If easy payment plans were
to be really efficient, patrons'
lifetimes had to be extended!
Carrin decided that hecould trace his presentmood to Miller's suicidelast week. But the knowledgedidn't help him get rid of thevague, formless fear in the backof his mind. It was foolish. Miller'ssuicide didn't concern him.
But why had that fat, jovialman killed himself? Miller hadhad everything to live for—wife,kids, good job, and all the marvelousluxuries of the age. Whyhad he done it?
"Good morning, dear," Carrin'swife said as he sat down atthe breakfast table.
"Morning, honey. Morning,Billy."
His son grunted something.
You just couldn't tell aboutpeople, Carrin decided, and dialedhis breakfast. The meal wasgracefully prepared and servedby the new Avignon Electric Auto-cook.
His mood persisted, annoyinglyenough since Carrin wanted tobe in top form this morning. Itwas his day off, and the AvignonElectric finance man was coming.This was an important day.
He walked to the door with hisson.
"Have a good day, Billy."
His son nodded, shifted hisbooks and started to school withoutanswering. Carrin wonderedif something was bothering him,too. He hoped not. One worrierin the family was plenty.
"See you later, honey." Hekissed his wife as she left to goshopping.
At any rate, he thought, watchingher go down the walk, atleast she's happy. He wonderedhow much she'd spend at theA. E. store.
Checking his watch, he foundthat he had half an hour beforethe A. E. finance man was due.The best way to get rid of a badmood was to drown it, he toldhimself, and headed for theshower.
The shower room was a glitteringplastic wonder, and thesheer luxury of it eased Carrin'smind. He threw his clothes intothe A. E. automatic Kleen-presser,and adjusted the shower sprayto a notch above "brisk." Thefive-degrees-above-skin-temperaturewater beat against his thinwhite body. Delightful! And thena relaxing rub-dry in the A. E.Auto-towel.
Wonderful, he thought, as thetowel stretched and kneaded hisstringy muscles. And it should bewonderful, he reminded himself.The A. E. Auto-towel with shavingattachments had cost threehundred and thirteen dollars, plustax.
But worth every penny of it,he decided, as the A. E. shavercame out of a corner and whiskedoff his rudimentary stubble.After all, what good was life ifyou couldn't enjoy the luxuries?
His skin tingled when heswitched off the Auto-towel. Heshould have been feeling wonderful,but he wasn't. Miller's suicidekept nagging at his mind,destroying the peace of his dayoff.
Was there anything else botheringhim? Certainly there wasnothing wrong with the house.His papers were in order for thefinance man.
"Have I forgotten something?"he asked out loud.
"The Avignon Electric financeman will be here in fifteen minutes,"his A. E. bathroom Wall-reminderwhispered.
"I know that. Is there anythingelse?"
The Wall-reminder reeled offits memorized data—a vastamount of minutiae about wateringthe lawn, having the Jet-lashchecked, buying lamb chops forMonday, and the like. Things hestill hadn't found time for.
"All right, that's enough." Heallowed the A. E. Auto-dresser todress him, skillfully draping anew selection of fabrics over hisbony frame. A whiff of fashionablemasculine perfume finishedhim and he went into the livingroom, threading his w