Evening Star Newspaper, April 19, 1937, Page 27

DAILY SHORT STOR! DULL DAY By John J. 'S'XOP in at the superintend- ent's office on your way out, Tom. The inspector’s making the rounds with you this morning.” Tom Clancy slammed his leath- er mail bag down on a bench with such angry violence that two letters and a rolled maga- zine jolted out on the concrete floor. He swore peevishly under his breath as he stooped to pick them up. A fine job for a man! A mail car- rier! A man might as well be a pack mule, plodding from door to door, up and down the same four blocks day after day. Rules! Regulations! Routine! They grind a man down until he becomes nothing but a dull, plodding mechanism; a mere link in an endless chain, taking letters from one bunch of dull, stupid people and delivering them at the door of another bunch of the same stripe. And as if the boredom and mo- notony of the job weren't enough, these nosey inspectors were forever sneaking out to snoop around for something to criticize and report on. It was enough to make a man rebel. Depressed by his angry thoughts, Tom shouldered his leather bag and started for the front office. Some- times he felt he couldn’t stand it any longer, he’d just have to bust loose and kick over the traces in order to break the monotony of his job. But when he was seized by this mood, & moment's reflection upon the tragedy it would cause Louise and the kids if he quit or lost his job would cool his flaming temper. He knew by now that he was broken to the harness and would go plodding on with his dull, drab job until he was too old to care. But just the same, he did wish that once, just once, something interesting or exciting would happen on his route. * X ok % TOM found the superintendent L talking with a wiry, alert young man dressed like a fashion plate. He {ntroduced him as Mr. Lemon, the postal inspector, a new man, sent out to make the regular monthly check on the carriers’ routes at the station. They started out together at a brisk pace, but the efforts of the in- spector failed to relieve Tom's gloom and dissatisfaction. Mr. Lemon was pleasant and talkative, but Tom dis- couraged him with grouchy mono- syllables. “Nice district out here” the in- spector offered. “Mostly hard work- ing people and home owners, aren't they?” “Most,” Tom responded dourly. As they entered the third block of the route, the inspector surprised Tom by asking, “You've got a Steve Brovek along here somewhere, haven't you? What sort of fellow is he?” “A big, husky, bettle-browed guy. ‘Talks out of the side of his mouth. Why?"” “We have a complaint from him down at central office about his mail,” Lemon answered casually. “What's he got to complain of?” Tom demanded indignantly, halting In the middle of the sidewalk. “He's been living out here nearly three months, and in all that time I've de- livered just two letters and they were for his wife. He lies around in bed all day while she runs around in a shiny new ear collecting a bunch of tough eggs like himself to bring home to him. I see them going into his place nearly every evening on my way home.” “Do you suppose his wife’s there now?” Lemon inquired. “Naw, she passed us in the car as ‘we left the station.” * ok Kk % *’T'HAT'S good. Now listen, when we get there I want you to ring | the bell and deliver this letter to Brovek personally.” Lemon drew a “‘This ain’t Silver Lining. HERKIMER, N. Y. (#).—County Clerk William Quackenbush back in 1917 gave Henry Haupt a check for witness fees. He lost it somehow. Lately he was exploring the lining of an old coat and there was the check. A Herkimer bank cashed it. Profit: $3.38. Tore Down Wrong House. LINCOLN, Neb. (#).—The University ©f Nebraska bought a house and lot and added the property to the campus. ‘Workmen were ordered to raze the house. They tore down a house, but it appears to have been the wrong one. ‘The owner of the place made quite a rumpus when he found it gone. A check from the university finally pacified him. NO-MOTH Complete McKinley. bulky legal-size let- ter from his pocket and handed it to Tom, who exam- ined it curiously. The address was correct, but the name Wwas mis- spelled and the envelope bore a 2- cent postage-due stamp. “Say, this guy’s name is Brovek, not Brodneck, in- spector,” Tom ex- claimed. “And he spells his name Steve, not Ste- phan.” “Now that's all right,” Lemon as- sured him patient- ly. “You hand it to him anyhow, and if he won't take for me’” it you bring it back to me. Tl be waiting down the street, so bring it right to me, don't put it in your bag.” Tom glared in wordless anger at the departing back of the dapper little inspector as he proceeded down the street without another word. As if the job weren't bad enough without these shenanigans! Tom mounted the steps of the bungalow, rang