The Detroit times., 1916-06-23
BY \
MsMhon
ron FIF.Tu DAY.

Tom Blake. "a sturdy. straightfor-
ward youth. IN an attempt 10 help
torie i.ampsou. out OF college
scrape Is himself arrested lie IL
expelled from the university and his
father orders him from the house.
He makes good. however In business
with Roger Lampson. Marjorie =
uncle Marjorie ls about TO come OF
age and she and Tom are 10 he mar
ried on her birthday. Happy In the
prospect OF what life holds for him.
Tom n working late at the ofnce one
evening when he Is surprised at the
appearance OF James sullivan, Gus
toner or the arm
Hello. Blake the visitor greeted
him. pulling n wallet from his pock
ct. II sold my old car this evening
ask Lampson to keep IL on deposit
here till get back 10 town: In case
he needs Il 90 bolster up any OF my
margins don't like the way c. g.
q y. closed today. And ! don't want
10 be wiped ont This will more
than cover amy drop while I'm gone
I'm leaving on the 1880
But" objected Tom, "only Mr.
LampsOn and the cashier have the
combination OF the safe, What shall
I do with this overnight? Where
shall / put it7"
"Oh, just take personal care OF
H." suggested Sullivan That's all
right You're As safe as bank
Good night G'vo have TO hustle IL
want that 1890 tain"
He Was gone leaving Tom looking
down pegplexedly at the fifty y-dollar
bills In his hand. Tom. after a mo-
ments thought went 10 the tele-
phone and called M Roger Lampson
at the latter's house. telling his EN-
ployer OF Sulllvau's deposit
"Put II somewhere for the night"
replied Lampson, and turn It over
20 the cashier IN the morning.
Thanks. Just the same. for calling
me UP TO let me know"
Tom opened drawer OF his desk
then recousidered. and decided the
money would be safer in his own
keeping. ONCE thefts werc not un-
common and there was always the
danger Of fire.
So he took out a long envelope,
wrote his name and the firms ad-
dress on II, put the money in the
envelope. sealed II ard placed It in
the inside pocket OF his vest Then
he locked the once and went out
into the street.
As he- emerged into the fresh air,
A. suddenly occurred to MIN that he
had eaten nothing since noon and
that It was now after 70 o'clock. All
~ once he felt very hungry. He
knew the dinner hour AT his board.
ing house was long past and he did
not cure to waste time and money
bv going out of his way to the dis
trict OF the city where the larger
restaurants were still open. So he
walked along, keeping his eyes open
for the sign of some cheap eating
house on his homeW ard route.
The hour was late and he was
sleepy as well "a hungry, so he took
a short cut through network OF
soualid streets 10 bring him TO his
own boarding place He lad gone
only a few blocks when he noticed
on 4 curtaiued street window the
sign:
"Harding's cafs"
The window was not over-clean
and the street was uninviting. But
hunger is seldom fastidious Tom
eptered and found himself in
large and Iow-ceiled room. with bare
tables scattered about and sawdust
on the floor.
A man with ragged whiskers was
humping an off key melody out OF a
shabby upright piano in one corner
At several OF the tables men sat
eating or drinking. There we're one
or two women IN the place.
At a far table sat half dozen
Young men who were making not
little noise over their drinks ana
who had evidently dropped In al
Harding's during Summing TOUR
Tom, with no great pleasure noticeu
Harry Lampson among them
Not wishing 10 meet Harry O
anv Of the lattcr's friends, and no
al all liking the aspect or ihe pi"o
itself. Tom crossed 20 an alcoe
near the door, partly screened ir'ln
the main room. There he sat down
NJ the alcove's single table and rtoH
for waiter.
Choosing a meal from the list as
played on the greasy ana uu1h
thumbed menu, he gave his 3rder
and sat back to wait lie was niioly