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Show 180 Karl had not removed the Homburg; its brim shadowed his face, so that his highlighted jawline seemed aristocratic. The Kuppenheimer overcoat lay smoothly against his shoulders in a conspicuous sample of good tailoring, and the scarf, which he'd put on only to hide his dirty shirt collar, lent him elegance. "Did you notice the bartender didn't ask if we were old enough to drink?" Karl mentioned. "Speaking of age, what's today's date?" "November fifteenth." "Then I'll be home for my birthday. It's the twentieth." Karl finished the beer and wiped foam from his lip. "I'm gonna hate like the devil to leave you, Andy, but I'm glad I'll be home on time. Kathleen's birthday was tough for my mom." "God only knows when I'll get back to Canaan," Andy said. "If things go right for me, maybe someday I can go back there and organize a union. Anyway, since we won't be together on your birthday, let me buy you one more beer to celebrate." Andy raised his hand to signal for another beer, then spun a dime down the length of the counter to the bartender. He said to Karl, "You know, you never did tell me why you left Canaan. Want to tell me now?" Catching the full mug the bartender slid to him, Karl answered, "I never should have gone at all. Things happened too fast, before I had a chance to think straight. You were leaving, the train pulled in right on time - everything made it easy for me to run from what hurt me, so I ran." |
