Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05
SUNDAY MAGAZINE for September 5, 1915

notion that, by his obligations to support
her and her children, he, too, might be
trapped
Business had way of fixing salary
nose-rings in human flesh. Men at three
thousand year padded away madly for
lifetime; but the fear of losing that end
of-the-month check which must provide
for the wives and the broods anchored
them. At last, exhausted then?
The answer to that question already
had it's cold hand on the back of the YAM
pire's mate. What then? Youth gone
the mind no longer plastic enough to
press into the mold of modern business
methods, without recommendation
other than that of long, faithful service
what then?
The Vampire however, did not think
of these things Some of us were glad
that she did not foresee the end.
We all believed, however, that we saw
the fear in Wayfarer's face. He began to
work with a fierceness of front, as if he
felt that some one might discover in him
a tagging energy. He talked of efficiency
He spoke of the position of the house in
years to come. He began to deny that he
had headaches. Whenever any of the
Minneapolis Office men came to town, he
buzzed around them with suggestions; he
squeezed himself into conferences. He
was not superannuated, but he was worn
out. WORKOUT business units act that
way. They talk dogmas; they cultivate
a brisk manner and voice full of teeth
The fear is on them. 1t was on him.
ONE fall day, for the first time we saw
the most significant sign of all.
A sordid peddler, managing to sneak
through the offices, made his appearance
upstairs. He was a dapper little fellow
with a criminal face. who tried to sell sets
of furs to the girls, and then crept along.
peering into each open Office door,
al gotta a lettle propositions to con-
Germ your wife, eh?" he said. 1--WE should
be thnkngs of leddes."
Wayfarer talked to him, which meant
that in two minutes the desk was strewn
with black lynx muffs and stoles, into
which the peddler blew to show the length
and richnessof the fur Weheard phrases:
make it price to you. Listen. You won't
believe it when tell it-thirty dollars!"
To our astonshment, Arthur did not
buy. He said to the peddler that he
liked the furs and admitted that he con-
sidered them a bargain. We knew that
he had talked about buying new furs for
his wife, and we were sure that he had the
money. But he watched the black lynx
go back into the box sadly. dolefu ex-
preston on his face. 1t was the first time
he had ever restrained his desire to give
her a little surprise; it was the first
breach in long history of improvident
spending. He might have been wonder
ing what was to become of him and
Patience if If!
If, by any chance, he wondered what
would happen if he came to the end of his
rope, and where the thirty dollars would
be then, any of us could have told him.
1T would be gone-she would have spent
it. At home, she would take some of it
away from him, and the rest she would
come for in the office; with her creamy
voice, and her pat on his shoulder and
her maple-syrup manner, and her despi-
cable devices and reasons and excuses and
smiles, she would get it ALL He would not
even have the nlaa SIra of Spandpu IL for