Evening star., 1919-04-27

"rhey all are son. they all are.
Haven't put your name on any
paper?"
Haven't had a pen in my hand
since quit night school last winter"
"You never can tell'' said Burns.
gravely. But IL you've got tied up
any way, I'll see what can do. See
you tomorrow" Burns chuckled A
william went out. 1t was a great
world.
William, In a distinctly restless
frame of mind, left the shop and
walked homeward. He was flled
with foreboding. Some lawyers
wanted to see him, and cold -blooded
ones, too, IL letters counted. Burns
always said that il you went to court
for anything the lawyers got IL.
What had he done. anyhow? He
combed his near-past thoroughly:
but aside from two or three pinochle
games over at the engine house Uwo
bits the corner), his record was as
spotless and shiny as new sheet tin.
Oh. well. why borrow trouble? They
couldn't get blood out Of a turnip, and
besides, Burns would see to 1t that he
got a square deal.
Whenever he was worried or in the
doldrums. william hied him forth to
the nearby moving picture theater.
For an hour and half he could lose
himself completely He could cast
off trouble in the lobby, oven II that
little old man Of the sea jumped on
his back again as he went out. 1t
was something to have cheated trou-
BILE out OF an hour and a half.
~ rln fhuf i0h
in his accuctomed seat. With his toll
bitten hand proppins his chin. he
gazed in rapt wonder at a caravan of
camels as they came superciliously
down the sand hills Of the Libyan
desert. Instantly the scene changed.
He saw the bewildering peoples Of
the bazaars. Turbans and tarbooshes,
flowing robes and sandaled feet.
fruit sellers and water carriers tour
lists in spotless white linen and sun
helmets: and presently through this
swarm came the heroine on q scraE-
gy little donkey. The villain pointed
her out to his minions. and stealthily
they pursued her until she was safe
and happy in her lovers. arms.
=, William wasn't much interested in
the exploits of this heroine, whose
salary was large enough to support
South American republie;' nor was he
certain that the Lihyaa desert and
the bazaars were not located south
by-east from Los Angeles. But the
camels were real; aye. real enough
to whisk him away on one of his
carpets from Bagdad. overseas, to
that wonderful world he was never
to see, much as the Irish soul Of him
hungered for it.
During the short intermission he
idly studied the people about him.
At his left sat a pretty young woman.
in cool but sensible summer clothes.
He spoke to her.
ITS a great business"
"Yes. it is," she replied. lingering the
single sheet program.
"A dime, and you can go anywhere
in the world. I've always wanted to
see the orient"
He said nothing more. and gave his
attention to the screen where the an
nouncements of coming features were
being projected. And because he
stopped where he did he aroused
mild curiosity in his neighbor. She
recognized that here was no masher
type, a phase Of the moving picture
theater that had caused her annoy
ance more than once. He was just a
comfortable, everyday sort OF young
man, who had had a thought and had
expressed it aloud to her merely be-
cause she happened to be sitting next
TO him.
A few minutes later she heard him
laugh uproariously at the antics OF
slap stick comedian. She laughed,
too, not 20 loudly, perhaps. but quite
as heartily and humanity as this un-
known red-h eaded young man. When
the comedy was over he tipped back
the seats for her. and presently she
lost sight OF him in the crowd. She
forgot all about him. even as William
forgot all about her.
The next morning when he entered
the outer Office OF Hargreave, Bell
Davis. a small boy, not at all I'M
pressed by the visitors ready MADE
tie and celluloid collar, jumped up
and confronted him. coldly ana
alertly.
"Whadjuh want" he demanded.
"Whadjuh got?" countered William,
fiercely.
"Eertie!" called the girl at the type