hr.thecarpetbaggers-第91节
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Norman went over to his desk and took a large cigar from the humidor。 He lit it slowly； relishing the heavy aromatic Havana fragrance。 Even the cigars tasted better in New York。 Maybe； if he had time； he'd run down to Ratner's on Delancey Street and have blintzes for lunch。
He sat down and began to go over the reports lying on his desk。 He nodded to himself with satisfaction。 The billings from the exchanges were up over last year。 He turned to the New Yorker theater reports。 The Norman Theater； his première house on Broadway； had picked up since they started having stage shows along with the picture。 It was holding its own with Loew's State and the Palace。 He leafed through the next few reports； then stopped and studied the report from the Park Theater。 An average gross of forty…two hundred dollars a week over the past two months。 It must be a mistake。 The Park had never grossed more than three thousand tops。 It was nothing but a third…run house on the wrong side of Fourteenth Street。
Norman looked further down the report and his eyes came to rest on an item labeled Employee Bonuses。 They were averaging three hundred a week。 He reached for the telephone。 Somebody must be crazy。 He'd never O。K。'd bonuses like that。 The whole report must be wrong。
〃Yes； Mr。 Norman？〃 his secretary's voice came through。
〃Tell Ernie to get his ass in here；〃 Norman said。 〃Right away。〃 He put down the telephone。 Ernie Hawley was his treasurer。 He'd be able to straighten this out。
Hawley came in； his eyes shadowed by his thick glasses。 〃How are you； Bernie？〃 he asked。 〃Have a good trip？〃
Norman tapped the report on his desk。 〃What's with this on the Park Theater？〃 he said。 〃Can't you bastards get anything right？〃
Hawley looked confused。 〃The Park？ Let's see it。〃
Norman gave him the report； then leaned back in his chair； savagely puffing at his cigar。 Hawley looked up。 〃I can't see anything wrong with this。〃
〃You can't？〃 Norman said sarcastically。 〃You think I don't know the Park never grossed more than three thousand a week since it was built？ I'm not a dope altogether。〃
〃The gross on the report is correct； Bernie。 Our auditors check it every week。〃
Bernie scowled at him。 〃What about those employee bonuses？ Twenty…four hundred dollars in the last two months！ You think I'm crazy？ I never O。K。'd anything like that。〃
〃Sure you did； Bernie；〃 Hawley replied。 〃That's the twenty…five…per cent manager's bonus we set up to help us over the slump after Christmas。〃
〃But we set the top gross for the theaters as a quota；〃 Norman snapped。 〃We figured out it would cost us next to nothing。 What figure did we use for the Park？〃
〃Three thousand。〃
Bernie looked down at the report。 〃It's a trick；〃 he said。 〃Taubman's been stealing us blind。 If he wasn't； how e all of a sudden he's grossing forty…two hundred？〃
〃Taubman isn't managing the theater now。 He's been out with appendicitis since right after Christmas。〃
〃His signature's on the report。〃
〃That's just a rubber stamp。 All the managers have them。〃
〃So who's managing the theater？〃 Norman asked。 〃Who's the wise guy beating us out of three hundred a week？〃
Hawley looked unfortable。 〃We were in a spot； Bernie。 Taubman caught us at a bad time； we didn't have anybody else to send in。〃
〃So stop beating around the bush and tell me already；〃 Norman snapped。
〃Your nephew； David Woolf；〃 the treasurer said reluctantly。
Norman clapped his hand to his head dramatically。 〃Oy！ I might have known。〃
〃There wasn't anything else we could do。〃 Hawley reached for a cigarette nervously。 〃But the kid did a good job； Bernie。 He made tie…ins with all the neighborhood stores； pulled in some give…aways and he swamps the neighborhood with heralds twice a week。 He even started what he calls family night； for Monday and Tuesday； the slow nights。 A whole family gets in for seventy…five cents。 And it's working。 His candy and popcorn sales are four times what they were。〃
〃So what's the extra business costing us？〃
Again the treasurer looked unfortable。 〃It added a little to operating expenses but we figure it's worth it。〃
〃So？〃 Norman said。 〃Exactly how much？〃
Hawley picked up the report。 He cleared his throat。 〃Somewhere between eight and eight fifty a week。〃
〃Somewhere between eight and eight fifty a week；〃 Bernie repeated sarcastically。 He got to his feet and glared at the treasurer。 〃A bunch of shmucks I got working for me；〃 he shouted suddenly。 〃The whole increase does nothing for us。 But for him it's fine。 Three hundred a week extra he puts in his pocket。〃