three times and Steve Brovek, clad in a glaring bathrobe, jerked open the door. “Well,” he snapped. Tom thrust the letter at him, not trusting him- self to speak. He watched impatiently as Steve spelled out the name stupidly through sleep-puffed eyes. He shook it, squeezed the pliant bulk within, and held it up to the light in an effort to see through it. “This ain't for me,” he growled savagely, slapping the letter back at Tom. “What's the idea of waking me up for a letter that ain’t mine?” “It’s this address, and it had postage due,” Tom answered hotly. “Well, it ain’t my name and it ain’t my letter.” Steve slammed the door viciously and Tom stalked off the porch and down the street, clutch- ing the letter till his fingers ached. Lemon was waiting at the end of the block. He placed the letter in a larger envelope and returned it to his pocket. “I'm leaving you here,” he an- nounced. “Guess there was nothing to that Brovek complaint. I'll see you again sometime.” * ok kX 'VEN a good dinner and the com- pany of Louise and the kids failed to relieve him of his grouch that eve- ning. He decided he'd have to take a day or two off and stir up some excitement before he lost his mind. Three days later Tom reported for duty again. The superintendent called him in as he passed the front of- fice. “Hello, G-man,” he greeted Tom jubilantly. “Boy, you sure picked a swell time to be off. There was plenty of fireworks over on your route yes- terday. You sure missed it.” “Yeah, what happened?” Tom in- quired only mildly interested. “Don’t you even read the papers? ‘The G-men were out here to pick up Steve Brovek and he shot it out with them till they drove him out with gas bombs. The whole neigh- borhood was wild with excitement.” “G-men? Steve Brovek?” Tom was all interest now. “What in the world did they want with Bro- vek?” “That bird’s name isn't Brovek, it's Randall, Mike Randall. He's the guy that held up the revenue office last Fall The Government men traced him to this neighborhood and finally spotted his hideout. They identified him by his finger prints.” “Gosh, How’d they get 'em?” Tom demanded avidly. “How did they get them?” the superintendent mocked laughingly. “You got them. They were on that phoney letter when Brovek handed it back to you. Boy, you sure missed it. It was just like a gangster movie.” With a groan Tom sank into a chair and buried his face in his hands. (Copyright, 1937.) | 45 PAINTS Devoe’s Porch and Deck Paint $2 one-half gallon. $1.10 qt. 922 N. Y. Ave. National 8610 ADVERTISEMENT, Now Yoy Can Wear FALSE TEETH With Real Comfort FASTEETH, a new. pleasant - der. keeps téeth firmiy “set. . Deqdor izes, ummy, or feeling. To eat and I fort Just ‘sprinkle”a little PASTEETH Dlates. toda: | Peoples and other drug stores. = Kills Moths 79- Hang No-Moth in your closet and keep the door closed. Properly used it gives protection to your clothes, that will save you many times its cost—because NO-MOTH actually kills all stages of moth life. No odor clings to the clothes. Refills, 69¢ each. . HousewArzs, FIrTH FLOOR. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, M AY, APRIL 19, 1937. In Rayon Damask . « . the modern bride finds comtemporary back- ground for her sparkling glass and lovely china. We suggest a hand-hemrned set with eight 20x20-inch napkins and 72x90-inck. cloth, $15; twelve napkins with 72x108-inch cloth, $20. Livzns, Broonp FLOOR. Famous Earthenware . . . in two new patterns, Wedg- wood'’s “’Montreal’ (A) and Spode’s “’Hazel Dell” (B), both proclaiming their English origin in delicate bou- quet designs. ““Montreal,” with center decoration; dinner plate, $2.25; cup and saucer, $2.50. “"Hazel Dell,"” with garland border; dinner plate, $1.75; cup and saucer, $1.75. Onuina, Forre FLOOR. 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Bridal Processions of Special Services e our Bake Shop will bake the cake—traditional even to the “lucky symbols,” if you wish. o the Engraving Shop will—for a slight added charge— address and mail the invitations or announcements it so beautifully engraves. o the Tea Room provides a distinctive, private room set- ting for showers—with appropriate decorations. o two Model Apartments are brimming with ideas for brides who must or need not follow a budget. o from First Floor to Seventh, Special Displays teem with suggestions for trousseau or home-making. e a record is kept of the silver, the china and glass the bride selects—to assist gift buyers in preventing dupli- cation. o even the Windows welcome the bride. e and to assure her last-minute loveliness, an expert operator from the Beauty Salon can visit her home, just before the wedding. © and we even—through our “Ask Mr. Foster Service”— help to plan the wedding journey. 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