The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-01-12


The ash can Eh?"
1T wouldn't be, for you, of course;
but-what's the use of being Mr..
Grump? Brace up? Come on up to
Churchill's and Wen drinky-drink 1t
outy-out."
But Broadway would have none of
such a plan as that. He went to his
apartment, and. rummaging In every
drawer and pocket, collected every
bill which he could find. There were
a hundred of them, ranging in all
sorts of figures and for all sorts of
articles, from diamonds to gasoline,
from charity to faro. The arrival of
the sympathetic Rankin, who believed
his master had a headache, with a
note from Mrs. Gerard, interrupted the
bookkeeping which, for the first time
in his life, Broadway had begun. 1t
had not been encouraging, as far as
he had gone.
He read the note and found 1t to be
an invitation. Deciding to accept 1t,
he decided, also, that 1t must be the
last N of the sort he must accept.
1t had become intensely plain to him
that now had come the time when he
must cease his gaieties and find more
money.
He was a gloomy figure at the feast
that night, and his gloom grew with
every aged smile which Mrs. Gerard
cast In his direction. 1t was plain
enough to him, to everyone, that this
exceedingly rich lady, of uncertain age,
regarded him with very friendly eyes.
She even sometimes called him Jack
son." After the dinner he took Robert
Wallace downtown with him In his
sixty horsepower touring ear.
Mrs. Gerard" he ventured, seems
a well-preserved old-er-I mean that
she seems well preserved"
Well canned, you mean,' said Wal
lace. But too much chemical preserv-
alive in females Is as dangerous as
1T Is in food. How did we happen to
go there tonight? You roped me into
that, Broadway. You didn't tell me
where you meant to take me. You
merely said we'd go to dinner with
some friends of yours"
Well, she's a friend of mine"
Broadway defended rather hotly. An
Idea, so terrible that il was fascinat-
ing, had occurred to him.
She might have gone to school with
your grandmother. 1t makes me sick
to see her ogle you. / think she wants
to marry you"
Broadway burst into a laugh which
he was well aware was quite too loud.
too cackly and too hollow; he feared
acutely that his friend would ~ecogniz
its f~alseness.
TO marry me! Ho, ho!" Instantly
his manner changed. But | don't like
the way you speak about her, Bob.
Remember-we have just enjoyed her
hospitality"
Enjoyed it! Speak for yourself, old
man! If | had known where you were
going, do you suppose | would have
gone with you? | can meet grand
mothers schoolmates at the Old La
dies home. | don't have to go to din
ner with them"
Now, Bob!"
Wallace burst into a laugh. 81 be.
lieve it Is pure charity" he guessed.
You are trying to make others happy.
You smile on her as you would throw
a dollar into a Salvation Army cash
pot around Christmas time"
Bob. I'm thinking about getting
married"
His friend sat straight and looked at
aim 10 dumb amaZement for a second.
Married? And is grandma in some
way related to the bride who may hp %
Bob, | need
He stopped. Almost he had told his
friend he needed money; but he had
not the courage. To confess poverty
on Broadway is like confessing muir
der in a church.
Need what?"
"A rest. I'm going to-er-take
pm sort OF a vacation. Don't know
what. Maybe back to the old home.
Anyway, you won't see me around for
quite a little while"
Never mind, old chap! I'll tell
then all that you have had to go
away on business. Go somewhere and
get Strengthened out. You need 1t.
There's something wrong with you, or
you would never have gone to that
dinner where that ancient m~artness
could ogle you the way she did.
well, you won't see me for a week
or two"
Drop me a line ii you want any
thing"
Jackson Jones went away early ON
the following morning. AS ignorant Of
business and of business methods as
a baby, yet he tried to scheme some
way by means Of which he might re-
coup his staggering finances. Wild
ideas, all impractical. whirled through
his brain.
He must have money, that was GER
tain. He had not the least idea of
just how he had accomplished 1t, but
he had spent his patrimony--spent 1t
all and more than all OF 1t. II he had
paid up the debts he cwod-Wh1oh Ill