The Long Goodbye

"We don't know anything about him, except that this is his last day," explained a White House aide curtly. He was referring to the final severance of Spiro T. Agnew from the U.S. Government. Six months to the day after his resignation as Vice President, Agnew and his Government-paid staff of six packed up last week and left the federal office he has occupied in a restored town house across the street from Lafayette Park. They have completed the task of sifting through Agnew's vice-presidential papers, turned some over to the National Archives, donated others to libraries of various universities.

After a concerted outcry from Congress, Agnew's Secret Service detail and chauffeured limousine were withdrawn in February, and he has been spotted in recent weeks walking along Northwest Washington's Jackson Place, heading to and from his office. He is nearly always grim-visaged, facing forward and alone. Few of his once close associates have seen much of him lately, though Agnew continues to play an occasional golf or tennis match at two suburban Washington clubs. Friends say he is devoting much of his time to the novel he is writing for Playboy Press. There was no fanfare, no farewell, when Agnew surrendered his last Government link. Four secretaries worked the last day, and at closing time they simply locked up and left.

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