The Yale expositor., 1915-03-04


Terrill. do yuh think they can play
today? It's pretty wet"
10 Haley was sunk in the depths of
his big leather chair. He did not look
up as Ted entered. "Sit down" he
said. Ted sat down and waited,
puzzled.
LAS a wizard at figures" mused Jo
Haley at last softly as though to him
self, I'm frost. A column Of figures
on paper makes my head swim. But |
can carry a whole regiment of 'em in
my head | know every time the bar
keeper draws one in the dark. I've
been watChin' this thing for the last
two weeks hopin' you'd quit and come
and tell me-" He turned suddenly and
faced Ted Ted, old kid" he said
sadly, "what'n'ell made you do it
again?"
Whats the joker" asked Ted.
Nov, Ted" demonstrated Jo Ha-
ley, that way of talkin' won't help
matters none. AS l said I'm 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"
whats the joke, Jo?" said Ted
again slowly.
This amt 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 a strangely colorless voice
MY God!" He looked down at his
| fingers impersonally, as though they
belonged to someone else. Then his
hand clutched 10 Haley's arm with the
grip of fear 90! 10! 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? / 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-'
II don't know" said 10 Haley, but
it sounds darned fishy." He laid a
hand on Ted's shaking shoulder, and
was looking into the white, drawn
face. Il had great plans for you, Ted
But Minnie Wenzels 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 10 Haley, who
ever you are" Whereupon the door
opened and Birdie Callahan breezed in
Get out, Birdie Callahan" roared
10. You're in the wrong pew"
Birdie closed the door behind heI
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-dont-know," he articu
lated painfully. 81 never thought oi
that"
Birdie snorted defiantly. Il thought
so. Dye know" sociably, Il 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 10 Haley
impatiently.
Shut up, 10 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 en-
bribery 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.
ME Wenzel let's her see some av her
weddin' clo'es. There never yet was
a woman who cud resist shown her
weddin' things 10 every other woman
II MS@