To Have And Have Not

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
'Take it easy, lady,9 Freddy told her. 'He's got
a face like a ham with a broken nose on it*
'My, men are stupid,' the wife said, 'He's my
dream man,*
'He's a bad-dream man,* Freddy said.
All this time the writer sat there with a sort of
stupid look on his face except when he'd look at his
wife admiringly. Anyone would have to be a writer
or a F.E,R*A** man to have a wife look like that,
Freddy thought. God, isn't she awful?
Just then in came Albert.
'Where's Harry?5
'Down at the dock.'
'Thanks/ said Albert.
'He went out and the wife and the writer kept on
sitting there and Freddy stood there worrying about
the boat and thinking how his legs hurt from
standing up all day* He had put a grating over the
cement but it didn't seem to do much good. His
legs ached all the time. Still he was doing a good
business, as good as anybody in town and with less
overhead. That woman was goofy all right. And
what kind of a man was it would pick out a woman
like that to live with? Not even with your eyes
shut, thought Freddy. Not with a borrowed. Still
they were drinking mixed drinks. Expensive
drinks. That was something.
'Yes, sir/ he said. 'Right away,3
A tanned-faced, sandy-haired, well-built man
1 Federal Emergency Relief Administration