scores had been too well publicized.
“I don’t see a single weakness we might capitalize on among these other people,” I told Mavis. “There’s a guy who collects stamps, another who’s a nut on sailboating. There’s a couple of women who spend all their time at club meetings. Period. Give me a couple of days to think.”
It was Mavis who finally produced an idea, though I was the one to recognize it as a possibility. She was reading the paper in bed one morning while I shaved, when she suddenly emitted a little laugh.
“Listen to this, honey,” she called through the open bathroom door. “People put some of the funniest things in personal ads.”
“Yeah?” I inquired.
“Comely widow, age 35, desires correspondence with single or widowed gentleman of same age. Must be strong, healthy, willing to work, able to manage fight gym left by deceased husband. Object: matrimony.”
I grinned into the mirror and went on shaving. “The world is full of screwballs,” I said. “How about phoning room service for breakfast?”
For some reason the item stuck in my mind. As we lingered over our breakfast coffee, I said, “Wonder if that widow has any money in addition to the gym.”
“The one in the ad?” Mavis inquired.
“Yeah,” I said. “See if you can find that item again.”
Mavis rose to get the paper and began to turn pages. “Here it is,” she said finally, handing me the folded paper and pointing out the item.
I read it over, noting that a box number was given for replies.
“It says she’s a comely widow,” I commented. “According to Webster, that means agreeable to the sight.”
“That’s her own description,” Mavis said. “She’s probably a living horror. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have to advertise for a husband.”
“There’s one way to find out.”
Mavis raised her eyebrows inquiringly.
“I’m going to answer the ad,” I told her. “Maybe she has some money we can shake loose.”
I didn’t know it at the time, but my decision was the turning point of our lives. It was to start us in a new and permanent career.
It was our entry into the big time.
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