The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-07-23

|Wallingford|
! In His Prime ]
! By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER ]
:: Copyright. 1918. by the Robbs- !
+ Merrill Co. !
By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER

LudL we uulull NIL. NuluuSlOTu W "A
equal partnership with us and not per-
init him to pay any assessments. Now!
One. two. three
Aye" voted his associates in unison.
"Gentlemen," intoned Wallingtord,
rising soemnly and smoothing down
his broad wuistcoat. II accept your
generous offer. II this We're brought
up to the as an ordinary business prop
osition should be compelled to de-
cline it instantly, but ! have taken
quite fancy to you boys. l have
moreover, become fascinated with the
portable house and intend to make it
one of my most successful ventures.
| shall at once draw up partnership
papers, which we shall discuss and
sign right here while we are waiting.
Then we shall select officers, hold Il
board of directors meeting. take all
our papers to an attorney when we ar
rive in the city and make our action
legally binding. Tomorrow | shall
have patent papers and drawings pre-
pared and as soon as they are ready
shall call another meeting for us to
sign them In the meantime ! shah
see if we cannot rent Il factory already
equipped, shall have working drawings
prepared. purchase materials. secure
work men and start upon some sample
houses. including the mahogany and
the birdSeye maple one which you are
to take upon your fishing trip.
Striking while the iron was hot being
one of Walingford's specialties. he I'M
mediately drew up on delicately tinted
and evasively scented mauve Station
cry provided him by the fair Bessy.
an impressively worded partnership
agreement whereby it was set forth
that the six undersigned gentlemen
were to be equal sharers in the profits
of the Speckled Bass Hollow Walled
Portable 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 managership. 1t was a neat
and nifty document. and the boys were
Justly proud of it and themselves as
we'll as they appended their scraWllns
signatures to it. 1t was deuced bloom
ing fun. after all, this thing OF going
into trade. Quite sportin'!
Their innocent joy over this stage OF
being in trade was as nothing. how
ever, compared to their dignifed graft
fication when. with Benssy Falls pre-
siding handsomely and as rippingly at
ease as if he were pouring tea. they Sc
lected Benssy as president. Reggie
Haugh as first vice president. Won
Humperdinck as second vice president
Hickey Saunders as secretary and
Ringgold Cash as treasurer. In thelf
newly acquired and rapidly growing
feeling Of fellowship with Wallingford
they were urgently anxious to elect
him to third vice presidency. but
with becoming modesty, he declined
that honor.
mo, gentlemen" he said, first rising
and respectfully addressing the chair
as he invariably did when he had any
thing to say in this meeting. such hon
ors are not for me. cannot deny thai
J l am heartily pleased that you should
offer to make me an equal with you
but. nevertheless. do not deserve it
The original conception is yours, ant
! to you exclusively should belong thu
honors and titles of office. Moreover
4 | am only a plain business man. i
I YOU insist upon voting for me, how
ever, you may make my small man
agership a matter Of election and Off
y cial title
"Thats what | call sportin' Ell. fe]
! lows" exclaimed Hickey enthusiast
A cally and shook hands with him.
y So they unanimously elected j. Ruff
Wallingford official manager, whicl
j while it did not of course give hil
= the Importance of real office in tn
\ company, made his mere trifing pos
Y at least seem a shade less insignificant
z He was deeply grateful for it.
A small boy. so thick with freckle
that they looked painful, sat in Wa
-- lingford's runabout at the station wit
both chubby hands firmly upon the bi
4 wheel. Lie SlIulSlllClltu up anu III
face lighted as he saw Mr.. Wallingfor
| in the midst of the dispensing board {
directors, and with shrewd and twill
king eyes he observed that prince
diplomats bidding adieu to his newl
| found friends and business associates
/ "Hello. boss!" hailed the youngstt
| as Wallingford Joined him, and |
shook hands with gpownup gravit
Gee, you made hit with that bunt
of Willies."
Its a shame to do it," confesst
Wallngford. with a grin. "Where
the chauffeur, Toad?"
He stopped for a stew, and he G
it," replied the boy. "But it wasn't Il
kind that has any oysters in it, so
fired him out Of the car and sent nj
home to sleep it OFF,
Wallingford laughed as he climb
into the runabout and took the whe
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