The Topeka state journal., 1913-12-13
7zE EVENING STORY

7w ErnNzxe s7oaY
Cunningham's Turn.
(By Chester FArrinston.)
The door Of the private ONCE
opened. Cunningham looked mp from
the litter OF papers ON his desk to see
1fiag Craig standing there with q sheaf
Of letters for him to sign. Cunning
ham pulled forward a chair.
''sit down q moment. won't your"
he asked.
"some more letters?" she asked.
mo-" said Cunningham. mo,
want your opinion"
Miss Craig nat down. Cunningham
pretended to bo busy with the letters
she had just brought In. In reality
he was looking at her out Of the tail
Of his eye. She was an amazingly
pretty girl.
Moreover. she was young. She
couldn't be over twenty at the most.
Cunningham was suddenly aware that
he was thirty-six and that his hair
was beginning to thin out alarmingly
ON top. He had been aware for some
time that Miss Craig was . very pref
| ty and q very charming young wo-
aware of It, the moro he had realized
also how nearly bald he was. Taken
together they were dangerous symp-
toms.
Cunningham had worked up by his
own efforts to the position of general
manager with the Crawford Motor
company. He hadn't had time to
| think OF much else but work until
lately. Now he was beginning to
think Of other things that bald head
l-or nearly bald head-obtruded itself
persistently in his limo of vision.
Cunningham took another glance at
Miss Craig out. OF the tail Of his eye
and his heart sank. He felt sixty II he
felt q day.
Miss Craig sighed softly. That made
Cunningham -aWare-even as 1t was
! intended to do-that it was nearly
nve.
He sprawled his signature across
the topmost sheaf Of letters and
turned In his chair. Miss Craig had
all her poise with her that day. Cum
ntnghAm gulped and felt decidedly
foolish. But he had to say some
thing. So he began, lamely enough:
Have they grated you for IL, too ?''
For what ?" said she.
Tho present for Billy Coyle.''
She smiled.
'T gave them 81" she said.
Cunningham froWned.
I'm against this sort of thing. %
said he. I'm my opinion 1t should be
| stopped. Every time any one in this
omce gets married they give him a
present. That's all right enough in
| itself. But each time it's q better
present: each time they expect you to
come up with q little more"
Miss Craig nodded, as If In conn
plete sympathy with his mood.
Nov me-" said CUNNINGHAM. Tive
given this past year by strict account
$b7 Tor wedding presents to the ofiice
force. and the year Is young yet; also,
| there are q great many unmarried
people, male and female, yet on the
force. The end is not in sight, you
see.''
Miss Craig said: They have gone
it pretty steep on some of the last
presents.'
Cunningham nodded vigorously.
don't know how I'm going to get
oack even with 'em unless I go and
get married myself" said he.
| Miss Craig smiled. She seemed to
take 1T AZ q joke. Hang IL. why
should it be joke his getting mar
ried?
"Only wouldn't know where to
look Tor the girl or how to ask her. %
said he.
Miss Craig smiled again. i've put
IN over $10 this year. I've been WON
derfng II there was any way Tor me to
get square outside OF matrimony. IRIS
been an awful nuisance sometimes.
Why, when they took up the subecrin-
ton for Alice Marr's present needed
9 new dress. It strapped mo dread-
iuHy needed the $3.50 had to give
toward the present to 60 into the
:. .M.at,ismony.s ct, TIE only way to get back