The evening world. Newspaper, November 12, 1921, Page 16

4 THE EVENING WORLD'S FICTION SECTION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1991. was waiting for him in the guise of a Netter on the table of the hat-rack as he left his rooming-house, He did not recognize her at first but merely stuffed her letter into his pocket and hurried on. Once behind the silk counter though, with everything run- ning smoothly, he took out the letter and opened it. It was half printed. It was from his bank. It said, ‘Dear Sir, we beg leave to announce that your account is over- drawn the sum of twenty-four dollars @nd fifty-five cents ($24.55).” Some- thing like that, Percy discreetly replaced the notice within the envelope, slipped the en- selope back inte his pocket, and tried fo look as he had done before opening it. But if he succeeded in looking, he would not quite feel as he had done be- fore. A )ittle piece of ice like a mouse fecting his work; he was going to be Gismissed—fired, that was it! “Gee, what a fool I've been!” he thought, looking back now with clear vision. ‘Gee, I must have been craay!" Mr. Ryan, his bushy brows very bushy, was seated at his desk. He did not rise, he @id not look up. And Fercy stood silent, awaiting the ax. “Say,” the manager growled, still without looking up, “what's been get- ting into you lately, anyway? What's the recipe, eh?" The answer would have been a long story. Perey did not answer, but just stood. “Where did you get aH that pep, anyway? You used to be a rabbit, and now you're a lion, a regular roaring lion. What is it, anyway, eh? What is it?” “He's going to josh me, and then “Well, all right. You begin on July 1, There's forty a week in it at the start. Meanwhile you can take your summer vacation.” “Thank you—does that mean I can go right away?” “Sure, Skip, and come see me on July 1. And—wait, there's something else, Skinner.” “Yes, sir.” “The company has a new policy of interesting its employees in the busi- ness. We're putting $600 in Emporium stock to your credit. Now skip, good- by—enjoy yourself!" comes the morality, ND now A which in this case is the benefit that ome may derive from Y, M. I’, C, courses, especially that course which fortifies one's memory. The course in mnemotechnics is based buried her soft little nose under his coat lapel and wept, This suddenly showed him what he might havo guessed had he been brighter, hence not a male—that, secretly, sho had been quite unhappy, of late—and the thought of it made him boohoo a bit too, there wbove her. After which, they went out, bought a ring, and were married the very next day. On his return from the honeymoon vacation he ran across Miss Rosie O'Flare. This was a meeting not of his own choosing; one, in fact, over the possibilities of which he had done tome pondering; but which proved much easier than he had expected. She came running after him—he had tried to pass her without seeing her—held cut her hand, and with a sweet frank- ness that altogether reassured him, cried: THEY SHOT THE CHUTES, GLIDED THE GLIDERS, SCENIC-RAILWAYED, PEPPERED THE SHOOTING GALLERIES AND BOUGHT FESTOONS OF “DOG.” kepi running up and down bis back without ever reaching his head, which remained hot, and inside that head, his brain persisted In rapid excursivuns into the past, a past altogether lurid, fan- tastic and impossible, yet all too true. The worst of it was that Percy Skin- mer had always held a theory that a piece of bad luck never comes single. He was right. Number two was now before him In the guise of an attenu- ated and uniformed cash-boy. He bore @ note; Percy could see it in his hand. He presented the note; Percy took it. He read it and it said: “The manage- gent wishes to see you immediately.” “Who was it?” Percy asked of the boy, thinking that if this was the end, he might as well mae sure, “Mr. Ryan.” That killed the last doubt, end Percy went to see Mr. Ryan, the gentleman who represented the soulless corpora- tion in its dealings with its soulful force, He knew exactly what had hap- pened, The Punch-and-Judy sort of }ife he had been living of late had been found out; % probably had been af- ~ fire me,” Percy thought; and as he had nothing to say, smiled palely, which gave him an appearance of cool, dis- tant self-confidence—aithough he did not know it. “How would you ilke to travel for us?” Percy swayed. “What sort of & game ts this?” he thought, ‘““‘What sort cf a game?” “We want to work up our mail order business, You ought to be just the man for it—you're so sleek with the skirta!" ERCY'S estupefaction was now taken for a superior hesitation, and succeeded in raising Mr. Ryan’s nose from his blotter. ‘Well, why don’t you answer? Isn't that good enough? You didn’t expect to be made President of the company first pop, did you?” “I'd like to try it,” said Percy, at hast catching hold of hhnself, “What? President?’ “That travel business, sir on the law association Which means that in the mind, one word sug- gests another. For instance, it Ls dif- ficult to think “paper’’ without imme- @lately thinking “pen” or “ink.” Qn “bottle” without thinking—‘milk’’! As Percy Skinner left the office of Mr. Ryan the words which were in his brain, which possessed it entirely, in fact, were “five hundred dollars” and “forty a week." In the past, he and Etta had s0 Qrmly settled it that they would marry when he had $500 and earned $40 a week, that these words, now, imme- diately suggested “Etta and ‘“mar- riage.” ‘ So, without further thought, like an Sutomaton and on the instant, he went to Etta and told her they were going to marry. : She was making beds upstairs, and she came down swiftly, a little alarmed, lier hair in a turban, her shapely Ittie body in a tight smock which displayed to advantage all of its domestic vir- tues. And when she at last had un- derstood what he was telling her, she ot NEXT SATURDAY'S COMPLETE STORY THE SIGNED MASTERPIECE By FREDERICK IRVING ANDERSON High Tension Thrills in This Tale of the Work of the New York Detective Bureau Toward Trapping This Society Beauty, Who Is Very Much “ Suspect.” ORDER YOUR EVENING WORLD IN ADVANCE Congratulations, Afr. gratulations!" They spoke a few nothings, and then came to a dangerous Nothing. They stood on a corner, in the traffic, silent and pensive. ‘Well,’ she said, finally, “we had a good time, anyw y; didn’t wo, Percy?” “We certainly did,"’ he said heavily, Skinner, con- “And that's a whole lot, !sn’t it, Percy?” “You bet.” She looked away down the street, then added slowly, “You know, Percy, I think I did you a lot of good, You don’t know it now, but you will some day, Percy!” “I do now,” he protested, "Oh, no, you don’t! And shc—what's ber name, Percy?” “Etta.” “Etta? A sweet name! And ghe, Percy—well, I’ve done her good too, a lot of good. But she-—-well, she’! never know it, Percy!" THE END. Printed by arrangemeni with t Service, New York reserved Metropolitan Newnpa: Copyright. rey; 4 ‘