Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-07-11
COURT CAP
AND CUP i
By CO
-. COLLINS.


was JACK, anu ne WIS dS ulttIh 10 NhC
ace of spades, so the name chung.
At first he was angry, but one could
not remain angry long with kngsland
Culbert and in the end Jack wound up
by paying him hero worship that at
times threatened to cost the man his
position; for with Culbert in the ele-
vator It ran express to the next to the
top floor, no matter what the other
passengers might threaten
But Jack had gained the position
through having saved Buckley's little
girl from a runaway accident, and he
merely smiled tolerantly at 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 I'm the pack.
Miss Mcqueen was employed by
Iodgman & Petit whose office was
the third floor. and 1t was Culberts
abit to drop off at their offices on his
ay out to lunch and pick up the girl.
Q had obtained the position for her,
It was understood that they were
gagged, though no golden band an
49,, need that fact.
Then there came the day when Jack
noticed that Miss Mcqueen had been
crying when she came in. Culbert did
not arrive until late and his face was
drawn and very white. He did not
even smile when lie nodded to Jack.
When he went out to lunch, he stayed
twice as long as usual, and when he
did return it seemed to 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 glisteued with tears
as she raised her face at the sound OF
his entrance.
Don't you want cup O tea, Miss
QueeHieT' 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 Cuibert'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 to
lunch time and never by any chance
used the elevator when Miss Mcqueen
might happen to be going out or in.
Juck pondered the situation, but there
was only one conclusion possible in his
limited experience. There had been a
quarrel and both were too proud to
speak first
1t grieved him because they We're
good friends of his, these two, and
their quarrel hurt him as much as it
seemed to hurt them. More than once
he was tempted to speak to one or the
other and tell how the other suffered.
but a certain delicacy held him back
and he could only miserably wait the
turn Of events.
Then came Jacks scare. 1t was q
dull afternoon, and he let the elevator
drop slowly down. At the ground floor
he threw open the door to look up at
huge policeman; not Charlie, who had
the beat and who sometimes came in to
get warm, but another man, a stranger.
Though he had never had direct deal
ings with the police Jack was afraid
of them. To him they We're not guard
ians of the peace. They were men
who arrested people. When the big
man demanded to know which office.
Miss Mcqueen was in. refreshing his
memory as TO the name from for
midable looking document, Jacks heart
sank
Il want to see her about a stolen
watch he added. and Jacks misery
was complete The little chatelaine
she had worn had been replaced lately
by more elaborate affair of gold with
long chain. 1t must be this one that
was wanted.
There was only one thing to be done.
Hadn't Mr.. Culbert got the janitor
out of Jail that time he had trouble
with hds wife? Jack ran the car up
to the sixth floor and with n vague ITO
the left shut the door and dropped
down to the third.
He burst in upon Miss Mcqueen with
face gray with horror and excite
ment. She rose uncertainty at his call
and came into the hall
He fairly dragged her into the car
and shot up to the top floor. Through
the lattice guard he could see the Off
Ger descending the stairs. Some one
had told him where the girl worked,
and he was going after her
Painting with fear, he stopped at the
seventh floor and pushed Miss Nc
Queen into Culberts office, closing and
locking the door after him. Culbert
looked up wearily from the desk
Whats the matter, JackT he de
manded, with a formal bow. to the
girl
"DaT's policeman after her." he ex-
planned. "She done stole watch, and
he's after her"
What are you talking about7" Cul-
bert cried. Miss Mcqueen a thief.
Impossible"
He done say he want to see her
about watch thatAwas stole, +" insisted
Jack. "Ah done hear. him"
"A policeman wishes TO see meT
asked the girl. About a watrh7s
Jack nodded. IT think can EXPLAIN"
Gle went On Turning fn r,1YI,ox%