tinuous reading
over 75 to be contacted and connected after its sixth appearance.

"What about that one?" King said, pointing to a 70.4 that was unblinking
in its intensity.

"Some drunk," said Blaney. "Or a baby with a head cold. Been on there
for twenty minutes. You can watch for it if you like." His tone
suggested that to be a waste of time.

"I'll watch it," said King. His tone suggested that he knew how to read
a circuit, and if Blaney had any suggestions he could keep them to
himself.

* * * * *

Joe Millsop finally staggered home, exhausted. He was half-drunk, and
worn out from being on his feet all day, but the liquor had finally done
its work. He could think about the incident without flushing hot all
over. He was too tired, and too sorry for himself to be angry at anyone.
And with his new-found alcoholic objectivity he could see now where he
had been in the wrong. Old Bloomgarten shouldn't have chewed him out in
front of a customer like that, but what the hell, he shouldn't have
sassed the customer, even if she was just a dumb broad who didn't know
what she wanted. He managed to get undressed before he stumbled into
bed. His last coherent thought before he fell into a drugged sleep was
that he'd better apologize in the morning.

* * * * *

8:20:18:3059:78:4a stayed off the board.

At 1:18 am, the deAngelis flared to a 98.4 then started inching down
again. The young reporter sat up, alert, from where he had been dozing.
The loud clang of a bell had brought him awake.

The older reporter glanced up from his cards and waved him down. "Forget
it," he said, "some wife just opened the door and saw lipstick on her
husband's neck."

* * * * *

"Oh Honey, how could you ... fifty dollars ..." She was crying.

"Don't, Mother ... I thought I could make some money ... some real
money." The youngster looked sick. "I had four nines ... four nines ...
how could I figure him for a straight flush, he didn't have a thing
showing."

"... How could you," sobbed the mother. "... Oh how could you."

* * * * *

The book ... businessman dealt the cards. The reporter picked his up
and arranged them in his hand, he discarded one; the businessman ignored
it and drew from the deck, he discarded; the reporter picked the discard
and threw away a card from his hand; the businessman drew from the deck