◆ SpookStack

r « "MARCH 8,°1948 Me, Fas Is his office... . You want to know the population of the United States? The exact population? Why, we might be able to look it up... . Mr. Rushinsky . . . Dexter 2922.... Just hold the phone. What is it? ou""“That’s funny, Lieutenant. Fellow named Rushinsky wants the exact pop- ulation of the United States. That isn’t ' sestricted information, is it? Of course not. My God, what do people think Naval Intelligence is for? Rushinsky, did you say? Look in the directory and see who he is. “Yes, sir . . . Rubinstein . . . Ruta- bago . . . Rushinsky . . . Ivan Rushin- sky, works for the Duodenal Corpora- _tion of America, ' Strategic materials. Hmm. Exact population. I don’t sce any connec- tion... . Rushinsky . . . I think we'd better... . Give him the information, Ensign. Then turn his name in. Mr. Rushinsky? Yes. Won’t you come in? We are from the FBI. We just want some information—it's only a routine check-up. Yes, sir. Your name is Ivan Rushinsky? Yes. You work for the Duodenal Cor- poration of America? Yes, I'm a foreman. Making what? Ulcerite. Oh yes, quite a valuable war ma- terial. How is it used? It is the fissioning agency in the catalysis of TCL. TCL? . -Tricotyledonous dolomite. Oh yes, of course. A pretty power: ful explosive, after TNT. b) ab Br. 7.2 a i Mail . °. ae Strategic Materials A story by Irving Brant About like croton oil after prune juice. Mr. Rushinsky, what was your father’s name? Ivan Rushinsky. And your mother? Maggie O’Doyle. Well, you're half-American, any- way. Where was your father born? cme Brooklyn. My mother in Australia. . Who was. your grandfather? ~ Thad two. - a I mean your father’s father. Ivan Rushinsky. , Born where? Brooklyn. You are.sure your father and grand- father were born in Brooklyn? Why, yes: We call Brooklyn our woodlot. You know, the family tree grows in Brooklyn. Where was your grandfather's father — born? I don’t know.. In the United States? I don't know. He was killed when - my grandfather was five years old. Killed, how ?: ; In the Battle of Bull Run. Oh. I think he was born in Europe be- cause he taught my grandfather a little song and it has come down in the family. The words are probably wrong, but it goes: “Ya mom cunya, Vranee cunya, Tusso cunya me.” Russian, isn’t it? _No, Bohemian. Something about a wild horse, my grandfather said. What party do you belong to? Well, I was a Republican until 1932, and I voted that way again in 1940. I didn’t like this third-term idea. In 44... well, you don’t change 17 DEAWING BY GEETRUDE GOODEICH horses right in the middle of a war. Mr. Rushinsky, why are you inter- ested in the population of America? Because I am an American. Shouldn’t everybody be? I mean, why did you call the Naval office. last Tuesday. and_ask_to. know the exact population? _ How did you know that? I just happened to be there. That isn’t why I came here, of course. Well, I made a bet with a guy that the last three digits of the population would add up to less than fifteen. We dido’t have a World Almanac and this fellow had been in the Navy and thought it would bring him luck if we asked there, _ "You didn’t believe in luck? _ No, ‘I was relying on the law of probabilities. You see, most people forget that ten isn’t a digit. If you swing zero to the other end of the column there are six digits from five down, and only four the other way— Well, we'll be going. Just forget about our visit. We're doing a check- up of all the key men making ulcerite, and you're absolutely in the clear. _ Did you hear about Rushinsky? The FBI called on him last week. The hell they did. How do you know? He told me so himself. Just laughed about it. Said they were checking up on everybody in ulcerite, The hell they are. They haven’t checked on me. ; Nor on me. Rushinsky’s all right. I'd trust him inside the office safe. So would I. Funny little song he's always singing. Father must have picked it up in the old country. Hear about Rushinsky?