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Apparently October fifteenth is a kind ofcloses down on that day, except along theof winter There is the hunting season co clubs and camps in the mountains, and the poor ones take their cars to one or another of the picnic areas and cliet their deer Anyway, around October fifteenth the tourists disappear from the scene and there is no more easyday caood deal of talk on the telephone between the Phanceys and Mr Sanguinetti in Troy, and on the eleventh Mrs Phancey toldfor Troy on the thirteenth and would Iover the keys to Mr Sanguinetti, ould be co up finally to close the place around noon on the fourteenth?

It seeirl in charge of such a valuable property, but it was explained that the Phanceys would be taking the cash and the register and the stock of food and drinks with thehts and lock up before I went to bed Mr Sanguinetti would be co up with trucks for the rest of theThen I could be on ht, and Mrs Phancey beairl, but when I asked if she would give ey and said she would have to leave that to Mr Sanguinetti, but she wouldhim how helpful I had been

So the last day was spent packing things into their station wagon until the stores and cafeteria were es and coffee and bread for me and for the truckers to eat when they came up

That last day I had expected the Phanceys to be rather nice to one out of h, they were just the reverse Mrs Phancey ordered h and nasty in his leching, using filthy words even when his as in earshot, and quite openly, reaching for e I couldn't understand the change It was as if they had had what they wanted out of me and could now discard me with conteot so furious that I finally went to Mrs Phancey and said I was going and could I have uinetti would be givingshort when he came to count it After this, and rather than face them at supper, I made myself some jam sandwiches and went and locked , when they would be gone And, as I have said, six o'clock did at last come and I saw the last of the ht at The Dreaain It had been a slice of life, not totally unpleasant in spite of the Phanceys, and I had learned the fringes of a job that ood stead I looked at my watch It was nine o'clock, and here was the doomful WOKO from Albany with its storht So, with any luck, I would have dry roads in theI went behind the cafeteria bar, turned on the electric cooker, and put out three eggs and six slices of hickory-sry

And then caht: Dynahtmare-Land

MY heart went to my mouth Who could it possibly be? And then I ren! I had pulled the switch when the lightning struck and I had forgotten to turn the daain Well, I would just have to face it, apologize, and send the people on to Lake George I went nervously across to the door, unlocked it, and held it on the chain

There was no porch The neon VACANCY sign littered redly on the shiny black oilskins and hoods of the twoman said politely, "Miss Michel?"

"Yes, that's n's on by mistake The motel's closed down"

"Sure, sure We're frouinetti From his insurance coet taken away tomorrow Can we come in out of the rain, ht"

I looked doubtfully from one to the other, but I could see little of the faces under the oilskin hoods It sounded all right, but I didn't like it I said nervously, "But the Phanceys, the "

"Well, they should of, uinetti" He turned to the ht, Mr Jones?"

The other ht, Mr Thoain

"Okay then, miss Can we come inside, please? It sure is wetter'n hell out here"

"Well, I don't knoas told not to let anyone in But as it's frouinetti" I nervously undid the chain and opened the door