The Pulaskian., 1916-01-28
THE NEEDED SPUR
By MORRIS GRAHAM.
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Five dollars looks mighty big when a fellows only earning eighteen a week. Ted figured it out after lunch until even Uncle Chris commented on his abstraction at the office. Where upon Ted sat up and took notice, for Uncle Chris was absolute judge and arbiter temporarily over his actions.
 He heard from Sigma Lawrence that Amy was back. Sigma corresponded with her regularly and was well aware that Ted paid far more attention to her comings and goings than he did to the sun, moon and stars all put to- gether.
 She'll be here for at least month, so you'd better be making hay, Ted dy," Sigma had advised. Make hay when he only had sure thing of eighteen per. He wanted a good whacking salary now, big enough so he could go to old J. C. Burnham and tell him he wanted to marry Amy and could take care of her.
 Deep in his own musings, Ted stared before him on his desk stool behind one of the bank windows and failed to notice Putney until he had spoken twice. Putney, just at that minute, looked to Ted's troubled vision like the perfect pattern of the sort of a man he wanted to be himself Putney was partner in the best automobile concern in town.
 Hello, Tedi" he called genially, laying down his bank book, deposit slip and nice full pad of yellow backs. Just slip those away for me, will you Going to the Dorrance dance tonight?"
 Maybe he was, Ted said rather gloomily. He wasn't sure. Then all the morning he meditated, finally de- ciding to take the plunge and go. When he went out to lunch, he took the five he had decided to sQuander, went over to the best florists in town and ordered the roses.
 Amy was slim and dark, with eyes of warmest, deepest brown and skin like jasmine flower. So he chose the little, close, dark rod Jacks" for her, and had them sent with his card. And just as he watched them being placed in the box he heard Putneys voice behind him order orchids twenty-five dollars worth of lavender orchids.
 That night he went to the Dor rances' dance. Polly Dorrance was specially nice to him, but he watched for Amy. She would wear orchids, and he would want to die on the spot, yet some deadly spell held him. And all at once he saw her. Put was dancing with her Just as they passed where he sat with Polly she looked at him and smiled
 Polly" he said hurriedly, "was she wearing red roses or orchids, did you see?"
 Jacks" said Polly, placidly. "Why?"
 But Ted had excused himself and was moving away in dream. He found himself inexplicably beaming on people and getting ecstatically in everybody's way until he found her.
 Putney stood talking to her, and she asked him to go and dance with poor Polly, left all alone.
 You wore them," Ted said under his breath. Amy, you darlingl"
 "Somebody'll hear you-hush! Of course wore them. I-why, I'm very fond of Jack roses, you know"
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 They were beautiful" she flushed ever so slightly-"but l like roses best"
 Ted drew her away from the hall room. He knew the Dorrance house, knew there was a window seat under side hall, and he led her there out of sight
 You know and know" he told her in his funny, frank, boyish way, that I'm up against it with Uncle Chris. I've got to make good or don't get a sou out of him. But I'm making good, he says, and I just want to say this much I've loved you ever since we went to High together, and it's the big gest hope of my life that some day maybe I'll be making enough to ask you to marry me-"
 Amy's lashes hid her eyes. She fin gered the close dusky petals of the little red roses.
 I'm not asking you to promise even to wait for me- he began. Its Put news race so far"
 "Putney's race is over,' Amy inter- posed gently. 1T never did prefer orchids. He knows it now, Ted, you'll laugh, but who do you suppose came to see father today? Your uncle, and after he had gone father sent for me. What do you think they managed to fix up between them?"
 Pass" said Ted. "What?"
 ''He told father that every man needed feminine influence in his life in order to be a real success and ne didn't see why you failed to fall in lcve. He thought it might be the