The Ordway new era., 1912-06-28


0NGAtN much unnecessary noise
that I said to him:
"See here, Brod. several OF your
humble fellow.mcmbers are trying to
read. What Is wrong with you? What
has upset you? II you won't tell me.
at least stop your rumpus"
He turned on me sharply.
1T is the sight Of you or rather the
remembrance OF what you stand for
that keeps me from forgetting what
is on my mind. Hang 1t! l may as
well tell you"
A dozen other men about pricked
up their ears.
you and your partner Rand are
professional Investigators OF the prob
lens and puzzles OF this troubled hu-
man life. He is the cleverest man
alive and you-well. you know how to
look wise. ! am tormented by n de-
sire to tell you. or somebody who can
think 1t out. perfectly foolish. en-
tirely absurd set OF circumstances
which has come under my notice.
They amount to nothing at all and
yet they are arousing my curiosity"
Curiosity is the broom of the mind.
An unexplained fact passed over is
the beginning OF mental untidiness."
said Lawrence Rand's quiet. distinct
voice from the doorway behind us.
60 on. Broderick. perhaps the trivial
will lead to the important"
"Well. l will. on one condition. You
two are not in this business for the
entertainment you derive from 1t and
suppose you know that am not like
ly to embarrass myself when I ask
you to undertake this case on a gen.
erous retainer and pursue 1t to q fin
ish at my cost"
Every we'll" said Rand. The listen
ing members. seeing badinage turning
into business. turned away and sever
al were about to leave the room.
mo. no. Don't go. you fellows. I
want everybody to hear this. only
don't laugh at me. Last night just
before six o'clock I went into Lang
stadter's stationery store on Sixth
avenue just south OF Herald Square
and asked for dozen paper nap
kins. ! wanted Just that sort of paper
on which to lay some damp specimens
to dry. and 1t occurred to me that pa
per napkins were quite what wanted.
A pretty little black-eyed woman be-
hind the counter spoke up when
stated my requirements.
"I am sorry she said. but we have
just sold every one we had
Nonsense, there are nine gross
down in that third drawer said a
man behind the counter.
"'No. they are all gone.' corrected
the woman; even the broken lots. A
young man came in here in rush
just before lunch today and asked for
all the paper napkins l had. He got
fourteen hundred and ten
"If you will wait just a minute,
SIR said the mamie may have been
the proprietor Of the place. Judging
from his manner-I will send across
the street and get some
81 waited while the boy went out.
He was gone an numerically long
time and at last arrived on the run.
out of breath. clutching the two-dol-
lar bill he had taken to pay for his
purchase.
"'Dey amt none in no place around.
I been clean over to Ate Av'noo. Dey
says some guys bought 'em all out
today
I'VE all laughed and walked out,
but it suddenly struck me as extreme
ly queer that any man who really
wanted a large quantity Of paper nap
kins should not telephone a wholesale
house. He would have saved time.
money and trouble. There was no
excuse such as the wholesale stores
being closed. for 1t was Tuesday in
the middle of the day that he was buy
ing and every thing was wide open in
all New York. On my way home I
passed two places that might sell pa
per napkins and went in. Both were
sold out. Both had sold to a hand
some young man. The last place was
on Broadway close to Fifty-seventh
street, moro than a mile from Lang
stadter's. Now, Lawrence Rand.
Prince of Pryers-tell me what that
fellow wanted with all those broken
lots Of paper napkins!"
There was little nervous laughter
among the assembled men. but it was
plain to me that the simple problem
had sunk deep into their minds.
1t adds nothing to the main thread
Of this story to say that inside of an
hour every man in the club had heard
the premises and that the most inter
esdng evening we have ever had en-