“She’s been working with it for about six weeks. I thought you knew.”
“I didn’t. What’s the idea?”
She laughed and said uneasily, “I guess she wants to make money.”
“Listen, Elsie, I’ve been associating with Bertha long enough so I object to paying long-distance telephone rates for the pleasure of listening to you beat around the bush. What’s the idea?”
“You ask her, Donald.”
“I could get pretty damned peeved about this in a minute,” I warned.
“Use your head,” she said suddenly. “You’re supposed to have brains. Why should Bertha want to get into war work? Why would you do it if you were in Bertha’s position? Figure it out for yourself, and quit pressing me for information. I’ve got a job to hold, and you’re just one of the partners.”
“Was it so she could make a claim that would exempt me from military service?”
There was silence at the other end of the line.
“Was it?”