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 buying and his signature sufficed upon ordinary orders.

Recently, as Phil very well knew, Sam had been swinging toward the Slengels. He liked their goods and service, he said; their prices and terms met the Rountrees'. Sam "liked" the Slengels, and Phil had appreciated, without especial feelings of offense, some of the reasons for Sam's liking. He knew that Sam had been out with the Slengels at a party last night.

Hastily Phil retreated into his bedroom and nervously called the phone number of his brother's apartment, without response. When later attempts were devoid of results, Phil descended to the snowy boulevard and, by taxi, journeyed to Sam's apartment and found it deserted.

Sam's wife, as Diana had reported to Ellen upon the occasion of the procurement of the leopard coat, was in the South. A wife should not be at Palm Beach, Phil believed, nor anywhere away from her husband. Himself, he had a good and ever-present wife and two wonderful daughters; he was a good husband and father. Sam should be at Palm Beach, too, or Sophie should be here so Sam should not be out at parties with the Slengels. Suppose Sam last night had signed an order giving the business next year to Slengels; a fine figure Phil and his family would cut, coming to Tryston as personal friends of Jay Rountree.