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MRS. BIXBY AND THE COLONEL’S COAT
Mr. and Mrs. Bixby lived in New York. Mr. Bixby was … dentist who made … average income. Once … month, always on Friday afternoons, Mrs. Bixby would visit her old aunt in Baltimore, who was not doing well in life: she lived on unemployment benefit. As it turned out, however, … aunt was little more than … convenient alibi for Mrs. Bixby. In fact, Mrs. Bixby spent … greater part of her Baltimore time with … exceedingly wealthy man, known as … Colonel.
Year after year Mrs. Bixby fooled her husband neatly and subtly. … pleasant alliance between Mrs. Bixby and Colonel passed entirely without incident (=continued without … hitch) for eight years.
It was just before Christmas: Mrs. Bixby was waiting for her train to take her back to New York. Suddenly … Colonel’s groom approached her and pushed … large cardboard box into her hands with … words, “… Colonel asked me to give you this”. She couldn’t wait to see what was in … box. As soon as she was on … train she opened … box and grinned (smiled her delight) – a gorgeous mink coat took her breath away. There was no mistaking – it cost … tidy sum of money. She tried it on at once for she was dress-conscious.
In … excitement of finding … mink coat and trying it on she overlooked … vital aspect – she couldn’t possibly tell her husband that her aunt had given it to her for Christmas. Mrs Bixby had to be secure-conscious. In … couple of hours she would be in New York. She didn’t want to part with … coat, so she was at her wits’ end. “Don’t go panicky”, she said to herself. “Collect your wits and think of … plan”.
Two hours later Mrs. Bixby stepped off … train, signaled for … taxi, which took her to … pawnbroker. She pawned her coat and was given … ticket. Ten minutes later she was back home. Her husband was reading his evening paper “You are … bit late today, aren’t you?” “You know it’s those dreadful trains. I am dying for … drink.” Her husband was … orderly-minded man. He folded his paper into … neat rectangle for he was … man of tidy habits, placed it on … arm of his chair and made (headed) for … kitchen. It was funny how small and slovenly he looked after … Colonel, who was always dressed spick-and-span. My husband’s suits are too ridiculous for words. I am eager for him to change … way he dresses.
“This Martini is perfect”. She opened her handbag and took … handkerchief as if to blow her nose “Oh, look!”, she cried seeing … ticket. “I found it just now on … seat of my taxi. I thought it might be some lottery ticket, so I kept it.” She handed it to her husband. He examined it carefully and explained it to her that it was … pawn ticket with … name and address of … shop, so anyone could claim it. “There is no knowing what it might be, my dear. We’ll wait and see. I think I’ll pick it up on my way to work.”
Monday morning came at last. Mrs. Bixby hadn’t slept … wink that night. “Supposing they cheat Cyril”, she thought to herself. “Darling”, she said following her husband to … door. “Give me … buzz as soon as you get to … office”.
… hour later he called her to say that he had redeemed … thing. He refused to tell her what it was and promised to bring it in … evening. But she couldn’t wait that long. She rushed to … office at lunchtime. Her husband gave her … small box in which she found … small mink necklace and congratulated her on such … good find. Mrs. Bixby made believe she was pleased, but deep down she was outraged. “I am going to kill that pawnbroker”.
On leaving … office she took notice of her husband’s secretary assistant, who was going out for lunch. Her face wore … impudent grin. “Isn’t it … gorgeous day!”, she said looking like … queen in … beautiful mink coat that … Colonel had given to Mrs. Bixby. She returned home in … subdued mood. She had made … fool of herself but she had to grin and bear it. Alas for … hopes lost.
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