Free Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut Page A

much attention to the college gang, myself,” he said, unable to resist a
small dig. “Such a bunch of snobs there that I was glad to get away and forget ‘em.”
    “God help them if they didn’t outgrow the ridiculous social
values of college days,” said Charley.
    Earl was taken aback by the sharpness in Charley’s voice,
and not understanding it, he hastily changed the subject. “Been overseas, eh?
Where, exactly, Charley?”
    “Earl!” Maude called from the dining room, according to the
plan. “The most awful thing has happened.”
    “Oh?”
    Maude appeared in the doorway. “Angela”—she turned to
Charley to explain—“my sister. Earl, Angela just called to say she was coming
here with Arthur and the children before dinner, and could we put them up for
the night.”
    “Gosh,” said Earl, “don’t see how we can. There’re five of
them, and we’ve only got two guest rooms, and Charley here—”
    “No, no,” said Charley. “See here, tell them to come ahead.
I planned to stay at the hotel, anyway, and I have some errands to run, so I
couldn’t possibly stay.”
    “Okay, if you say so,” said Earl.
    “If he’s got to go, he’s got to go,” said Maude.
    “Yes, well, got a lot to do. Sorry.” Charley was on his way
to the door, having left his drink half finished. “Thanks. It’s been pleasant
seeing you. I envy you your package.”
    “Be good,” said Earl, and he closed the door with a shudder
and a sigh.
    While Earl was still in the hallway, wondering at what could
become of a man in forty years, the door chimes sounded, deep and sweet. Earl
opened the door cautiously to find Lou Converse, the contractor, standing on the
doorstep. Across the street, Charley Freeman was getting into a taxi.
    Lou waved to Charley, then turned to face Earl. “Hello! Not
inviting myself to dinner. Came back after my hat. Think I left it in the
solarium.”
    “Come on in,” said Earl, watching Charley’s taxi disappear toward
the heart of town. “Maude and I are just getting set to celebrate. Why not stay
for dinner and, while you’re at it, show us how some of the gadgets work?”
    “Thanks, but I’m expected home. I can stick around a little
while and explain whatever you don’t understand. Too bad you couldn’t get
Freeman to stay, though.”
    Maude winked at Earl. “We asked him, but he said he had a
lot of errands to run.”
    “Yeah, he seemed like he was in kind of a hurry just now.
You know,” Converse said thoughtfully, “guys like Freeman are funny. They make
you feel good and bad at the same time.”
    “What do you know about that, Maude?” said Earl. “Lou instinctively
felt the same way we did about Charley! How do you mean that, exactly, Lou,
about feeling good and bad at the same time?”
    “Well, good because you’re glad to know there are still some
people like that in the world,” said Converse. “And bad—well, when you come
across a guy like that, you can’t help wondering where the hell your own life’s
gone to.”
    “I don’t get you,” said Earl.
    Converse shrugged. “Oh, Lord knows we couldn’t all dedicate
our lives the way he did. Can’t all be heroes. But thinking about Freeman makes
me feel like maybe I could have done a little more’n I have.”
    Earl exchanged glances with Maude. “What did Charley tell
you he’d been doing, Lou?”
    ‘ “Slotkin and I didn’t get much out of him. We just had a
few minutes there while you and Maude were changing, and I figured I’d get the
whole story from you sometime. All he told us was, he’d been in China for the
last thirty years. Then I remembered there was a big piece about him in the
paper this morning, only I’d forgotten his name. That’s where I found out about
how he sunk all his money in a hospital over there and ran it until the Commies
locked him up and finally threw him out. Quite a story.”
    “Yup,” Earl said bleakly, ending a deathly silence, “quite a
story, all right.” He put his