Michael Malone - Weebly

luck, or timing, or help, or skills, or fewer children, or
none, and no wife, and so A.A. Hayes, reflecting,
passed his sober morning.
A cricket call of key tapping glass caught his ear.
Someone waved at him, then fluttered inside. "Alvis, I'm
so sorry to bother you, I think one should never bother
a man when he's busy at work."
And she isn't even being sarcastic, thought Hayes,
as he stood up from his daydream to welcome Evelyn
Troyes. She swayed inquisitively toward him, slender as
a jonquil in a green dress and yellow hat with matching
shoes and purse.
"No bother." He smiled. "Not doing a blessed thing.
Evelyn, we should do a list of the best-dressed women
in town and you'd be first every time."
"Why, thank you. I always say you southerners are
the only American men to take the trouble to notice the
trouble a woman may have taken, you know what I
mean, don't you? But I have one little question and then
I'll leave you alone. We'll be in New York this
afternoon, the Thespian Ladies will, and oh, I'm so
sorry, I called your June earlier, and she has another of