Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-07-10
TheG Grand Promoter
He Wa. Almost Out When Luck TUNED
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

hAC 90 AA0 AA CNA ~ ~
hat, but 1t was no go.
If he went up to the dentists Office
to get warm he would be dunned for
So borrowed money.
That morning at the table the land
lady had glared at him.
He must come down with the cash
or skip.
He was played out at every free
lunch place within a mile.
Never before in his career as a grand
promoter and a grand deadbeat had
he been SO close to a desperate stu
alton. He felt that he had been wrong
ed. He felt that he was a victim to be
pitied.
In a drawer of his three legged desk
was an old revolver. He had bought It
Of a junkman for 10 cents, and he
had made use of 1t to menace his
clothes cleaner whensthat person came
up and stood in the door and shouted
out:
You owe me 81, und if you don't
pay him oop ] shall have you in prison
in two minitsF'
4 sight of the deadly pistol had al
ways sent the cleaner downstairs on
the jump and saved the majors dtg-
nifty, but shouldn't 1t be used for a diff
ferent purpose now?
The major placed the muZzle OF the
weapon to his ear and s~huddered.
He opened his mouth. thrust the pis-
tol into the cavity and sighed.
He held it against his heart and
counted twenty and-didn't pull the
trigger!
mo. no; l will live on" he exclaimed
as the pistol was replaced and he
stood up.
That's fight, old rooster~ exclaim-
ed a hearty voice at the door, and the
major turned to behold a jolly faced
stranger.
"What can | do for you. sir?"
"Gfve sympathy and help to a brother
in trouble
"Were You about to commit suicide?"
az was"
"In hard luck?'
1.-THE hardest kind"
Don't do 1t, major. l came in here
two months ago with only So left. /
had determined to take a desperate
chance-that is, to invest my last shil-
ling with you. You sold me some all
yer stock at 8 cents on the dollar. You
said it would soon be worth co."
"But l was deceived" replied the
major. who expected a blowing up.
"You mean you lied to me-lied like
a trooper. But don't get ervou va
1t. | have called to thank you"
"You-you have!"
"Yess sir. have sold that stock at
parr'
"And-and as / put you on to a good
thing you have come to divideg"
Milky on the divide, major; just my
thanks"
But you have made thousands" was
walled.
Had to or bust"
"You ought to give me $1,000"
81 have to take a trip around the
world
SAY $500, then"
81 go to see about a castle on the
Rhine. major. Ia, tar
Major Crowfoot's legs gave under
him. but he wabbled to the desk and
brought out that old revolver.
1t should be death this time.
The grim grimmest of deaths.
He had had a fortune in his hands
and let it go to another.
Hang on? OF what use when the
world had given him the boot? No. he
would not hang on. He would be found
dead in bis chair. and his suicide
should lay heavy on the conscience of
those who had picked on him and
driven him to a rash act.
The major had the muzzle to his ear
again and was wondering if it made
any difference which ear received the
fatal bullet when a woman's voice
cried out:
Hold, rash man-hold!'
81 will D0tr
"You musti'
81 am ruined and can no longer face
the world"
major Crowfoot, don't you recognize
my voice2 Put down that immoral
weapon and turn your face this way"
MY landlady!" he gasped as he
obeyed her.
Believe mer'
But You gave me the cold glare this
morning"
81 did and was sorry for it five min
utes later. You owe me about $50,
but should a landlady worthy of a
name glare about a tride like that?"
But l can't pay it!' despairingly an
nounced the major.
mo one asks you to. Room and
board with me right along for the
next two years and nothing will be
said about the BILL"
Mrs. Clawhammer, you can't mean
til"
'That's the sort Of a woman / am.
And there will be porterhouse steak
for you at every dinner"
"Am l alive or dead?"
"As lively as a cricket. major, and