"Donald Olson - The Busboy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Olson Donald)

 тАЬYouтАЩve worked up quite a sweat,тАЭ said Ramona as Tyler joined her in the big
old kitchen with its outdated appliances. тАЬWhy not take a refreshing shower? IтАЩm so
lucky Daddy installed a downstairs bathroom when Mama could no longer manage
the stairs, as I canтАЩt now. While youтАЩre doing that, IтАЩll brew us a nice pot of tea. Do
you like tuna fish sandwiches?тАЭ
Over tea and sandwiches in the far-from-spotless kitchen Tyler offered
discreet suggestions for the improvements he had in mind, undismayed by
RamonaтАЩs halfhearted enthusiasm. тАЬAll that takes m-o-n-e-y, my dear boy. One
canтАЩt live on capital forever. The money Daddy left has dwindled nearly to the point
of extinction.тАЭ
тАЬI wouldnтАЩt ask for money,тАЭ said Tyler. тАЬIтАЩd work just for a roof over my
head. Anything to get out of that crummy rooming house.тАЭ
тАЬWe shall see. For now, it would be a blessing if only youтАЩd run errands for
me and do a bit of tidying up, things like that, you know.тАЭ
Tyler knew that for the time being he must be satisfied with this arrangement.
He was soon as familiar with the house as if heтАЩd lived there all his life. He liked
especially the room in the attic, which was as commodious as the rooms on the floor
below, with its dainty, somewhat rickety balcony overlooking the cracked cement
driveway. It was sparsely furnished with a white-painted iron bed, a single lounge
chair, and a pine chest of drawers on which stood an old-fashioned table lamp with a
scenic glass shade and a photograph of a couple standing in front of the much
smaller catalpa tree under which he had buried the silver-chest coffin. The woman
was unmistakably a younger and slimmer Ramona Lerch; the man might have been
the one in the snapshot in the blue leather wallet.
Tyler could imagine no room more to his liking. HeтАЩd be able to stand on the
balcony at night and look up at the stars. He spoke of this room with wistful
fondness to Ramona, who smiled quite as wistfully.
тАЬTell you a secret, dear. That was my special room as a child. My hideaway
from the world.тАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ murmured Tyler dreamily, тАЬthatтАЩs it. A Hideaway from the World.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll tell you another thing. Mr. Chambers and I would often steal up there and
... well, letтАЩs say it stirs romantic memories.тАЭ
Romantic memories clearly tinged with bitterness, as Ramona thereupon
poured into TylerтАЩs ear the story of herself and Mr. Chambers.
тАЬHe founded the Unionville Box and Label Works. Made a pot of money
when he sold it to an outfit in Cincinnati. I was only nineteen when I went to work
for him. He always said I was his First Little Girl. First in more ways than one, if you
catch my meaning. HeтАЩd never married and after Mama and Daddy died, we became
even closer. Some people thought he was a dry old stick, all business, but he had
another side. I gave him my heart. I cherished girlish hopes, long after girlhood was
only a memory. He strung me along with promises I assumed were sincerely made.
тАШYou wait till IтАЩve sold the business,тАЩ he was always telling me, тАШand then weтАЩll have
a royal fling. WeтАЩll travel around the world, weтАЩll do this and weтАЩll do that.тАЩ Well, my
dear, he sold the business and he did go around the world, but not with his First
Little Girl. On one of his trips to Cincinnati he met a younger woman. Before you
could say lechery treachery, it was ding-dong wedding bells. Farewell, Ramona. No
more gazing at the stars in our little hideaway from the world.тАЭ
The story seemed a very sad one to Tyler. тАЬI donтАЩt think heтАЩs a very nice
man, treating you like that.тАЭ
тАЬYou know, dear, youтАЩre right. HeтАЩs not a nice man. Leaving me high and dry