Smyrna times., 1907-07-17
By COLIN S. COLLINS.

Jack o Spades" Culbert called him
that nrst morning he had gone to work
IN the Buckley building. Protests 70
the effect that his name was Jobn Sv-
monds were Of no avail. His name
was Jack, and he was as black as tbe
ace OF spades, so the name clung.
AT first he was angry. but ono could
not remaln angry long with Kingsland
CulDert' and in the end Jack wound nm
10y paying him a hero worship that at
tlmes threatened to cost the man his
position; for with Culbert in the ele-
Vator 1t ran express to the next to the
TOP hoor, no matter what the other
passengers might threaten.
But Jack had gained the position
through having saved BucEley's little
girl from a runaway accident. and he
merely smiled tOlerantly ut the COM
plants and suggested that perhaps the
elevator had become unmanageable.
Until Edith Mcqueen came. Culbert
had reigned alone, but after that he
was relegated to second place. the ONLY
instance wherein, according to Ben
Hodgman, the queen Outranked both
king and jack in the pack.
Miss Mcqueen was employed by
Hodgman & pettit, whose office was
on the third floor, and it was Culbert's
habit to drop off at their offices on his
way out to lunch and pick up the girl.
lie had obtained the position for her,
| and If was understood that +I,o,- ,,-,,.o
engaged, though no golden band an
nounced that fact.
Then there came the day when Jack
noticed that Miss Mcqueen had been
crying when she came i'll. Culbert did
not arrive until late and his face was
drawn and very white He did not
even smile when he nodded to Jack
When he went out to lunch, he stayed
| twice as long as usual, and when he
did return it seemed 10 Jack that he
had had more than the one cocktail he
| usually allowed himself.
Miss Mcqueen did not go out to
| lunch at all, and when her employers
had ridden down to lunch together.
Jack slipped into the office to ask if
he could bring her in something There
he found her with her head upon her
arms. Her eyes glistened with tears
as she raised her face at the sound of
his entrance
Don't you want a cup O. tea, Miss
Queepie?" he pleaded. It's sho good
for the headache"
She shook her head with a wan little
smile and Jack slipped out again. That
night the car passed Culbert's floor
twice before it stopped for him A king
had been deposed.
But he was reinstated again because
Of his evident suffering After that
first day he did not repeat the cocktail
episode; indeed, he seemed oblivious tC
lunch time and never by any chance
used the elevator when Miss Mcqueen
might happen to be going out or in.
Jack pOndered the situation, but there
was only one conclusion possible in his
limited experience. There had been &
quarrel and both were too proud t.
speak first.
1t grieved him because they wer,
good friends of his, these two, anC
their quarrel hurt him as much as j
seemed to hurt them. More than one,
he was tempted to speak to one or til,
other and tell how the other suffered
but a certain delicacy held him back
and he could only miserably wait tn
turn OF events.
Then came Jacks scare. 1t was
dull afternoon, and he let the elevate
drop slowly down. At the ground foo
he threw open the door to look up a
a huge policeman; not Charlie, who ha
the beat and who sometimes came in t
get warm, but another man. stranger
Though he had never had direct dea
ings with the police, Jack was afrai
of them. To him they were not guarC
ians of the peace. They were me
who arrested people. When the bi
man demanded to know which offic
Miss Mcqueen was in, refreshing hi
memory as to the name from a fo
midable looking document, Jacks heal
sank.
81 want to see her about a stole
watch" he added and Jacks miser
was complete. The little chatelair
she had worn had been replaced latel
by more elaborate affair of gold wit
a long chain. 1t must be this one thi
Z was wanted.
= There was only one thing to be don
\ Hadn't Mr. Culbert got the jamie
, out of jail that time he had troub
with his wife? Jack ran the car L
to the sixth floor and with a vague 81
the left" shut the door and droppt
down to the third.
He burst in upon Miss Mcqueen wit
a face gray with horror and excit
ment She rose uncertainty at his ca
and came into the hall.
He fairly dragged her into the c.
and shot up to the top floor. Throus
the lattice guard ne could see the of
Ger descending the stairs. Some OF
= had told him where the girl worke
and he was going after her
Painting with fear, he, stopped at Il
eax.opfb door and pughqd Miss M