Evening star., 1919-08-31
A LATE HUNCH FOR LESTER By sEWELL FORD


Job for more'n six years, and gettin'
worse at it right along. the blow
didn't quite put us out OF business.
We're still staggerin' ahead.
whats tho scheme. LesterT" says
/. "Beatin' the office manager to it?"
HUH" says Lester. ''Fve been
plannin' to make a shift for more'n a
year. Just waitin' for the right open
in. I got 1t now."
'"The Morgan people sent for you.
did they?" says l..
'sThey might have. at that" says
Lester. only I'm through bein' an Of
Ace slave for anybody. I'm goin' in
with some live wires this time. where
I'll have q chance"
But 1t turns out that he's been
taken on as q sidewalk man by pair
Of ticket speculators--Ixxy Goldman
and his pal. who used to run the cigar
stand down in tho arcade. They
handle any kind OF pasteboards. from
grand stand parade tickets to orches-
ira seats.
''Yes." says I. "that'n be great
career. Almost in tho theatrical
game. en-? You'll be KNOWN all the
pippins now. I expect"
watch me-" says Lester.
Well. didn't strain my eyes. I'd
have been just as pleased to know
that Lester was going to slip out Of
my young life forever and to forget
him complete within the next two
days. Only I couldn't. There was
Miss Joyce to remind me. Not that
she says q word. She ain't the
chatty. confidential kind. But 1t was
natural for me to wonder now and
then II they was still as chummy as
at the start.
He'd been away a month or more, I
expect. before either OF us passed his
name, and then It came out accidental.
1 starts dictatin' a letter to a Arm in
st. Louis. Lester & Riggs. The name
sort OF startles Miss Joyce.
II beg pardon?" says she. her pen.
Gil poised over the pad.
mo, not Lester Biggs," says I. by
the way. how is he these days?"
I'm sure 1 don't know" says she.
II haven't seen him for weeks"
''Ohw says I. kind Of thought
you'd be droppin' him down the coal
shute or something"
She shrugs her shoulders and
shakes her head. 1T was he who
dropped me-" says She Flat"
cta 49,
moro or less of a compliment"
II am not so sure Of that" says
Miss Joyce. you see, he was quite
frank about it, He-he said had not
style or zip about me. Well. I'm
afraid it's true"
Even So" says I, ut was sweet Of
him to throw 1t at you, wasn't it?"
She indulges in a sketchy. Quizzin'
smile. II think some Of the girls at
Zinsheimer's had been teasing him
about me-" she goes on. ''They called
me the poor little working girl be-
liver. I've no doubt looked It. But
I haven't been able to spend much for
clothes--as yet"
"Of course" says I, throwin' up a
picture Of an invalid mother and
coon huntin' father back in the alfalfa
somewhere. And so far you ain't
missed much by not havin' 'em.
should put Testers loss down on the
credit side II I was maxim the en-
try"
"He could dance. though" says Miss
Joyce. as she gets busy with her PEN
ell again.
Then few weeks later I was hand
ed my big jolt. We was gettin' out
special report for the directors
meetin' one day after lunch when
right in the middle Of table of costs
Miss Joyce glances anxious at the
clock and drops her note book.
I'm sorry" says she. but couldn't
we finish this tomorrow morningY"r
why. suppose we might" says
III it's anything important"
1T is." says she. "If I'm not there
by o'clock the stage manager will
not see me at all. and do so want to
land an engagement this time"
"EhT" says I. gawpin. stage man
ager. You"
why, yes" says she. "You see. I
tried once before. was almost taken
on. too. They liked my voice, they
said. but I wasn't up on my dancing.
90 I've been taking lessons NJ a hal