Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-05-16
Friend and
Foe
B. MATlDA FRANcEs PFEFFER

Ccopyrlght, 19ls. western Newspaper UniOn.1
With a roll and a yawn, Ben Buttles
awoke upon his nest Of leaves behind
a bush at the roadside. Then he came
bolt upright and stared, wild eyed and
open mouthed.
An automobile had come to a sudden
halt. checked by it's driver at a barri-
cade of criss-cross logs. Two vicious
looking men sprang from behind a
great tree. One Of them darted up to
the occupant of the machine, bodily
dragged him from his seat, flung him
to the ground, and sitting astride Of
him, began striking at his unprotected
head with a heavy %slungshot. The 9TH
er leaped into the automobile and
started to ransack it.
"Thunderi" uttered Ben. TITS a hold
upr'
Ben snatched from his pocket his
knife. For three seconds he was
busily employing it mysteriousIy about
his knees. Then he raised in one hand
an %odd-looking object, bullying at n
end, running to an obtuse point at
the other. He rushed quickly past the
foliage.
Swish!
The object described a parabola
curve in the air. With a cracking
sound it landed on the head Of the as
s%ailant, who uttered a scream and
toppled sideways.
"The under dog, every timel" Choir
tied Ben ~complacently.
The young man whom he had saved
from having a broken skull, perhaps
worse, had gained his feet. The man
ransacking the automobile fed precipi-
lately. The other desperate had stag
gered off. The young man fixed a
grateful glance upon Ben, who was
grinning with satisfaction.
you've done me some service"
began Dean Forster. and then paused.
staring in wonderment. "Why," he
added, you've got only one limb, and
the other one"
"Is the old wooden peg I've worn for
five years." returned Ben, waving the
wooden object he had utilized as a
weapon. He proceeded to strap this
back into place, adding: "Those fell
lows seem to have been laying for
you. mister"
There's no doubt of that" respond
ed young Forster. 81 travel for a jew
elry tool and supply house, and I sup
pose one little package of watch
springs in my sample case alone rep
resents over ten thousand dollars.
Now, then, what can l do for you to
show my appreciation of your timely
afd?"
There was plenty to do for Ben, d i'd
Forster proceeded to- do it. From a
thriftless wanderer with a wooC en-
stump Forster transformed Ben into a
respectable looking, well dressed man
with the most comfortable artificial
limb money could buy. Then he Sc
cured for him a position as Waterman
in the great plant of Warren & Co.
at Acton, for whom he was q travelling
salesman. Having made the old man
comfortable and considering his CRATE
full duty complete, Forster turned his
attention to wOoing and winning Alice
Lane. That precious privilege met
with but one setback-Forster had a
rival, or rather an enemy, for such
Ralph Dykes became. Both young men
were in the service of Warren & Co.
One day, to the amazement of the
town, Dean Forster was arrested,
charged with theft. There had disap-
peared from the firm something over
$4,000 worth of dental gold. The only
evidence against Forster was thai the
stamped and priced wrappings and
tags of two of the missing packages
had been found, pushed back in a
drawer OF his desk. How they came
there Forster had no idea.
Ben. Buttles betrayed a deep inter-
est in the case.
His Indignation at the arrest of
Forster changed to close watchfulness
and suspicion.
One evening Forster was with Alice
at her home. They were discussing
the approaching trial in court. when
a ring at the telephone sent Alice
thither.
ut is a call from Mr.. Warren. He
wishes you to come at once to the
plant" she told Forster.
He. hurried away. At the Office at
the factory he found his employer
and Ben Buttles.
"Now, then. my man." spoke Mr.. War
rem sharply to Ben, 'you said you had
made some important discoveries about
the thefts and would disclose them only
in the presence OF Mr.. Forster"
That's right" answered Ben. ST
have cornered the real thief. He is
Ralph Dyke"
"Be careful what you say, Ben"
spoke Forster.
"Oh, that's all right" said Ben, un-
strapping his artificial limb. Revers-
ing it, he tipped out various packages