Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-12-27
CHAPTER !.
The Girl In tho Elevator.

in pocket-holster at my hip, and
was tired of it. pulled out the leath-
ern case with it's deadly contents and,
consigning it to bureau drawer
where my collars and cuffs reposed,
went back to my Morris chair before
the fire.
1t was my fortieth birthday-whew!
Forty! Forty years old! Going some
on life's highway, that! And what to
show for it?
This was good time to take inven-
tory, before went to bed. had come
home late from the Office, as usual,
same as any night in eighteen years,
but there was a difference. was for
ty, and had resigned.
! had come home late but was 1t
home? To begin the inventory, did
have home? Could / call this apart
ment of two rooms by any such name?
! had lived here siX-no, eight years;
that Is, had slept in the rear room
and sat before the gas-grate in winter
and the open window in summer in the
front room what few hours l was in
the place and not asleep. Well, let 1t
60 at that; call it home.
Item one, a home A two-room apart
ment in the st. Dunstan, bachelors on
ly, sixth floor; conveniences and SER
vice; rent paid until end of month.
Item two; that should be friends.
Without home ties, one should have
friends. Let me see, there are - but
they're all business associates, news
paper men like myself-or like / was.
Thank God, I've resigned! Cut out
item two. / haven't had a chance to
make friends, working from one-thirty
to twelve, afternoon and nights. When
could / see friends if I had them?
Item three, funds, money, coin Of
the realm, capital. After eighteen
years. labor, fair-sized bank.account
might make up for loss OF friends and
for two-room home. had saved,
am proud to say. / was not like most
newspaper men who spend their salar-
les Tuesday night-pay-day Tuesday
except what they spend before and
owe. had handbook and balance;
business of figuring stubs, adding and
subtracting; one hundred and twenty
seven dollars and thirty-three cents.
That seems to be correct-one hun
dred and twenty-seven dollars and
thirty-three cents. Eighteen years
savings, one hundred and twenty-sev-
en- dollars and thirty-three cents!
Item four, experience. l had that all
right! Value? Well, I'd be finding
out the value soon enough, for that
@0
outside the newspaper game which
would pay for roof and three square
meals day.
Item five, hard, rugged constitu
ton, which had never bothered over
what went into its interior or when;
which reminded me that was hungry.
A quarter past two; time for supper
long past. OF course was hungry.
Darn these newspaper habits! Won't
/ ever get over them? l had come
right home from the last day on the
paper, intending to get to bed early. to
get up early, and to turn over new
leaf. Now I'd have to go down and
find an all-night chop-house; I'd new
er sleep with my stomach craving
food. should hurry the inventory,
then chase a sandwich and couple of
cups of coffee.
Item six, rather tired-looking face,
as the mirror shows. with plentiful
crop of black hair in proper place.
grizzled bit here and there; item,
one pair of keen eyes taught to OBJ
serve and transmit to the brain the
impression on the retina; item, a
straight body with barrel chest and
TO surplusage of waist, owing to con-
didons of profession which keeps
the body, at least, active; item, two
good legs and two good arms, properly
muscled.
Inventory complete; and now for
supper! Slipping into my coat in place
of smoking-jacket, went to the door
and had the feeling that l was forget
ting something-some article of ap.
parel; wasn't fully dressed. Hat?
had that on. My left hand went to my
tie, the other to my pocket for as
surance as to money. Coat, yes;
trousers. of course; shoes, could see
them. Then what?>
AS l drew my brows down in con-
centration on the problem, heard the
soft purr of the elevator going down.
It meant nothing-thep; but after
wards. remembered that heard 1t
just at the second when recalled the
fact that had discarded my revolver /
wasn't completely dressed without
gun tugging down my hip-pocket! l
couldn't feel appareled unless ! lugged
. cannon. Well, I'd get over that news
paper habit, starting right now.
! closed the door to my apartment
and walked down the hall to the ele-
vator, pressing the button which
brought the automatic lift to my floor
1t came up. purring softly like lazy
house cat ] opened the door, stepped
within, and pushed the button of floor