Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-05-16

had he argued the question Of mar
riage pro and con. At times he had
been on the point of laying bare his
soul and begging Sadie to go with him
to the courthouse and clergy, and thus
make him the happiest beauty doctor
on earth.
Yet always, before he could seize
her fair hand and begin his matrlmoni-
al canvass, stlll small voice had
warned him that before he hitched
his chariot to marriage license he
must needs address Satan In the terms
of the Biblical command, eschew his
undignlfied and dangerous calling, and
cast about him for more genteel and
desirable vocation.
He knew that already pOst-ofIlce
inspector was camping on his trail, and
he knew not the day nor the hour
when cruel and untimely govern
mental jolt would relegate the instltu-
ton of scientific Identification into the
discard. necessarily had tho sinister
vision of the post-office inspector been
haunting him, fitting into his dream
by night, harassing his thoughts by
day.
What-marry Sadie while standing
thus upon the thin Ice of his profess
slonal life7 No, 1t wouldn't be right
to commit such n reckless act.
He had therefore cast about him for
buyer upon whose shoulders to I'M
load the institution Of latter-day
learning. And yesterday he had found
man who had offered him thousand
dollars for the gay enterprise, for
ever to have and to hold. He had ac-
cepted the offer, and closed the deal
with impatient dispatch.
And now he had resolved to turn his
youthful energies into the real-estate
business, place "best investment"
upon Sadie's finger, and become a de-
sirable citizen beyond the pale of post
office inspectors and kindred worries
Of his hitherto dangerous pursuits.
Little wonder that Harry's thoughts
were thronged with fiatlrons, fapjacks,
frying pans and fluffy kimonos instead
of with the unregenerate details of
business tabool
Harry pulled himself together,
wheeled his chair about with sudden
ness that startled Sadie, and said:
"Sade, I've been wanting to tell you
something for good many weeks"
whats on your mind. kiddo?"'asked
the girl c0yly.
"Well," pursued the beauty doctor,
1--WE come to the conclusion that this
correspondence school graft isn't ex-
actly the stunt for an ambitious young,
chap like me. I've been cleaning up
quite bit of velvet In 1t, but the fact
is It's not precisely on the level. You
know that, SADIE.
ut amt the sort Of business that a
man would like to have his wife, for
instance, tell the neighbOrs her hus-
band was In. II amt what he'd like
to leave to his son when 1t came to
an aerial In the direction of the sweet
by-and-by.
"Worse than that, there's been a
post-off1ce inspector hanging round
here for a couple Of weeks trying to
get line on the institution. I've
stopped him and snapped conversation
with him a number Of times myself.
He's one of these smooth guys, and
never tipped 1t off that he wax inter
ested in the school at all.
"But I've caught him wandering
round here entirely too often to make
me feel comfortable. His shopping
round here is getting on my nerves,
SADIE, and I've decided to sell and get
out from under before they let some
thing drop on me.
my successor takes charge tomor-
row. I'm going to take a whlrl at the
real-estate business, SADIE. What do
you think Of that?" he added trlum-
phantly, with conscious blush Of
pride.
"oh, get out" said Sadie. "Are you
on the levelT
"On the dead level, SADIE. And lis
ten" he continued, drawing his chair
closer to hers. "Tm doing 1t all for
you, grille.
ut will be hard for me, awfully
hard, to break into anything like the
real-estate business after being In this
correspondence NOih 5O iOhht hhN 4 W
a bunch I'll have a hard time getting
to like the new business, but I'm do
ing II for you, so that can be on the
level and decent and look folks In the
face from now on.
you've had me on the run ever
since you began pounding out form
letters for me. I'm all to the psyche
pathlc about you. You've panhandled
my pump for fair. Sade, and l want
you to marry me. Gee, but love you,
klddo, and I've got just the coolest lit
tie fiat all picked outW
Harry rose, took step In Sadle's d.
rection, then suddenly paused. A
strange look had come into Saddles
face.
"Pm awfully sorry, Harry" she said,
lawfully sorry. But you know that
post-offlce inspector you saw round
here? Well, he amt been investigat-
ing the school at all. He's been round
here to see me And-well-him and
1 was married yesterday at noon"
z. S.-SOmehow, the moral Of my
story has become slightly twisted. II
is either: "He who hesltates Is lost"
or "Act In haste and repent at leisure"
You may take your choice.