The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-04-04

He glanced down at himself rue
fully. His clothes needed brushing
and pressing, his shoes needed polish
ing, his face needed shaving.
I'll give you four guesses,' he Of
fered, with an attempt at his old
gayety.
II only need one," she replied.
You wouldn't listen to your Aunt
Bessie, and they got you"
YES" he admitted, they got me
and they got me good. l haven't a
dollar"
What are you going to do?"
IL don't know" he said, and, in
spite of his attempt to carry 1t OF
manfully, there was a catch in his
voice. The ginger was all out of him.
I'll get another start somehow, l
guess"
ooh, yes" she agreed. Some Of
your friends are sure to help you get
back on your feet again; Beauty
Phillips, for instance"
Hang Beauty Phillips!" he said.
"Such languagei" she exclaimed,
but nevertheless she secretly delight
ed in 1t, this time. 81 guess you're
about ready to go back to Prosperity"
she decided.
He drew a sharp breath.
I'D die flrst!" he declared. III
live some way, though. They always
live" and he laughed bitterly. II
passed a group Of just such men as
1 may become, sitting on the stone
bench at Herald square; but I'll keep
on living, l am sure Of that"
He seemed to be afraid that he
would not. He seemed to be afraid
of himself, and suddenly Miss Will
liams saw with a shock that he was
"one of the tragedy kind" 1t set
her to swift thought, and a sudden
bold idea came to her.
81 believe l know of an opening for
you" she said, with a suppressed
gasp at her own temerity; "a part
nership that would be about the best
thing you ever had offered to you
Come around and see M next Mon
day afternoon"
What kind of a business is it?" he
aohOu So6OiAs q = AASAS VI AOPO
%springing in his eyes.
"You mustn't ask questions" she
warned him, because l don't want to
disappoint you. l feel very sure,
though, that l can land it for you"
That afternoon between work she
wrote a letter, a proceeding which
always made the boss barber nervous.
Billy, however, managed to get a
glimpse at the envelope before it was
mailed, and felt better about it, for
the letter was addressed to Elizabeth
Ruth Emery, Prosperity, Indiana.
On Monday morning, Elizabeth Ruth
Emery and her sister arrived. and
Elizabeth Ruth sent down word that
she would like to see Miss Williams.
That young lady promptly went up to
the room, and was confronted by a
girl almost as pretty as Jimmy had
tried to describe.
The two girls shook hands, and if
there had been any distrust in the
bosom of Miss Edwards it melted in
a moment as she looked into the
truthful eyes of Bessie Williams.
Where is Mr.. Carroll?" asked the
girl from Prosperity, with trembling
eagerness. "How i'll is he? Has he
a good doctor?"
I'm his only doctor" responded
Miss Williams, "and the only pre-
scription I've given him was the one
I wrote to you. You see, it isn't his
body that's sick, it's his mind
Ts---n-- n--r-111- - @AI I@,v L-N L,-Ie
a fool"
Miss Emery flushed a bit, indig
nantly, but her sister smiled.
I ct suspected as much" she said
II think your description is abou'
right, Miss Williams. He is a goot
boy, and I'm afraid he is the res
of it."
Il guess he's cured of that" salt
3 Miss Williams, laughing, "but afte
- all, he's no bigger fool thar the crow
r that put him on the reefs. He though
t he could play the bucket shops, ant
nc living has ever kept at tina
and finished on the coy side of il
I For about a month he thought h
g owned New York, and now he's dow
o and out; that's all. l tried to get hin
to go home, but he wouldn't go, so
sent for the sheriff"
The girl from Prosperity was nor
g plussed; also she was honest.
y II don't quite know whether Il
thank you for inducing me to tax
this trip or not" she said, a littl
n coldly.
g Wait until you see Jimmy" re
sponded Miss Williams easily, 70
she felt quite confident of the GU
@ come.
1t was about two o'clock when h
y came, looking worse than ever. H
n vas pale nov and also shabby, an
she judged that maybe he was hun
i" CRY, too, but he was shaved and hi
% clothes were brushed. She looked q
his hand. The ring was gone. H
had made that sacrifice to appea
d neatly in case the '"partnershi
chance" should come out right, an
he was tremblingly eager to know
she had heard anything favorable.
e She took him up to the girl frol
Prosperity just as he was. He wi
d not be whittier when he is dead tina
a. he turned when he saw her. For
1t moment they just looked and looket
They were both trembling. The
% slowly she held out her hands to hin
g. Suddenly, with a sob, he dropped o
n his knees before her, there upon tn