The Rebellion of Yale Marratt Read Online Free Page B

the chances are that he'd grow up a little. It's not as if

he were stupid."

"Why haven't you talked with Dr. Tangle?" Liz asked. "You have the one

man right in Midhaven who could help you, and you won't ask him."

Pat raised his eyebrows and looked at her disgustedly. "I suppose, next,

you'll suggest that Yale could go to Midhaven College. Wouldn't Doctor

Tangle go for that, though?" he asked sarcastically. "The son of Pat

Marratt attending a Baptist theological school . . . Jesus Christ!"

"It hasn't been a theological school for years, and you know it, Pat.

Only last week, at the Woman's Club, Doctor Tangle was talking about the

changes that have occurred at Midhaven College. Midhaven has a complete

curriculum. It's recognized as equal to any college in the East. In a way,

you should be proud of Doctor Tangle. He has done a lot for Midhaven."

"So, I haven't done anything for Midhaven? Just because I haven't the time

to monkey around in city politics and I don't go around to Women's Clubs

shooting off my mouth about the glorious city of Midhaven. . . . Just you

remember that if the Marratt Corporation folded up -- several thousand

people in Midhaven would go hungry! What has Doctor Tangle done to put

bread in their mouths?"

Pat wanted to continue the discussion, but Liz interrupted him with a

request for a few hundred dollars. Pat chuckled. "For Christ-sakes, Liz,

you're the limit. You go to some damned meeting and listen to a smooth

old bastard like Doctor Tangle; you swallow his oily ideas hook, line

and sinker. But, when your husband tries to explain what he is doing, it

just doesn't have 'class,' does it? It's just old Pat wound up in some

sales garbage. It's the way he makes all that dirty money. Well, if it

weren't for me and the Marratt Corporation, your dear Doctor Tangle would

be back in China whacking the bushes in search of converts. Instead he

lives a life of luxury . . . President of Midhaven College and Pastor of

the Midhaven Congregational Church. Do you know that his last quarterly

dividend check, courtesy of Pat Marratt, amounted to five thousand three

hundred and ninety-three dollars? Brother, what a return to get every

three months on an investment of two thousand dollars."

"Bye, bye, Hon -- I've got to go," Liz smiled. She had heard Pat rave on

the subject of Doctor Tangle's good fortune many times before. As she was

about to close the door, a thought occurred to her. "Speaking of Doctor

Tangle reminds me that it's been at least three months since we've had

him out to dinner. It might be a nice gesture to keep in closer touch

with the only other stockholder in the Marratt Corporation. If you did,

you might discover that Amos gives most of his dividends to the Doctor

Tangle Scholarship Fund for worthy students at Midhaven College."

"Oh, shit -- next thing you'll suggest that Yale apply for a scholarship.

Goodbye! Stop and see Frank Middleton on the way out. He and Marie expect

us to dinner tomorrow."

Pat looked closely at Liz when he mentioned Frank Middleton. Middleton

was Vice President in charge of production. Although he had risen

to his present job with the same rough and ready background as Pat

Marratt, somewhere Middleton had acquired a gloss and polish. Frank

Middleton irritated Pat, but Pat couldn't help but admire him. He knew

that Middleton with his throaty, radio announcer's voice and his wavy

grey hair was the cynosure of most female gatherings. Liz had betrayed

no reaction, however, and Pat said to himself . . . "The hell with it

. . . why worry . . . it's only sex." But he knew the worry was there.

It cropped up every time he saw Liz and Frank together.

His thoughts returned to Doctor Tangle . . . twenty-three years. Liz's

mother had picked Amos Tangle to marry them. He had been an assistant

minister, then.

It made little difference to Pat. On his death bed, Pat's father had

requested a priest. Pat remembered his mother, who was cockney