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Part: 1234 Session: 1234 Page 188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221 of 512
on his desk an editorial from the publisher, with instructions to run it the following day. That morning - if my memory is correct - was a Thursday; the following day would have been a Friday, when he was ordered to run the editorial that he had found on his desk that morning.
The last possible day for it, before you -
The primary was the following Tuesday. No, the publisher had advised him also as a matter of information to telephone this editorial up to me, to let me know about it. He did say that.
And Fred read the editorial to me. I was due, incidentally, to leave my house at about twelve or one o'clock p.m. Just as a personal footnote, it couldn't have been a more awkward time to have this happen, because my wife had suddenly, a day or two before, developed an extremely severe back problem. She was not going to be able to drive down from the Vineyard to New York that day, and so I was taking her to a plane, to put her on a plane. She could hardly walk. It was very severe. I had to take her to a plane, and then continue with my young son with the car to catch a ferry to begin the long five-hour trip back to New York. I got my telephone call from Fred Hechinger only a couple of hours before we were due to close the house and take my wife to the plane.
I only mention that because obviously, that created a great deal of additional personal problem. I can't blame Punch for that, however,
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