The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-14


 Porta ble Bungalow company and that five of the undersigned were to share in all it's losses and provide all the money needed, J. Rufus Wallingford being exempt from any share in that end of the business by. virtue of his perpetual nanagership. It was neat and nifty document, and the boys were justly proud of it and themselves as well as they appended their scrawling signatures to it. It was deuced bloom ing fun, after all, this thing of going into, trade. Quite sportin'!
 Their innocent joy oyer this stage of being in trade was as nothing, how ever compared to their dignified grati- f1catfon when, with Benssy Falls pre- siding handsomely and as; ;rippingly at ease as if he were pouring tea, they se- lected Benssy as president, Reggie Haugh as first vice president, Von fHumperdimck as second vice president, Hickey Saunders as secretary and Ringgold Cash as treasurer. In their newly acquired and rapidly growing feeling of fellowship with WaIlingford they ware urgently anxious to elect him to a third vice presidency, but, with becoming modesty, he declined that honor.
  and respectfully addressing the chair, as he invariably did when he had any thing to say in this meeting, 'ssuch hon. ors are not for me. I cannot deny that I am heartily pleased that you should offer te make me an equal with you, but. nevertheless. do not deserve 1t. The original conception is yours, and to you exclusively should belong the honors and titles of office Moreover, am only a plain business man. Ii you insist upon voting for me, how ever, you may make my small man agership a matter of election and off cial title''
 That's what I call sportin' eh5 fef- lowsr' exclaimed Hickey enthusiasti- caHy and shook hands with him.
 So they unanimously elected J. Rufus Wallingfor6 official manager, which, while it did not, of course, give him the importance of a real office in the company made his mere trifiing post at least seem shade less insignificant. He was deeply grateful for it.
 A small boy, so thick with freckles that they looked painful, sat in Wal lingford's runabout at the station with both chubby hands firmly upon the big wheel He straightened up and his face lighted as he saw Mir. WallingfOrd in the midst of the dispensing board of directors, and with shrewd and twin king eyes he observed that prince of diplomats bidding adieu to his newly found friends and business associates.
 ''HeIlo, boss!' hailed the youngster as wallingrord joined him, and, he shook hands with grownup gravity Gee, you made hit with that bunch of Wil1iesl''
 ''It's a shame to do it.', confessed Wallingford, with a grin Where's. the chauffeur, Toad?"
 ''He stopred for A stew, and he got 1t, replied the boy. 'sBut it wasn't the kind that has any oysters in it, so I fired him out of the car and sent him home to sleep it off.
 WaIhRgford= laughed as he 'clim bed into the runabout and took, the wheel, a proceeding that met with vigorous protest from the boy.
 Sorry, Toad insisted Walling gford. "but I'm afraid they'd arrest you if let you run this car by yourself. How are you getting along w4th young Jimfny?'
 'sSometirnes don't know responded Toad, with q sigh. He's a smart kid, la he had. First I. thought I could lick him with both hands tied behind me, but now guess I'd have to have one loose anyhow. Yesterday I had to hand him waIIop, and he never cried a mouthful. He just stood stil1 for about a minute, and then he tried to throw the cat through me.''
 ''And how does Mrs. WaIlingford take all this?' asked Wallingford, secretly grat1ied that young Jim showed prom ise of developing traits that had been a trife lacking in himself.
 "Well,'' confessed Toad, with a slight frown, t'of course she's a woman and don't understand. Tell you what she done-she bumped me out to sleep with the stable hands and makes Jim play with the girls in the next house. Say, atn't you goana start a business soon so k'n have real job? I don't like to play with kids
 Wallingford sighed. His own opinion was that his son needed the companion ship of Toad even at the expense of an occasional black eye, but if Fannie was set against it.
 How would you like to wear a brown suit, with red stripes and brass buttons he suddenly asked, and serve drinks in factoryT'
 'sro you an Blacl1ie? That'd be greatv' said Toad with vast enthusi- asm. ''You know Blackie's home, don't you?''
 ~Is that sor' exclaimed Wallingford, and unconsciously threw. more speed on the car, When did he get in ?'' Yesterday" replied Toad. 'I was so glad to see him that licked the stable boy twice in an hour, am he's a tough kid.'
 CHAPTER IIIs
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