Yep, just found out that my blood pressure's gone sky-high. Old Doc wasn't one bit encouraging… said I'm headed straight for a heart attack if I don't slow down and take things easy. Fact is, that's why I stopped by."

Ray Denham had a sudden premonition that something might be wrong, just from the way Blodgett's guileless blue eyes were roving over the shelves of pharmaceuticals and avoiding his face.

"It looks like I have to think about retiring long before I'm sixtyfive," the older man continued, "or sort of semi-retiring… I'm only going to keep hold of the properties that'll work for me without me working on them… see what I mean?"

Ray shook his head and waited to hear what was coming next.

"No, I reckon you don't. Well, take this store, for instance. Since you took over it runs pretty smooth, I certainly got to admit that, but there's still the bookkeeping and figuring the taxes. I want to get shut of it. Instead of taking in a partner, I've decided to sell out, Ray-the whole works."

There was a moment of absolute silence. Then Ray took a hefty swallow of the sweet, whiskey-laced cola. "T-the building, too?" Blodgett's stunning announcement had caught him so suddenly that it was taking him several seconds to assimilate the knowledge and what it would mean for him.

"Oh, not the building. You won't catch me selling a piece of prime real estate that's right on the square. No, I mean the inventory, all the fixtures, the good will… everything that's inside these four walls.

Then I'll give the buyer a long-term lease…" he smiled at Ray, "You know, I was really lookin' forward to us working as partners… carrying out your ideas for remodeling… but when I got the word from Doc I knew I just had to think of my health first. And there's Lauralee-I don't want to up and die and leave her a widow."

"Yes… sure," Ray said, his mind going inevitably to Sally's worried questions, nothing in writing? You only have his word for it? He felt curiously light and hollow, as if the support had been knocked out of him. How could he tell her? How could he ever tell Sally?