The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1954-03-31
A Short Story.
FRAGILE THREAD.


and Jumped in his stomach and the
sharp pinching in the back of his /
neck was quickly gone and his voice
gushed in windy relief: ooh, no "a
pologies at all Thanks very much.
hope I didn't keep you awake He
hung up, wondering if his voice had
been so hollow at the other end
OF course They'd never think of
using him as a substitute or a fill
in. He'd been a member too long
Matter of ethics.
He squatted behind the low table
again and held his hands out to the
side, over the hibachi Now, where
had he been He'd thought of some
good opening remarks and some
fine phrases to get attention Should
he mention his early days when
he'd struggled SO hard to make a
success? No. Too many of them had
struggled harder but when you rea-
lily thought about it, it wasn't sur
prising that the committee had cho-
sen him. He'd been honest and
careful of human feelings during
his whole career. He had been a
modest man who'd made no extra
VACANT moves. 1t had always been
painstaking building. the ex-
ercise of the homely precepts that
were cid japanese; almost religious
precepts had guided him.
He stared at the table top and his
wife, stirring quietly about the kit
chen, peeped in now and then and
saw him take piece of paper and
write laboriously. He was outlining
! his speech. He would stand before
/ those men, owners of large book
! stores and tell them how he'd built
his business. his little business,
tucked on a side street. He'd tell
them simply and honestly because
he was simple, honest man and.
wouldn't they laugh. scott in
wardly? Why had they chosen her
husband when so many other men
had been SO successful?
Then she remembered From some
where, inexplicably, the remem-
brance came 1t was one of the rules
| of the Book Sellers Club. All mem
bers must speak sometime during
! the year. The year was about up, so
they had fastened to have her hus-
band, her poor. muddling, Flooding
husband, speak SO the rules would
not be broken.
She bit her lip and watched the
shadoEy figure scrawl words on pa
per, the shadoWy round figure of
her husband She paused in her
bowl washing and stood in the chill
of her tiny kitchen, thinking hard.
The newspapers That was it, the
newspapers. She must salvage her
husbands self respect
II was the night after the Book
sellers meeting and Okla leaned
back from the table, his stomach
full and allowed his mind to run
backwards to the evening before.
The glow still remained. 1t had been
wonderful and he felt better than
he had in years. 1t wouldn' BITE long,
he reflected, before they ask me a.
gain At first he'd thought at
tendance had been scanty and the
interest lacking but then, when the
reporters had come and the camera
bulbs had flashed continually, all
had been well Maybe members
couldn't come because the evening
had gotten a little chilly. But.
these had been inconsequential
things really. The pictures in the
newspapers and the reports of his
speech had been fine. fine Yes,
they would probably ask him again.
Life was fine.
And in the kitchen, stirring quiet
ly, washing the bowls, his wife brea-
thed a little prayer of thankfulness
that the fragile thread of her hus-
bands self-esteem had not been
broken She hoped the Booksellers
club members would forgive her for
calling all the newspapers and max
ing statements about the important
meeting She was glad she had
only few members had gone to the
meeting.
Oka-san was busy again He was
laboliously writing notes for a
speech he'd make if they asked him
again. They probably wouldn't /
not for a while Some members !
would be jealous of his complete
success, last night. He slackened the
reins of his thoughts and he was
making speeches again before other
large groups Of businessmen-now
the Prime Minister was asking him
to write speeches for him.
He'd need new clothes-banuuet
clothes And-now that he'd achie-
we'd stature and outgrown the wo-
y,ooo WHO'D M .aoa5 III .z.a A.