Ход королевы
Chapter 5
Wheatleyhunghercoatinthehallclosetandpickedupthemagazine.“Whileyouwereatschool,”shesaid,“Iwasleafingthroughthis.Iseethere’samajortournamentinCincinnatithesecondweekinDecember.Firstprizeisfivehundreddollars.”
Bethstudiedherforalongmoment.“Ihavetobeinschoolthen,”shesaid.“AndCincinnati’sprettyfarfromhere.”
“TheGreyhoundbusrequiresonlytwohoursforthetrip,”Mrs.Wheatleysaid.“Itookthelibertyofcalling.”
“Whataboutschool?”Bethsaid.
“Icanwriteamedicalexcuse,claimingmono.”
“Mono?”
“Mononucleosis.It’squitethethinginyouragegroup,accordingtotheLadies’HomeJournal.”
Bethkeptlookingather,tryingnottolettheastonishmentshowinherface.Mrs.Wheatley’sdishonestyseemedineverywaytomatchherown.Thenshesaid,“Wherewouldwestay?”
“AttheGibsonHotel,inadoubleroomattwenty-twodollarsanight.TheGreyhoundticketswillbeeleven-eightyapiece,andtherewill,ofcourse,bethecostoffood.Ihavecalculatedallofit.Evenifyouwinsecondorthirdprize,therewillbeaprofit.”
Bethhadtwentydollarsincashandapacketoftenchecksinherplasticpurse.“Ineedtobuysomechessbooks,”shesaid.
“Byallmeans,”Mrs.Wheatleysaid,smiling.“Andifyou’llmakeoutacheckfortwenty-threedollarsandsixtycents,I’llgetthebusticketstomorrow.”
***
AfterbuyingModemChessOpeningsandabookontheendgameatMorris’s,BethwalkedacrossthestreettoPurcell’sDepartmentStore.
