Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet by Harry Kemelman Read Free Book Online

the High Holy Days, of course, and to the Friday evening services pretty regularly, but Saturdays? Cummon! Now Chester Kaplan, he goes, he goes every day morning and evening.”
    “Well, he’s the president.” Dan said.
    “It’s not that, he’s the first president I remember since Jake Wasserman who does, he went before he became president, he’s that kind of guy, he likes it, he really does. If he had his way, he’d make a regular shut out of the temple, and that’s another reason I’d like you to be on the board, to preserve some kind of balance.”
    “You mean you’d like me to be on the board so I could oppose your friend Kaplan who’d be appointing me?”
    “Nah.” With a wide sweep of the hand, Muntz made elaborate denial. “In most things you’ll find yourself agreeing with Chet. But he’s an enthusiast and he’s got this bunch on the board that are the same way, well, I say if a bunch of guys have a kind of religious hobby and they want to get together and pray and talk religion, it’s all right with me. It’s a free country. But that doesn’t mean that everybody has to go along. Like I’ve got nothing against people who collect stamps, but I wouldn’t want them running the post office. Now you’re just the kind of man we want on the board to keep a sort of balance. I’ve been puffing you up to Chet. But of course you’ve got to show him you’re interested. You’re coming tonight, aren’t you?”
    “You mean to Kaplan’s house? I don’t know. I have a date with my wife, we’re going to drive out to the western part of the state to look at the foliage, she has an aunt in North Adams and we were planning to have dinner there. You know, make a full day of it.”
    Muntz shook his head reprovingly.
    “Well, I figured this invitation was sent to all the new members of the congregation –”
    “Don’t you believe it, Dan. It’s open house, but not everybody gets a personal invitation.”
    Dr. Cohen considered. “I suppose we could get back earlier. I mean, once it gets dark, you can’t see the foliage anyway.”
    “I would if I were you,” said Muntz. “You’ll be doing yourself a lot of good.”

Chapter Ten
    Because his wife was not feeling Well, Bill Safferstein had come home for lunch instead of eating in town. In return. Mona Safferstein decided she would keep him company and came down to the dining room in a housecoat over her nightgown.
    “I don’t want anything, Hilda,” she said as the maid set a plate of soup before her husband. “Maybe a cup of tea.”
    “Aw cummon,” her husband urged. “Have some soup. It’ll do you good.”
    “No, Bill, it’s hard for me to swallow, and I think I’ve got some temperature.”
    He reached over and placed his hand on her forehead. “You are a little warm, the hot soup will ease your throat. Bring her some soup. Hilda.”
    Bill Safferstein had a pleasing, coaxing manner that suggested that he knew exactly what was good for you and that he would like nothing better than to get it for you, he was tall and handsome with wavy black hair cut fashionably long at the nape of the neck. When he smiled, and he smiled easily, he showed even white teeth. His pleasant manner and tall good looks as well as considerable luck had made him an extremely successful real estate operator.
    But his wife, for the moment at least, was impervious to his charm. Normally cool and svelte and sophisticated, with the long narrow head of a professional model, now her face was drawn and showed lines of pain, she shook her head crossly. “No, really. I’ll just have some tea and go right back to bed.”
    “Maybe we ought to call the doctor,” he suggested, concerned.
    “Oh, I don’t think so. Besides, where are you going to get a doctor on a Wednesday afternoon?”
    “I’ll call Al Muntz at home, maybe I can catch him before he goes to play golf or whatever the hell it is that doctors do on their afternoons off.” Abruptly he left the table and strode