I sat at the Dark Horse one morning, sipping coffee, reading the want ads, and watching Melinda’s bottom wiggle as she moved from table to table, taking breakfast orders and handing out fried heart attacks.
“Thus the young unemployed graduate contemplates his next move.”
I turned to see Ike shuffling up to my table.
“Hi, Ike,” I said. “What brings you out so early?”
“I’ve been to the Pen to talk about an article I submitted. They got fussy about my sentence structure again. I had to teach them basic grammar.”
“You tangled with Harry again?‘ The staff hated to see Ike coming because they knew he would insist on some convoluted opinion in his article or criticize someone else’s work.
“No, with that young copy editor, Penny what’s-her-name. Didn’t you know Harry left?”
“Harry’s gone? Gone where”
“No one knows. Jealous husband, gamboling debts, anyone’s guess.”
“What will the Pen do without Harry?” I asked.
“Saunders has plenty of money, he’ll work it out,” Ike responded Marvin Saunders published several investment newsletters and self-help books. Some said he put out the Pen to show that he was not all about making money. He was a friend of my parents and they got together when they were in town. My father told me that Saunders’ investments took a hit in the recession and he was looking for ways to cut back.