Evening star., 1919-10-05
BY SEWELL FORD

take his place. ,,.
He's no rapid-fre thinker. Swiity,
The speed of his mental reactions ID
about equal to the gait OF turtle III
low gear. For minute he STANDS
there gawpin'. first at me and theh at
Bristow. Then he acts Ike ne was
tryin to swallow crust OF preau'
Finally he separates himself from the
words that have been cloggin' the
wCrks.
"Ah-r-r Chez" he snorts Wo'cher
take me for?"
"Do l understand. my man. asks
Iristow. 'that you decline?"
Sure" says Swiftly. ''If Shorty gets
the chuck l goes wit him. See?'
"Just a moment puts in Bristow.
"Perhaps you imagine that he may
rnake a new start somewhere else. What
Il that should. prove impossible? What
f he had used other peoples money In
his speculations-some of yours. 1t may
bc-and might end his career in 1all!'
Its frame-up that's all" says
Swiftly. 81 know Shorty as well as
knows myself. and take 1t from me-
they don't make 'em any straighter. AS
for me worKin' for f1sh-eyed crook ike
you. nothin doin'. Come on. Shorty,
got a little wad slowed away in the
savins bank. and a few liberty bonds
we can cash in, and
Well, there I had to crash in l was
gettin' dewey in the ayes and felt ike
had bore in my threat. "Say. Bris-
tow. guess this has gone far enough,
amt it?" says l. Don't let 'em kid
right, and everything Is just as 1t was
before the rehearsal started. Only
expect you've qualified in Class A."
"Eh?" says Swiftly still doin the open
iace act "Wha-what's the grand little
idea? Was-was that tale Of his about
you bein' on the rocks all bunk?"
Absolutely" says I. ut was raw
stuff to pull on you. I'll admit, But Mr..
6Tistow and me was having a little de-
bate about whether or not there was
such thing as friends. and when
mentions you as one thought I could
count on. he has this merry notion
about putin you through the acid test.
Now hope he's satisfied"
Huh" says Swiftly. "Ain't he got
friends of his own he could practice
cne?.
"Mr. Bristow doesn't believe in
friends" says I. Says they don't ex-
ist."
How about you. Shorty?" demands
Swiftly "You don't fall for that stun.
do your"
NO" says l. III I'd had any inclina-
tions that way you'd have cured me
just now. l guess l got to stick to be-
levin in friends. l hope ! have few
here and there, such as they are. Any
way, there's you and Pinckney. Odd
combination you two make. About as
much alike as clam and cucumber.
wouldn't claim either Of you was per-
feet. either. You'll admit you amt my
parlor ornament, Swiftly, and there's
f"w little points about polite refinement
that you amt sopped up yet. While
as for Pinckney Ogden Bruce. he's
about as useless and scatter Drained
as an airedale pup. But 1 wouldn't
like to lose either of you from my
list. Funny, amt it?
I'm just beginnin' to dope out the
snswer. You might take this Merklns.
Maybe Mr.. Bristow could make some-
thing out Of it. For it strikes me that
II all of us demanded perfect parties for
friends thered be few Of us who'd de-
serve 'em. AS it is, we seem to like
'em for what they are, the good along
with the bad. Anyway, mine must take
me that way"
You'll pardon me, professor" says
Bristow, "if do not agree with you"
III you did," says !, 'rd begin to
suspect myself"
He comes back with another Of them
crooked SMILES. but it's kind o. a sickly
attempt II have no intention Of try
ing to force my theories on any one"
says he. but to get back to more con-
crete affairs. What about those after
Moons? Suppose l make 1t fifteen
hundred?"
mo use." says I. That's one Of the
things you can't wave your checkbooK
and get. wouldn't try TO sell you $500
worth of health. Mr.. Bristow, because l
couldn't deliver the goods"
May l ask why you could not?"
says he.
II wouldn't press that IL was you."
says I.
But l do" says he.
"All right. then, III have to give it
to you." says I. Your complaint is