Charlevoix county herald., 1914-09-12

what does your mother call
you?" Mr.. Demarest continued.
"Red," Wolfe Tone growled, and
glared at Wesley and Campbell.
Mr.. Demarest shook his head.
"That wouldn't do for this Office"
he said. Hereafter we'll call you
Tony"
He grinned again, and then it &C.
Cured to Wolfe Tone for the first
time how much he wanted to kill
Mr.. Demarest.
wesley and Campbell will tell
you what to do" continued Mr.. De-
marest over his shoulder, and left
Wolfe Tone alone with his two con-
freres.
There was an embarrassed silence
for a moment. Wesley was the first
to speak.
"Say, Tony" he began. He went
no further, for Wolfe Tones gray
eyes seemed to shed sparks.
"S-a-a-y," e growled, and the
baneful timbre of his voice made
Wesley shiver-"you winter cut out
dat dago talk. Me Names Lynch
see ?"
Wesley was tall for lis Is ears.
but as loosely put together as Wolfe
Tone was we'll knit. His hair COM
posed itself in two slick di isions
over his egg-shaped heaC, and he
wore different necktie every day.
In appearance he differed from
Campbell only in the length of his
nose and the color of his ewes.
Campbell, however, was one year his
senior, and lavished his hedomadal
six dollars on candy for a stenog
rapher i'll the medical department.
"Well, then, Lynch" Wesley went
on, you'll find dust-rag in the
closet in Mr.. Demarest's office.
You've ootter clean off the desks
this morning.
Wolfe Tone looked up.
"Gotter, hey?" he calculated.
Wesley winked at Campbell.
"Sure," he replied. 81 did it YES
terday, and it's Campbell's turn to-
morrow"
"Show me de DESKS" said Wolfe
Tone, rising to his feet.
1t was barely 8 o'clock, and the
majority of the clerks had not yet
arrived. Wesley led the way to the
vacant desks, for the most part old
oak furniture that had been discard
ed by the outer Offices. The general
public rarely visits the actuarial de-
partment; hence, there is no such
show Of mahogany and brass as
makes the Benefit Lies counting
room veritable palace.
Wesley and CampL-l ii usually de-
voted scant quarter of an hour to
their task, but it was full 10 o'clock
before Wolfe Tone returned to the
bench.
what kept you?" Wes.I asked.
Wolfe Tone scowled.
"Narten," he sail.
"Why, it oughtn't to take you half
an hour to clean those desks" Camp
bell declared, and fell to manicuring
his nails with penknife.
Wolfe Tone snorted and sat down
on the bench, while Wesley went off
to examine the lob. He came back
snickering and whispered to Camp
bell, whereat they both burst out
laughing.
Wolff Tone glowered at them.
"Wot's bitin' youse ?" he demand
ed.
Why" said Campbell, "you
cleaned off the ink-stains."
There were blots on the desks that
had remained undisturbed for
months. Campbell and Wesley had
contented themselves by a perfume
tory rubbing with the dust-cloth.
"Sure l did," Wolfe Tone replied.
They laughed apain.
Glow did you manage il? ?" Wes-
ley asked.
Wolfe Tones lip curled contempt
uously.
"Wit me spit wot | got and me fin
ger-nails," he replied scathingly. 81
amt no Willie-boy."
Uncorsciously his fists clenched
and he glared at Campbell, who con-
tinued his manicuring, while his fell
low exquisite whistled popular mel
ody in a tuneless undertone.
Wolfe Tone was casting about for
more insulting phrases.
can wot's more" he continued, 'T
kin lift de face of bote of yez."
Wesley laughed nervously as the
call-bell rang.
That's for you," he said to Wolfe
Tone, who jumped from his seat, still
glazing.
"Why is it fer me ?" he demanded.
"When the bell rings once, that's
for you," Wesley replied; "twice for
me, and three times for Campbell"
1t was a o'clock before Wolfe
Tone awoke to the circumstance
that he had answered the bell at in
tervals of two minutes during the
entire day. In addition, the re-
sourceful Wesley had ordered the
lunch-hour to be taken by seniority,
so that it was half past two before
Wolfe Tone hastily partook of his
midday frankfurter on Ann Street.
Even the normal digestion of four
year-old lad will rebel at such
treatment; and, spurred as much by
dull pain in the region of his
stomach as by a sense of outraged
justice, he entered Mr.. Demarest's
room few minutes after o'clock.
"Say," he said to the tenth assist
ant actuary, "des two guys outside
amt answered de bell wanst today"
Mr.. Demarest arched his eyebrows
e,.,oaro,I,o,,e1x,