On our street。。。
On our street。。。 (第2/3页)
ecookssoft-shellcrabs,inseason,breaded,dustedwithtastycayenne,deep-fried.BarneysHardwarehasrunoutofgarbagecansandwillnotgetanothershipmentuntilJuly.AnynewgarbagecanswillhavetobepurchasedatBudgetHardware,far,farawayonSecondStreet.
Petulia,atCustomCareCleaners,askswhymywifehasbeenactingsopeculiarlately."Peculiar?"Isay."Inwhatwaydoyoumean?"Dr.Maugham,wholivesatOneForty-fourwherehealsohashisoffice,hasformedacommittee.Mr.Wilkens,fromOneNeen,PallyWimber,fromOneTwenty-nine,andmywifeareonthecommittee.Thecommitteemeetsatnight,whileIsleep,dreaming,myturninthebattingorderhascomeupandIstandattheplate,batless
Therearesixty-twohousesonourstreet,four-storybrownstonesforthemostpart.Fifty-twogarbagecansarenowmissing.Ratsridinguponthebacksofotherratsgallopupanddownourstreet,atnight.ThecommitteeisunabletodecidewhethertocallitselftheCanCommitteeortheRatCommittee.TheCityhassentaninspectorwhostoodmarveling,atmidnight,attheactivityonourstreet.Heisfilingareport.Heurgesthattheremaininggarbagecansbefilledwithlargestones.Mywifehasappointedmeasubcommitteeofthelargercommitteewiththetaskoffindinglargestones.Isthereapeculiarlookonherfaceasshemakestheappointment?Dr.Maughamhasboughtashotgun,atwelve-gaugeover-and-under.Mr.WilkinshasboughtaChasebowandtwodozenhuntingarrows.Ihaveboughtafluteandaninstructionbook.
IfIwereorderedtoimaginewhoisstealingourgarbagecans,theLouisEscherfamilymightspringtomind,notasculpritsbutasproximatecause.TheLouisEscherfamilyhasalargeincomeandasmallapartment,inOneTwenty-one.TheLouisEscherfamilyisgiventoacquiringthings,andgiventhesizeoftheLouisEscherapartment,mustdisposeofoldthingsinordertoaccommodatenewthings.SometimestheoldthingsdisposedofbytheLouisEscherfamilyarescarcelytwoweeksold.Therefore,thegarbageatOneTwenty-oneiscloselyfollowedintheneighborhood,inthesensethatthesalesandbargainslistedinthenewspapersarecloselyfollowed.Thecommittee,whichfeelsthatthegarbageoftheLouisEscherfamilymaybemisrepresentingtheneighborhoodtothecriminalcommunity,madeapartiallistoftheitemsdisposedofbytheLouisEscherfamilyduringtheweekofAugusteighth:onemortar&pestle,majolicaware;oneEnglishcreammaker(creamismadebymixingunsaltedsweetbutterandmilk);onesetgreenearthenwaregeraniumleafplates;onefruitripenerdesignedbyscientistsattheUniversityofCalifornia,plexiglass;onenylonumbrellatentwithaluminum
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