his business. I guess it gets him to his job like your car would." Bob loved to drive the Lincoln. It had automatic gear shift, power steering, and everything you could think of.

One Sunday Tom and Bill invited us all to have dinner with them. As they're the quiet sort (Tom's a lawyer and Bill's a high-school teacher), we thought it would be all right. They live in a modernlooking house on a hilltop in Marin County and Joe and Anna loved the place. After consulting with Bob and me, Anna asked them to have dinner with us the following week.

She and I spent most of the next Sunday in the kitchen getting ready for them. We had told them to come early, about five, so we'd have plenty of time to sit in the patio and have drinks. At a quarter to five Anna went into her room to change her dress; almost immediately I heard the phone ring. Bob answered it, talked for a few minutes, then came into the kitchen.

"Felix and Randy and a friend of theirs are coming," he said.

"Oh God!" I said. "Do they know Tom and Bill are coming to dinner?"

"I told them. They said they'd just stay a minute."

"I wish you'd headed them off." "What could I say? They're already in the East Bay."

My shoulder was beginning to ache.

"I hope Randy behaves," I said. Anna and Joe came into the kitchen, Joe smoking a cigar.

"Three more coming," Bob said. "To dinner?" asked Anna. "No, just for a drink."

"Well, why don't they stay to dinner?" said Anna. "It's a big ham and I'll put in some more sweet potatoes. Landsakes, there's plenty of room for everybody. That'd only be nine. With that big table in the patio."

"Why, sure, " said Joe. "The more the merrier. Who are these guys?"

"They live in the city," I said. "Felix is a bookkeeper and Randy works in a department store. We don't know the other one."

A car door slammed outside, the chime sounded in the kitchen: Tom and Bill, looking ivy-league and subdued. I knew they didn't like Randy, who worked in the display department and was a bit on the obvious side. obvious side. I also knew Randy thought Tom and Bill stuffy.

"Felix and Randy just phoned, " Bob said. "They're coming up.

Tom and Bill each uttered a polite little "Oh?" and lighted cigarettes at the same time.

We had just got settled in the patio with drinks when the chime sounded again. I went to open the front door. Randy, roundish in a loud sport jacket, stood grinning, his black hair brushed smooth; Felix was beside him, thinner, blond, a narrow, high-bridged nose and pointed chin; their friend was tall with brown hair and brown eyes. They obviously had been having drinks.

"Hi!" said Randy.

I introduced them to Anna and Joe in the patio. The friend's name was Hugh. As I was going into the house, I heard Randy's voice:

"We almost had a crash on the bridge. My dear, the cu-ra-aziest driver-"

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