There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron Read Free Book Online Page A

the job. Kept it because I thought it brought me good luck.” There was something in Mrs. Yetner’s expression that Evie couldn’t read.
    â€œWhen was that?”
    â€œOh, my, who remembers?” She gave a vague wave. “End of the war.”
    â€œI ask because I work at the Historical Society, and we’re mounting an exhibit about some of New York’s great fires. And one of them was when a World War II bomber crashed into the building. That was back when the building looked like this.” Evie held out the souvenir. She went on, trying not to sound too excited. “So of course I’m wondering if it’s at all possible that you were working there when . . .”
    She was interrupted by the doorbell. Mrs. Yetner turned sharply, her eyes wide. There was a sharp rat-tat-tat, then a man’s voice. “Aunt Mina?”
    Mrs. Yetner turned back to Evie. She plucked the little statue from Evie’s palm and dropped it into her own pocket. “Would you mind getting that?” she said, adjusting her pearls and smoothing her sweater. “Sounds like my nephew has arrived.”

Chapter Nine
    Mina didn’t like where the girl’s questions were going, not one bit. So for a change she was happy to hear Brian’s voice. He’d told her he was coming by Saturday. That was today. But, as usual, he hadn’t bothered to say when exactly he was going to show up. He never stayed for tea unless he was trying to pitch one of his can’t-miss schemes.
    Once he’d tried to get her to invest in vitamins. Another deal had involved leasing oil rights in Namibia. Namibia, for goodness’ sake! When she’d questioned him about it, he didn’t seem to know where the country was, aside from “somewhere in Africa.” Now he was on and on about some real estate scheme. She usually tossed Brian some sort of bone to get him out of her hair.
    As the girl went to get the door, Mina scuttled into the living room. Where had he left those papers he’d wanted her to look at? Sure enough, there they were, under today’s newspaper on the lamp table.
    She heard the front door open. A pause. Then, “Well, hello there.” Brian’s deep sonorous voice. “And who are you?”
    â€œJust a neighbor. My mother lives next door.”
    Brian was always at her about how forgetful she was becoming, so the last thing she wanted was for him to come through and find the papers she’d promised to read sitting exactly where he’d left them. Mina tried to stuff the papers into the drawer of the mahogany coffee table, but they wouldn’t fit.
    â€œReally?” Brian said. A long pause. “Your mother lives in that house?”
    Longer pause before the girl said, “Your aunt is in the living room, waiting for you.”
    Mina was glad that the poor girl didn’t think she needed to apologize for the state of her mother’s house. Certainly not to Brian. She shoved the papers under a sofa cushion, then she sat on it and pulled the crocheted afghan over her. Ivory jumped into her lap and started to purr.
    Seconds later, Brian stomped in from the kitchen. “Hello, Aunt Mina.”
    As he started toward her, Ivory gave a yowl and disappeared under the couch.
    Brian had always been on the scrawny side, but in his forties he’d turned portly and thickened in the jowls. Nearly sixty now, he still had that shock of wavy hair, only instead of auburn it was nearly black. When men colored their hair, they always made it too dark. Like shoe polish.
    At least he was predictable, you could say that for him. Always favored double-breasted jackets with brass buttons and cordovan leather loafers, like what he had on now. But fine feathers didn’t make fine birds.
    â€œDid you at least look at the agreement?” he said, not bothering with Hello or How are you today?
    â€œShouldn’t you be at work?” Mina said, giving him a