He turned and stormed over to the window and looked out。 The cold air came in through the open frame。 Angrily he slammed down the window。 The weather was miserable here； not warm and sunny like it was in California。
〃I wouldn't say that；〃 Hawley said。 〃When you figure the over…all； including the concession sales； we're netting a hundred and fifty a week more。〃
Norman turned around。 〃Nine hundred a week of our money he spends to make himself three hundred。 We should maybe give him a vote of thanks that he lets us keep the hundred and fifty？〃 His voice rose to a shrill shriek。 〃Or maybe it's because he ain't yet figured out a way to beat us out of that！〃
He stamped back to his desk angrily。 〃I don't know what it is； but every time I e to New York； I got to find tsoris！〃 He threw the cigar into the wastebasket and took a new one from the humidor。 He put it between his lips and began to chew it。
〃A year and a half ago； I e to New York and what do I find？ He's working by the warehouse a little over a year and already he's making more on it than we do。 A thousand a year he's making selling junked heralds； two thousand selling dirty pictures he's printing by the hundreds on our photo paper in our own still laboratory。 A concession he's developed in all our offices around the country selling condoms wholesale。 It's a lucky thing I stopped him； or we all would have wound up in jail。〃
〃But you got to admit； Bernie； the warehouse never ran more smoothly；〃 Hawley said。 〃That rotating perpetual inventory saved us a fortune in reorders。〃
〃Hah；〃 Norman exclaimed。 〃You think he thought about us when he did it？ Don't be a fool！ Seventeen dollars a week his salary was and every day he drives to work in a twenty…three…hundred…dollar Buick。〃
Bernie struck a match and held it to his cigar； puffing rapidly until it was lit。 Then he blew out a gust of smoke and threw the match into the ash tray。 〃So I put him into the Norman as an assistant manager。 Everything will be quiet now； I think。 I can sleep in peace； I think。 What trouble can he make for me in a big house like that？
〃Trouble； hah！〃 He laughed bitterly。 〃Six months later； when I e back； I find he's turned the theater into a whorehouse and bookie joint！ All the vaudeville acts in the country suddenly want to play the Norman。 And why shouldn't they？ Does Loew's State or the Palace have the prettiest usherettes on Broadway； ready to hump from ten o'clock in the morning until one o'clock at night？ Does Loew's or the Palace have an assistant manager who'll take your bet on any track in the country； you shouldn't ever have to leave your dressing room？〃
〃But Gallagher and Shean； Weber and Fields； and all the other big acts played the house； didn't they？〃 Hawley asked。 〃And they're still playing it。 It made the theater for us。〃
〃It's a lucky thing I got him out of there and sent him to the Hopkins in Brooklyn before the vice squad got wise；〃 Norman said。 〃Now I don't have a worry； I think。 He can stay there as assistant manager the rest of his life。 What can he do to us in Brooklyn； I think。 I go back to the Coast； my mind at ease。 I can forget about him。〃
Suddenly； he got to his feet again。 〃So six months later； I e back and what do I find？ He's making a monkey out of the whole pany。 He's taking home more money than a vice…president。〃
Hawley looked at him。 〃Maybe that's what you ought to do。〃
〃What？〃
〃Make him a vice…president；〃 Hawley said。
〃But… but he's only a kid；〃 Norman said。
〃He was twenty…one last month。 He's the type boy I'd like on our side。〃
〃No；〃 Norman said； sinking back into his chair。 He looked at the treasurer thoughtfully。 〃How much is he getting now？〃
〃Thirty…five a week；〃 Hawley answered quickly。
Norman nodded。 〃Take him out of there； transfer him to the publicity department at the studio；〃 he said。 〃He won't get into any trouble out there。 I'll keep an eye on him myself。〃
Hawley nodded and got to his feet。 〃I'll take care of it right away； Bernie。〃
Bernie watched the treasurer leave the office； then reached for the telephone。 He would call his sister and tell her not to worry。 He would pay their moving expenses to California。 Then he remembered。 She had no telephone and they'd have to call her from the candy store downstairs。 He put the telephone back on the desk。 He'd take a run up to see her after he got through with his blintzes and sour cream at lunch。 She never went anywhere。 She was always home。
He felt a strange pride。 That nephew of his was a bright boy； even if he had crazy ideas。 With a little guidance from himself； something the boy never got from his own father； who could know what might hap
