？　Let's　see　it。〃
　Norman　gave　him　the　report；　then　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　savagely　puffing　at　his　cigar。　Hawley　looked　up。　〃I　can't　see　anything　wrong　with　this。〃
　〃You　can't？〃　Norman　said　sarcastically。　〃You　think　I　don't　know　the　Park　never　grossed　more　than　three　thousand　a　week　since　it　was　built？　I'm　not　a　dope　altogether。〃
　〃The　gross　on　the　report　is　correct；　Bernie。　Our　auditors　check　it　every　week。〃
　Bernie　scowled　at　him。　〃What　about　those　employee　bonuses？　Twenty…four　hundred　dollars　in　the　last　two　months！　You　think　I'm　crazy？　I　never　O。K。'd　anything　like　that。〃
　〃Sure　you　did；　Bernie；〃　Hawley　replied。　〃That's　the　twenty…five…per　cent　manager's　bonus　we　set　up　to　help　us　over　the　slump　after　Christmas。〃
　〃But　we　set　the　top　gross　for　the　theaters　as　a　quota；〃　Norman　snapped。　〃We　figured　out　it　would　cost　us　next　to　nothing。　What　figure　did　we　use　for　the　Park？〃
　〃Three　thousand。〃
　Bernie　looked　down　at　the　report。　〃It's　a　trick；〃　he　said。　〃Taubman's　been　stealing　us　blind。　If　he　wasn't；　how　e　all　of　a　sudden　he's　grossing　forty…two　hundred？〃
　〃Taubman　isn't　managing　the　theater　now。　He's　been　out　with　appendicitis　since　right　after　Christmas。〃
　〃His　signature's　on　the　report。〃
　〃That's　just　a　rubber　stamp。　All　the　managers　have　them。〃
　〃So　who's　managing　the　theater？〃　Norman　asked。　〃Who's　the　wise　guy　beating　us　out　of　three　hundred　a　week？〃
　Hawley　looked　unfortable。　〃We　were　in　a　spot；　Bernie。　Taubman　caught　us　at　a　bad　time；　we　didn't　have　anybody　else　to　send　in。〃
　〃So　stop　beating　around　the　bush　and　tell　me　already；〃　Norman　snapped。
　〃Your　nephew；　David　Woolf；〃　the　treasurer　said　reluctantly。
　Norman　clapped　his　hand　to　his　head　dramatically。　〃Oy！　I　might　have　known。〃
　〃There　wasn't　anything　else　we　could　do。〃　Hawley　reached　for　a　cigarette　nervously。　〃But　the　kid　did　a　good　job；　Bernie。　He　made　tie…ins　with　all　the　neighborhood　stores；　pulled　in　some　give…aways　and　he　swamps　the　neighborhood　with　heralds　twice　a　week。　He　even　started　what　he　calls　family　night；　for　Monday　and　Tuesday；　the　slow　nights。　A　whole　family　gets　in　for　seventy…five　cents。　And　it's　working。　His　candy　and　popcorn　sales　are　four　times　what　they　were。〃
　〃So　what's　the　extra　business　costing　us？〃
　Again　the　treasurer　looked　unfortable。　〃It　added　a　little　to　operating　expenses　but　we　figure　it's　worth　it。〃
　〃So？〃　Norman　said。　〃Exactly　how　much？〃
　Hawley　picked　up　the　report。　He　cleared　his　throat。　〃Somewhere　between　eight　and　eight　fifty　a　week。〃
　〃Somewhere　between　eight　and　eight　fifty　a　week；〃　Bernie　repeated　sarcastically。　He　got　to　his　feet　and　glared　at　the　treasurer。　〃A　bunch　of　shmucks　I　got　working　for　me；〃　he　shouted　suddenly。　〃The　whole　increase　does　nothing　for　us。　But　for　him　it's　fine。　Three　hundred　a　week　extra　he　puts　in　his　pocket。〃
　He　turned　and　stormed　over　to　the　window　and　looked　out。　The　cold　air　came　in　through　the　open　frame。　Angrily　he　slammed　down　the　window。　The　weather　was　miserable　here；　not　warm　and　sunny　like　it　was　in　California。
　〃I　wouldn't　say　that；〃　Hawley　said。　〃When　you　figure　the　over…all；　including　the　concession　sales；　we're　netting　a　hundred　and　fifty　a　week　more。〃
　Norman　turned　around。　〃Nine　hundred　a　week　of　our　money　he　spends　to　make　himself　three　hundred。　We　should　maybe　give　him　a　vote　of　thanks　that　he　lets　us　keep　the　hundred　and　fifty？〃　His　voice　rose　to　a　shrill　shriek。　〃Or　maybe　it's　because　he　ain't　yet　figured　out　a　way　to　beat　us　out　of　that！〃
　He　stamped　back　to　his　desk　angrily。　〃I　don't　know　what　it　is；　but　every　time　I　e　to　New　York；　I　got　to　find　tsoris！〃　He　threw　the　cigar　into　the　wastebasket　and　took　a　new　one　from　the　humidor。　He　put　it　between　his　lips　and　began　to　chew　it。
　〃A　year　and　a　half　ago；　I　e　to　New　York　and　what　do　I　find？　He's　working　by　the　warehouse　a　little　over　a　year　and　already　he's　making　more　on　it　than　we　do。　A　thousand　a　year　he's　making　selling　junked　heralds；　two　thousand　selling　dirty　pictures　he's　printing　by　the　hundreds　on　our　photo　paper　in　our　own　still　laboratory。　A　concession　he's　developed　in　all　our　offices　around　the　country　selling　condoms　wholesale。　It's　a　lucky　thing　I　stopped　him；　or　we　all　would　have　wound　up　in　jail。〃
　〃But　you　got　to　admit；　Bernie；　the　warehouse　never　ran　more　smoothly；〃　Hawley　said。　〃That　rotating　perpetual　inventory　saved　us　a　fortune　in　reorders。〃
　〃Hah；〃　Norman　exclaimed。　〃You　think　he　thought　about　us　when　he　did　it？　Don't　be　a　fool！　Seventeen　dollars　a　week　his　salary　was　and　e