Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25
BY SEWELL FORD

Courtney, baclin' the settee and s,,mpn down
patient with newspaper wrapped bundle his knee
And there notin left for me to do but trot in
with the announcement. | finds Old Hickory with his
desk piled full of mail and two stenographers busy
takn dictation but Piddie always rates Courtney
as preferred b, business follows suit
"Eh?' says Mr.. Ellins shootin puzzled glance
at me from under the heavy eyebrows what Melsh
"The travelin collection box, says l. ct Courtney"
oh" says he You mean Mr. N1eiish, do youos
If you re particular says l. make it Mister"
HUH grunts Old Hickory, and knew by that imi-
tation smile of his I'd got in bad the jump. "We
that you do make it Mister hereafter. And to help
YOU remember, young man, will tell you that Mr.
Alellsh held quite responsible position which he
lost through no fault of his own
"Yes I've heard that from Piddie,' says l.
"Have your says he. Then perhaps you will allow
me to add that | consider Mr.. MelSh thoroughly
deserving as well as a most snguarly unfortunate
person
Yes Sir" says l. Maybe I'd best rush him right
in, them
And don't know whether it was seem Old Hickory
get up on his sudden the shocked the
lady typlsts was gawpln at me, but | couldn't help
either
at appears, he goes on sarcastic that you find
s0ms f5a :a a"ins WITH N tns 9 an any Of nv
guess. | don't know
"Out with it, now" breaks in Old Hickory. whats
funny about Mellish-or me?7
And there's no tryln to SldeStep when he comes
at you that way. My rule is to give it to him straight
"Why, says |, from the side lines it looks like
of smooth CRATER meetin' easy mark.
The typewriter ladies gasped, and looked for nothn
less than boiler explosion myself: but you can
tell about Old Hickory. He blows out cylinder head
when you least expect it and then when you bracn
yourself for reg lar Vesuvius act. he keeps cool
cake of ice. This one OF his trapped times.
"Indced!7 says he, reachin into pigeonhole and
pullin out letter Then will just give you
object lesson my the folly of unfounded preu
dice. Here recent letter from Mr.. Mellsh which
states his case fully. While YOU waiting outside,
read it. I'll ring when I'm ready to YOU again
Say there's rubber stamp to Old Hickory, is there?
He's equal to maxim out a program for every
on the board, he is! If he wants to roast you-whv,
before you know it. you're done to crisp; and if he
dont-wel, he hands you his private correspondence
to read.
TT was an odd frarneup. though, Courtney roostn'
placid on side of the rail. and the other
goin' over the evidence. And must say that for
touch episode this Exhibit A work of art. It's
written neat and careful in round ourshy hand, with
reg rosetes at the bottoms of the upper Is and
all the final Gs and VS. finished off with shaded dadoes
below the line. Yes, and the word paintn was some
fossy, too.
"EsTEEMED AND RESPECTED SIR it starts out:
"Once venture to address you the matter of
my i'll starred fortunes Sitting here my squad tene
wretched loved who patiently share the unkind
Fate that remorselessly to pursue me, am
forcing numbed fingers to plead their in my
poor way.
There was more of this preliminary stuff; but it
when Courtney really gets down details that he begun
to spread the local color thick Most of page
all about little Master Elns Meish; so it looked