Middletown transcript., 1916-03-11


of being put into erect In fact he
was only just in time ait the steamer
to wave good-by to AIix. Leaning
over the rail. with her high color. moist
red lips and big excited eyes making
play under a golden crown of hair and
over huge armful Of roses. Alix
presented a picture not easily forgot
ten.
The judge turned to Gerry "She
ought not to be going without you.
my boy"
"Oh. its all right" said Gerry light
~. She's we'll chaperoned. It's a
big party, you know
But during the weeks that followed
the judge saw it was not all right
Gerry had less and less time for golf
and more and more for whisIlys and
sOdas The judge was troubled and
felt a sort of relief when from far
away Alan Wayne cropped into his af-
fairs and gave him something else to
think about
When Angus McDaie Of McDaIe and
McDale called without appointment
the judge knew at once that he was
going to hear something about Alan.
Lucky to find you in." puffed Nc
Dale. 1T isn't business exactly or
I'd have 'phoned. was just passing
by"
We'll. what is it?" asked the judge.
offering his visitor fresh cigar.
ITS this That boy. Alan Wayne
sort of protege Of yours, isn't hep
'Yes-in way-yes." said the
judge slowly. frowning. What has
Alan done now?"
ITS like this" said McDale. "Six
months ago we sent Mr.. Wayne out Oh
contract as assistant to Walton. Wal
ton no sooner got on the ground than
he fell sick. He put Wayne in charge
and then he died. Now this is the
point. Mr. Wayne seems to have pro-
NOTED himself to Walton's pay. He
had the cheek to draw his own as well.
He won't be here for weeks but his
accounts came in today. want to
know if you see any reason why We
shouldn't have that money back. to say
the least"
The judges face cleared. Didn't he
tell you why he drew Walton's payT
Not a word. Said he'd explain ac-
counts when he got here but that sort
of thing takes a lot of explaining"
We'll" said the judge, 81 can tell
you. Walton's pay went to his widow
through me- I've been doing some
puzzling on this case already. Now
will you tell me how Alan got the
money without drawing on you?"
"Oh, there was plenty of money Iy-
ing around The job cost ten per cent
less than Walton's estimate. If he'd
come back we'd have hauled him over
the Goals for the blunder. There was
the usual reserve for work in inac-
cessibe regions and then the people
we did the job for paid ten days
bonus for finishing that much ahead of
contract time"
The Judge mused. "Was the job
satisfactory to the people out there?"
he asked.
Yes, it was" said McDale bluntly.
Most satisfactory. But there was a
funny thing there too. They wrote
that while they did not approve of
Mr.. Wayne's tlme-saving methods, the
finished work had their absolute ac-
ceptanee."
The judge was silent for moment.
You want my advice?"
Yes, not for our own sake but for
Wayne's."
We'll" said the judge, ''I'm going to
give it to you for your sake. When
YOU stumble across a boy than can cut
ten per cent off the working and time
estimates of an old hand like Walton.
you bind him to you with long con-
tract at any salary he wants. And
just one thing more: when Alan
Wayne steals a cent from you or fifty
thousand dollars you come to me and
III pay it."
McDale's eyes narrowed and he
puffeG nervously at his cigar. He got
up to take his leave. Judge" he said,
your head is on right and your hearts
in the right place, as well. begin
to see that widow business. Wayne
sized Us up for a hard-headed firm
when it comes to paying out what we
don't have to and we are. 1t wasn't
law, but he was right. Walton's work
was done just as if he'd been alive.
Even a Scotchman can see that. You
needn't worry A man that you'll
back for fifty thousand is good enough
for NIcDaIe & McDale."