"Stephen Goldin - Herds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goldin Stephen)

WESLEY STONEHAM

SUPERVISOR

SAN MARCOS COUNTY

Inside, the paper matches alternated red, white and blue.

She looked quizzically up at her husband, who was grinning at
her. "Like them?" he asked. "I just got them back from the
printer's this afternoon."

"Isn't it a bit premature?" she asked sarcastically.

"Only by a couple of days. Old man Chottman is resigning
from the Board because of ill health at the end of the week, and
they're letting him name the man he wants as his successor to fill
out his term. It won't be official, of course, until the Governor
appoints the man, but I have it from very reliable sources that
my name is the one being mentioned. If Chottman says he wants
me to fill his term, the Governor will listen. Chottman is
seventy-three and has a lot of favors to call in."

An idea began glimmering in Stella's brain. "So this is why
you don't want a divorce, isn't it?"

"Stell, you know as well as I do what a puritan, that „
Chottman is," Stoneham said. "The old guy is still firmly opposed
to sin of any kind, and he thinks of divorce as a sin. God only
knows why, but he does." He rose from the couch and went to his
wife again, holding her shoulders tenderly this time. "That's why
I'm asking you to wait. It would only be a week or two…"

Stella pulled away, a knowing, triumphant smile on her face.
"So that's it. Now we know why the big, strong Wesley Stoneham
comes crawling. You won't leave me even a vestige of self-respect,
will you? You won't even let me think that you came because you
thought there was something in our marriage worth saving. No,
you come right out with it. It's a favor you want." She struck a
match furiously and began to puff on her cigarette like a steam
locomotive climbing a hill. She tossed the used match into the
ashtray, and the matchbook down beside it. "Well, I'm sick of
your politics, Wesley. I'm tired of doing things so that it will
make you look better or more concerned for the citizenry of San
Marcos. The only person you ever consider is yourself. I suppose
you'd even grant me the divorce uncontested if I were to wait,
wouldn't you?"

"If that's what you want."