The Washington herald., 1911-10-22

two classes of fortunates-the who receive the
single knock and the who are favored with the
axe-I hereby bumby append third-those on whose
door Opportunity knocks time and again, but who
though plainly hearing the tickle rascal wait yawn-
ingly till he offers his best his easiest terms.
have reasons for this classification; want Jimmy
Martindale to have his proper place.
My acquaintance with Jimmy came by way of his
cousin, E. Montgomery Martindale. All, there
after my heart! 1 my heart it used
to be.
E. Montgomery was a big, a handsome man, with
winning ways. He liked to be called hypnotic" He
also promoter. blush to say it in these degen-
crate days, constantly kicking pro-
moters out of ones way. But eight years ago 1 said
it with enthusiasm that turned every syllable into
Utilization it rolled from my admrlng tongue-E.
Montgomery Martindale, Promoter.
l can't for the life of me remember when I first
met E. Montgomery. 1 have the feeling that I must
have known him always. Other people who knew him
for but few hours confess to the feeling. He
the sort of who comes to you If he wants to-
in spite of every difficulty, exuding himself were,
through the pores of the densest obstacle.
My first and only visit to Jimmys place was the re-
suit of accident. z. Montgomery, who desirous
of presenting huge business proposition for my
consideration, had taken his automobile for
long, uninterrupted talk Automobiles were even
less reliable in those days. and three miles of
walk across the fields to Jimmy's," E Montgomery
said. Wen telephone in for team and while it's
coming We'll talk. Jimmy's is just as safe place
we could find"
Jimmy's place gave a pretty fair notion of what
Jimmy must be by the time we had opened his front
gate and started up his walk 1t nice gravel
walk, Immediately kept and bordered by lines of
small whitewashed bowlders each exactly like
its mates that Immediately concluded their
bo,-o HING fbaD1 ode Of
pale petunas innocent daisies, flowers of
tra shades occasional cumps of gentle lavender
and soothing asparagus modestly accompanied the
funereaI lines the door. There riot Of color
in Jimmy's garden; it more like prayer meeting
than riot.
The house. queer little drab affair, peeked shyly
down the walk, if half minded to cut and run.
What sort of is your cousins wife?' 1
asked E. Montgomery, without knowing why.
He laughed Good Lord, Jimmy's not marredr' he
said as if the mere idea ridiculous enough. He
will marry"
why" asked.
Because it takes initiative to marry" he replied
"and initiative isn't Jimmys long suit He hasn't
got the nerve. No, Jimmy lives here all alone
Keeps chickens and sells eggs. AS Martindale he's
a joke"
lilac bush at the corner hid little porch which
gnugged against the walls of the house like bashful
child trying to hide in it's bashful mothers skirt.
What astonished me was the unceremoniousness Of
entrance. E. Montgomery boldly opened the screen
porch door, motioned to one of the porch chairs
and pushing his way the front soon returned
with huge scratch tablet, which he balanced tenta-
lively upon one knee.
| lifted my eyebrows interrogatively.
He's out feeding his chickens said E. Mont
gOmery don't let that keep you from feeling per-
fectly at home"
He draped one long leg the porch couch and
stirred the gently with his foot While he
talked, as only E. Montgomery could talk he made
casual thrusts with long, fat pencil at the pages Of
the scratch book
1t then and there that first heard of Noun
tain Gap City, little town some two hundred miles
distant. Z. Montgomery was going to do things at
to-Mounain Gap City and do them if didn't
mind, with the trivial and really unnecessary assist
of my money Every time the long, fat pencil
made a thrust it left behind of figures, always
little for the money that to be spent and
always a big for the money that was to be made.
We had been talking about quarter of an hour
when Jimmy
Just got here minute ago Jimmy Mr. Gilmore
this is my cousin Mr. Martndae," said E. Montgom-
cry with exactly the and that my father
used to in introducing a boy strangers.
1t just like his This Mr. Blank my little son
Wordsworth. Shake hands with the gentleman
Wordsworth"
Jimmy gave me noncommttal hand. He sank
back softly the portion of he couch not already
occupied by his cousin, and l saw that he wore gray
hose and gray carpet slippers. l don't know why
should have noticed such trivial things unless it
was that they seemed assertive anything else
about him. He sat there shyly without speaking
Insignificant Little Jimmy.
Indeed, there was little chance for him to talk
E. Montgomery, after the introduction, reverted to
Mountain CITY without the of single
breath That was something of a surprise for me. 1
didn't relish having most intimate business rela-
tons shared by Jimmy
The little man compelled my occasional notice even
while E. Montgomery was talking to me- His very {
insignifcance pronounced paradoxcal as that
may seem, that it excited my curiosity
He was innocent of expression as a white saucer
completely his features seemed to have withdrawn
into the general contour of his face This withdrawal