Apartment 5

                                                                   by Francis Michael Dattilo, Jr.

     Tad Martin had been on the Lower West Side carrier route for seven and a half years.  During that time he had been bitten by four dogs and hit by two drunken drivers crossing Grand, but up until two o'clock this afternoon against postal regulation he had never accepted one invitation to enter an address.

     That address was 8078 Wyoming Avenue Apt. 5.  A war widow with the same name as the Beverly Hilton and a striking resemblance to yesteryear movie queen, Rita Hayworth.  One drink.  Small conversation.  And one long kiss.

     And now the old busybody in Apt. 4 had reported him and he had been suspended six months without pay and put on probation.

Tad could've murdered the old busybody in Apt. 4.

     Instead, he married Rita Hayworth and is now delivering U. S. mail on the Upper Ease Side route.

     With pay.