The Big Front Yard and Other Stories Read Online Free

you wanted color.”
    â€œWell, sure. Of course I did. But not on this old set. I never would have expected to get color on this set. How did you do it, Hiram?”
    Taine told the solemn truth. “I can’t rightly say,” he said.
    Henry found a nail keg standing in front of one of the benches and rolled it out in front of the old-fashioned set. He sat down warily and relaxed into solid comfort.
    â€œThat’s the way it goes,” he said. “There are men like you, but not very many of them. Just Yankee tinkerers. You keep messing around with things, trying one thing here and another there and before you know it you come up with something.”
    He sat on the nail keg, staring at the set.
    â€œIt’s sure a pretty thing,” he said. “It’s better than the color they have in Minneapolis. I dropped in at a couple of the places the last time I was there and looked at the color sets. And I tell you honest, Hiram, there wasn’t one of them that was as good as this.”
    Taine wiped his brow with his shirtsleeve. Somehow or other, the basement seemed to be getting warm. He was fine sweat all over.
    Henry found a big cigar in one of his pockets and held it out to Taine.
    â€œNo, thanks. I never smoke.”
    â€œPerhaps you’re wise,” said Henry. “It’s a nasty habit.”
    He stuck the cigar into his mouth and rolled it east to west.
    â€œEach man to his own,” he proclaimed, expansively. “When it comes to a thing like this, you’re the man to do it. You seem to think in mechanical contraptions and electronic circuits. Me, I don’t know a thing about it. Even in the computer game, I still don’t know a thing about it; I hire men who do. I can’t even saw a board or drive a nail. But I can organize. You remember, Hiram, how everybody snickered when I started up the plant?”
    â€œWell, I guess some of them did, at that.”
    â€œYou’re darn tooting they did. They went around for weeks with their hands up to their faces to hide smart-Aleck grins. They said, what does Henry think he’s doing, starting up a computer factory out here in the sticks; he doesn’t think he can compete with those big companies in the east, does he? And they didn’t stop their grinning until I sold a couple of dozen units and had orders for a year or two ahead.”
    He fished a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigar carefully, never taking his eyes off the television set.
    â€œYou got something there,” he said, judiciously, “that may be worth a mint of money. Some simple adaptation that will fit on any set. If you can get color on this old wreck, you can get color on any set that’s made.”
    He chuckled moistly around the mouthful of cigar. “If RCA knew what was happening here this minute, they’d go out and cut their throats.”
    â€œBut I don’t know what I did,” protested Taine.
    â€œWell, that’s all right,” said Henry, happily. “I’ll take this set up to the plant tomorrow and turn loose some of the boys on it. They’ll find out what you have here before they’re through with it.”
    He took the cigar out of his mouth and studied it intently, then popped it back in again.
    â€œAs I was saying, Hiram, that’s the difference in us. You can do the stuff, but you miss the possibilities. I can’t do a thing, but I can organize it once the thing is done. Before we get through with this, you’ll be wading in twenty dollar bills clear up to your knees.”
    â€œBut I don’t have –”
    â€œDon’t worry. Just leave it all to me. I’ve got the plant and whatever money we may need. We’ll figure out a split.”
    â€œThat’s fine of you,” said Taine mechanically.
    â€œNot at all,” Henry insisted, grandly. “It’s just my aggressive, grasping sense of profit. I should be ashamed of myself,