The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck Read Free Book Online Page B

to Joey, and if that was so, he had really been around. Not taking credit made people like him even more. He kept his fingernails very clean, dressed well and sharply, and always had a clean shirt and a shoeshine.
    The two men strolled together down Elm Street toward High.
    “I’ve been meaning to ask you. You related to Admiral Hawley ?”
    “Don’t you mean Admiral Halsey?” Ethan asked. “We’ve had lots of captains but I never heard of an admiral in the family.”
    “I heard your granddad was a whaling captain. Kind of connected up in my mind with the admiral, I guess.”
    “Town like this has got myths,” said Ethan. “Like they say people on my dad’s side did some pirating way back and my mother’s family came over in the Mayflower .”
    “Ethan Allen,” Joey said. “My God—you related to him too?”
    “Might be. Must be,” said Ethan. “What a day—ever see a prettier? What was it you wanted to see me about?”
    “Oh, yes. I guess you’re closing the store twelve to three. Would you make me a couple of sandwiches about half past eleven? I’ll run in and get them. And a bottle of milk.”
    “Bank’s not closing?”
    “Bank is. I’m not. Little Joey’ll be right in there, chained to the books. Big weekend like this—everybody and his dog cashing checks.”
    “I never thought of that,” said Ethan.
    “Oh, sure. Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day—any long weekend. If I wanted to stick up a bank, I’d do it just before a long weekend. The stuff’s right there all laid out, waiting.”
    “You ever get stuck up, Joey?”
    “No. But I had a friend that did twice.”
    “What did he say about it?”
    “Said he was scared. Just took orders. Laid down on the floor and let ’em have it. Said the money was better insured than he was.”
    “I’ll bring you the sandwiches when I close up. I’ll knock on the back door. What kind you want?”
    “Don’t bother, Mr. Hawley. I’ll slip across the alley—one ham and one cheese on rye, lettuce and mayonnaise, and maybe one bottle of milk and a Coke for later.”
    “Got some nice salami—that’s Marullo.”
    “No, thanks. How’s the one-man Mafia holding up?”
    “All right, I guess.”
    “Well, even if you don’t like guineas, you got to admire a guy can build a pushcart into all the property he owns. He’s pretty cute. People don’t know how much he’s got salted away. Maybe I shouldn’t say that. Banker’s not supposed to tell.”
    “You didn’t tell.”
    They had come to the corner where Elm angles into High Street. Automatically they stopped and turned to look at the pink brick and plaster mess that was the old Bay Hotel, now being wrecked to make room for the new Woolworth’s. The yellow-painted bulldozer and the big crane that swung the wrecking ball were silent like waiting predators in the early morning.
    “I always wanted to do that,” Joey said. “Must be a kick to swing that steel ball and see a wall go down.”
    “I saw enough go down in France,” Ethan said.
    “Yeah! Your name’s on the monument down by the water-front.”
    “Did they ever catch the robbers that stuck up your friend?” Ethan was sure the friend was Joey himself. Anyone would have been.
    “Oh, sure. Caught ’em like mice. It’s lucky robbers aren’t smart. If Joey-boy wrote a book how to rob a bank, the cops would never catch anybody.”
    Ethan laughed. “How’d you go about it?”
    “I got a pipeline, Mr. Hawley. I just read the papers. And I used to know a guy pretty well was a cop. You want the two-dollar lecture?”
    “ ’Bout six bits’ worth. I’ve got to open the store.”
    “Ladies and gentlemen,” said Joey, “I am here this morning—No, look! How do they catch bank robbers? Number one—record, got caught before. Number two—get fighting over the profits and someone blows it. Number three—dames. Can’t let dames alone, and that ties into number four—they got to spend that money. Watch new