The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-05
Daily Short Story
WHO HAD THE SIXTH?
By JANE OSBORN.

Martin Jones was an Owl He be-
longed to the most exclusive secret
senior society at Stanton, the official
title of which was the Order of Owls.
1t is great thing to be elected to
membership of this society. 1t means
that after you leave college you can
wear the small enameled pin on your
waistcoat-not too conspicuously, but
just where it may show when you
take out your watch. 1t means that
when you see another Owl anywhere in
your wanderings you can impart to
him, through some secret pressures
and intricacies OF your handshake that
you are as socially desirable as he. 1t
means, too, that when you meet a
pretty girl that as soon as you can
con yeniently let fall the fact that you
are a Stanton Owl, she will immediate
ly open her deep blue or brown eyes
a little wider and smile little more
graciously. If by chance you fall a
victim to these smiles 1t means that
you can delight her simple heart by
asking her to wear your Owl pin for
you.
Now, Martin Jones had been out Of
Stanton College for ten years, and he
had discovered that here and there in
the business and social world there
were unknowing men and women who
were ignorant of the value of Owl
membership, that sometimes in his
work as a lawyer a man needed to
know more of his ability than simply
the fact that he was an OWL and that
sometimes even and old and seasoned
Owl himself did not take him into the
bosom of his family. simply because he
was an Owl. But one illusion of Mar
Owls remained intact. That was the
value of Owl membership among the
pretty girls he happened to meet. They
would always put Martin up two or
three pegs when they saw his pin.
The result of this was that on sew
eral occasions Martin had in a moment
of unrefiectfng enthusiasm parted with
an Owl pin as pledge OF his affec-
tioHs. There were always more at.
headquarters .=Athat-a-eould be bought
upon application from a member.
One morning when Martin was open
Ing his mail in his small bachelor
apartment shared by his chum and an
other Owl from Stanton. he came
across a notice from headquarters of
the Owl society.
Another hold-up. from the Owls"
said Martin CHANGING at the envelope.
Il sent a check for a hundred last
year. I suppose they want me to help
them build landing place for flying
machines now. Honest, Tom. a man
might as well be paying alimony as to
be an Owl
IF you'd look at the notice you
wouldn't kick so hard said Tom. Il
got one of those notices this morning.
too. 1t isn't hold-up. It's about that
new rule. Owls can't give their pins
away to girls any more unless they are
engaged or married. One or two of the
men have been reckless about II, but
the new rule says that all outstanding
pins have got to come in on penalty of
a heavy fine. The records tell just how
many each man has bought, and now
they will have II swear that they are
either lost or in proper hands. It's a
rCo' ule, but, of course, it doesn't hit
SIS IS only some of those girl-crazy
sgfu1r es they have been taking in
.a.eis that would give their pins to a
gin
AiE in blinked rapidly at Tom. and
then ooked at him sharply to see that
ne as serious. Yes, of course.
rIiehsv fine rule he said. mo, it
wouinn't hit you or me. 1t is sort of
rlnizaHce to have to swear you lost all
goa ave ordered, though"
OF don't see why" returned Tom.
Ell on have lost them you've lost
sa1E7 and that's all there is about it
50 Cle would ever pawn an Owl pin.
F1s- aren't worth enough" - "a
NO. of course not II you've lost
r-gu it is all right" Martin had
opened his notice and a special sisp
irsrpsd out with the statement from
reeJglarters notifying Martin that he
gv0ulg have to account for six pins
prF-r from time to time he had re-
q. .--. from headquarters. Il must
hra lost a good many" he said to