The Good Life by Gordon Merrick Read Free Book Online

thirty dollars a week.
    After several months Perry didn’t see much future in running around Wall Street and applied for what was going on at the fair — guides and pushing rolling chairs. He’d be making more money than he ever had before, which was a step in the right direction.
    In April he was given a job pushing a chair and went to work learning the routine before the fair opened. Larry was going to be a guide and found a furnished room on Long Island, but Perry decided to stick to the Y. They agreed that if they found any big tippers, they’d steer them in the other’s direction.
    The fair was called “The World of Tomorrow” and looked it. Perry loved it. It was huge, which explained the need for push chairs. Visitors were expected to collapse into them gratefully, and Perry learned where to roll them. He’d worked in a travel agency in San Francisco, and moving people around was apparently his destiny.
    Each weird-looking building had its own theme, many of them with movies and sound effects or odd contraptions that did unexpected things. There was a theater for regular plays and a big place for a water show called the Aquacade Revue featuring the swimmer Eleanor Holm.
    Perry expected to meet theater or movie stars or even Alexander Woollcott, whose radio program was the ultimate in sophistication as far as Perry was concerned. There was a rumor that President Roosevelt was coming. Perry felt as if he were getting closer to the glamorous life he had expected in New York. He was issued an attractive summer-weight uniform.
    It was hard work, but within the first week he pushed Katharine Hepburn around for an hour and felt that it was worth it.
    Several weeks after he’d been there, Larry signaled him from the building where he worked to a smallish older man accompanied by a young, soft-featured, effeminate boy. The man gave Perry a long look before stepping into the chair. When the man paid him at the restaurant where Perry had taken them, he trailed his fingertips over his palm and asked him to wait for half an hour.
    Intrigued, Perry watched his customer go into the restaurant. Aside from the fact that the guy was obviously on the make, there was something unusual about him. He didn’t have an accent, but he didn’t sound like an American. His speech was sort of clipped. His asking Perry to wait was a sign that he didn’t mind spending his money. He was nattily dressed in white flannel trousers and a dark blue blazer with a silk scarf knotted around his neck. Perry was looking forward to a big tip.
    The man returned in less than half an hour and climbed into the chair and settled back, looking up at Perry over his shoulder. “There. Now you can take me for a tour. I’m Billy Vernon. What’s your name?”
    Perry told him.
    â€œThat’s a nice name. Tell me how you like working here, Perry. It looks like fun.”
    â€œIt’s work, but you meet interesting people.” Perry started pushing the chair.
    â€œThat boy who was with me is Jimmy Donahue, Barbara Hutton’s cousin. You know — the Woolworth Donahues. He’s taken a fancy to some waiter in there. He comes out here almost every day. He’s gone quite mad.”
    â€œA lot of people come quite often.”
    â€œPerhaps you’ll turn me into a regular like poor Jimmy. Your uniform is very becoming, but I imagine that’s true of everything you wear.” He paused for a moment’s consideration. “I’m an artist. I’d like to sketch you. When do you get off?”
    â€œOff work?” Perry hesitated. Play hard to get or make it easy for him? He didn’t doubt that Mr. Vernon was working up to a proposition. A friend of Barbara Hutton’s family must be worth knowing. His passenger was a distinguished-looking man, slightly on the plump side, with some gray in his hair and an imperious chin. He didn’t look as if he’d like to waste