The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-02-27

ignored him. Mrs. Dankworth. still
dashing and still widowed, passed Ted
one day and looked fixedly at point
one inch above his head. In a town
like ours the Haley house is like a
big, hospitable club house. The men
drop in there the first thing in the
morning and the last thing at night,
to hear the gossip and buy cigar and
jolly the girl at the cigar counter. Ted
spoke to them when they spoke to
him. He began to develop a certain
grim line about the mouth. 10 Haley
watched him from afar, and the longer
he watched the kinder and more spec
ulative grew the look in his eyes. And
slowly and surely there grew in the
hearts of our townspeople a certain
new respect and admiration for this
boy who was fighting his fight
Ted got into the habit of taking his
meals late, so that Birdie Callahan
could take the time to talk to him.
Birdie" he said one day, when she
brought his soup, do you know that
you're the only decent woman who'll
talk to me? Do you know what l
mean when I say that I'd give the
rest of my life If / could just put my
head in my mothers lap and have her
muss up my hair and call me foolish
names"
Birdie Callahan cleared her throat
and said abruptly: 81 was noticin' yes
terday your gray pants needs pressin'
bad. Brink 'em down tomorrow morn
in and I'll give 'em tn elegant crease
in the laundry"
So the first weeks went by, and the
two months of Miss Wenzel's stay
came to an end. Ted thanked his God
and tried hard not to wish that she
was man SO that he could punch her
head.
The day before the time appointed
for her departure she was closeted
with 10 Haley for a long, long time.
When finally she emerged a bellboy
lounged up to Ted with a message.
"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"
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" unused 10
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 whole regiment of 'em in
my head. l 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."
What's the joker" asked Ted.
Now, Ted" demonstrated 10 Ha,
ley, that way of talkin' won't helm
matters none. AS | 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. We're three
hundred short"
The last flicker of Ted Terrilrs old.
time radiance seemed to flicker and
die, leaving him ashen and old.
"Short?" he repeated. Then. "Mv
Cod" in a strangely colorless voice
MY Cod" 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. 30! 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 Iaueh
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, stem
by step, until-Jo, could a man steal
and not know it? Could thinking of a
thing like that drive a man crazy? Be.
cause If 1t could-if it could-then-"
Il don't know" said 10 Haley. but
1t 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 Wenzers got it all down