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''I've got everything worked out now," he said to his assistants. |
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Lowell frowned from behind the glasses perched at the end of his nose. "What do you mean?" |
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Mike explained his agreements with the creditors. |
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Ruth's blue eyes moistened, her small hands folded carefully atop her finely woven skirt. Unpursing her red lips, she said, "Mike, I want you to know weI . . . the idea was a mistake, and the fault's mine. Lowell suggested we needed a change, some oomph, and I had to agree, because" |
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"I'm sure you both meant well," Mike interrupted, "but next time check with me before doing anything drastic." |
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Lowell seemed unable to stay quiet any longer. Grimacing to push his glasses higher, he said, "We didn't have enough time. We were still ironing out the bugs in the system. In another month" |
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"In another month there'd have been no system left." Mike glared at his subordinate. |
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At first Lowell stared back, but his eyes dropped quickly. "Sorry, Mike," he mumbled. |
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"Forget it," Mike said, dismissing them both. |
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That afternoon, while Mike finished in his office, Abby exercised the marvel called a computer to do research on nineteenth-century history, thanks to some on-line services that Lydia showed her how to use. How breathtakingly exciting this era was in which to live! |
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