The Pulaskian., 1915-02-19

s'Wenzel says tn old man wants t see you. s in his office. Say, Mr Terrill, do yuh think they can play today? It's pretty wet"
 Jo Haley was sunk in the depths of 1 his big leather chair He did not look up as Ted entered. "Sit down." he said. Ted sat down and waited, puzzled.
 "As a wizard at figures" unused Jo Haley at last, softly as though to him. self, "I'm frost. column of figures on paper makes my head swim But I can carry whole regiment of 'em in my head. know every time the bar keeper draws one in the dark. I've been watehin' this thing for the last two weeks hopin' you'd quit and come i and tell me-" He turned suddenly and faced Ted. Ted, old kid" he said sadly, "what'n'ell made you do it again?"
 What's the joker" asked Ted.
 Now, Ted" remonstrated Jo Ha- ley, that way of talkin' won't help matters none. As said, Pm rotten at ] figures. But you're the first invest ment that ever turned out bad, and let me tell you I've handled some mighty bad smelling ones. Why, kid, if you had just come to me on the quiet and asked for the loan of a hundred or so, why"
 What's the joke, Jo?" said Ted again slowly
 This aint my notion of a joke,' came the terse answer Were three hundred short"
 The last flicker of Ted Terrill's old time radiance seemed to flicker and die, leaving him ashen and old
 "Short?" he repeated Then, My God!" in strangely colorless voice. My God!" He looked down at his fingers impersonally, as though they belonged to someone else. Then his hand clntched Jo Haley's arm with the grip of fear. "Jo! Jo! That's the thing that has haunted me day and night, till my nerves are raw The fear of doing it again. Don't laugh at me, will you? l used to lie awake nights going over that cursed business of the bank-over and over-till the cold sweat would break out again, step by step, until-Jo, could a man steal and not know it? Could thinking of a thing like that drive man crazy? Be- cause if it could-if it could-then-"
 q don't know" sad Jo Haley, but it sounds darned fishy." He laid a hand on Teds shaking shoulder, and was looking into the white, drawn face. T had great plans for you, Ted But Minnie Wenzeps got it all down on slips of paper. l might as well call her in again, and we'll have the whole blamed thing out"
 Minnie WenZel came. In her hand were slips of paper, and books with figures in them, and Ted looked and saw things written in his own hand that should not have been there And he covered his shamed face with his two hands and gave thanks that his mother was dead.
 There came three sharp raps at the office door. The tense figures within jumped nervously
 Keep out!" called Jo Haley, "who ever you are" Whereupon the dool opened and Birdie Callahan breezed in
 Get out, Birdie Callahan,D roared Jo. You're in the wrong pew"
 Birdie closed the door behind hel composedly and came farther into the room. Pete, tn pastry cook, just tells me that Minnie Wenzel told tn day clerk, who told the barkeep, who told tn janitor, who told tn chef, who told Pete, that Minnie had caught Ted stealin' some three hundred dollars
 Ted took quick step forward Birdie, for heavens sake keep out of this. You can't make things any bet ter. You may believe in me, but
 Where's the money?" asked Birdie
 Ted stared at her a moment, his mouth open ludicrously.
 ''Why-I-don't- he articu lated painfully. q never thought of that"
 Birdie snorted defantly. 'T thought so. Dye know," socially, q was wis. itin' with my aunt, Mis- Mulcahy, last evenin"
 There was a quick rustic of silks from Minnie WenzePs direction.
 Say, look here" began Jo Haley impatiently.
 Shut up, Jo Haley" snapped Birdie As l was sayin', l was visitin' with my aunt, Mis- Mulcahy. She does fancy washin' an ironin' for the swells An Minnie Wenzel, there bein' none sweller, hires her to do up her weddin linens. Such smears av hand em bridery an Irish crochet she never see tn likes, Mis-. Mulcahy says, and she's seen a lot. And as a special treat to the poor ovid soul, why Min