Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out by Harry Kemelman Read Free Book Online

shortly, a single explosive. Ha. “You’re all right, young man, as a matter of fact, it doesn’t mean a damn thing. It just came out – automatic. I suppose, we’ve got a controlling interest in the company, and I think it has good possibilities. No reason for keeping it secret.”
    “And you’ll be living here? Have you found a place yet?”
    “I suppose we’ll build, as a matter of fact. Mimi and I have been doing some looking around. You know a good realtor?”
    Because he had been talking about him with Molly Mandell earlier, and also because he thought Segal might appreciate his showing preference for a Jew, he said. “Henry Maltzman whose place is just down the street from the bank is a good man, he knows all the property in the area that’s available.”
    “But we’ve already found a piece of land.” said Mrs. Segal.
    Segal showed momentary annoyance. “That’s right,” he said, “but I don’t mind paying a commission, a good agent is worth it.”
    “You’re absolutely right.” said Gore. “There are a lot of local ordinances, and in an old town like this, there are tricky rights-of-way that you want to know about before you buy, a local agent can save you a lot of grief.”
    “Oh, I always make it a point to deal with local people.” The waiter brought their coffee and Segal lit a cigar.
    “I’m glad to hear you say that.” said Gore, “because we’re local, too, the bank. I mean. Rohrbough started with us, and we did all their banking until they went public and got too big for us and had to go into Boston. But they continued to maintain their connection by having us do their payroll. I don’t mind admitting that I’d hate to lose it. It’s a great convenience to the people working at Rohrbough, and we like to be of service to our friends and neighbors.”
    Segal cocked a quizzical eye at the younger man. “You get something out of it besides the chance to be of service to your friends and neighbors, don’t you?”
    Gore laughed self-consciously. “Well, of course, there’s our fee for the bookkeeping, and it means extra people, a lot of extra people, coming into the bank. It gives us a crack at them for Christmas Club and personal loans and auto loans and occasionally a mortgage.”
    Segal smiled. “Not to mention the float on maybe a quarter to a half million dollars a week.”
    Gore grinned ingenuously. “Not to mention it. But it rarely goes up that high, especially these days, and while some deposit their checks in their own banks, so there’s the delay of having it go through the Boston clearinghouse, and others maybe cash them at the supermarket, where it also has to go through Boston, an awful lot cash their checks directly with us the same day they get them.”
    “All right,” said Segal. “I’ll think about it. You won’t forget about that membership, will you?”
    “I’ll take care of that right away.”

ChapterSeven
    “Why should you want to be included in the minyan?” asked Rabbi Small petulantly, he peered nearsightedly from one to the other of the three women seated in front of his desk in his study. “You’re exempt from the commandment to recite the morning prayers. Why should you want to assume an unnecessary burden?”
    “Like we used to be exempt from the burden of voting?” Molly Mandell shot back, her dark eyes flashing. “Or the burden of holding property?” She had an air of assurance, and it was obvious that she had no intention of being led by Mrs. Froelich, who as president of the Sisterhood was the head of the delegation, she was smartly dressed in a charcoal gray pantsuit. On her lapel she sported her large plastic Women’s Lib pin.
    Rabbi Small was taken aback both by the question and by the tone in which it was asked. It was not merely sarcastic; it was also hostile, he shook his head slowly.
    “No. Mrs. Mandell. It’s not like that, not like that at all,” he said earnestly. “Look here, you know what a sin is, well, what’s