The Press., 1919-02-06

contrast the worn carpet on which
 they rested. He fingered nervously
 the well-tailored clothes that long since
 had replaced torn, ragged overalls.
 and smiled bitterly. And then he
 looked up,
 An old man bent over a desk several
 feet away seemed to remind him ot
 the old miller. his father. with his
 sparse gray hairs and stopped shoul-
 ders-until he looked up. A pair of
 rascally, cunning eyes met Gates fur
 lively, and then darted to a rough
 looking individual waiting, as was
 Gates on one of the chairs in row
 about the wall of the large outer of-
 flee. A buzzer sounded and the door | of the inner sanctum opened. "It's your turn next" huskily whis-
 pered the old man to the other. Leave
 it to Jerry Bletzman. He'll fix you
 up."
 The man grunted unintelllgibly and
 rose hesitatingly to his feet. He. like
 most of his waiting brethren, had come to be fixed up." And Bletzman. the far-famed P. Gerald Bletzman, self styled "counselor at law" was to do rhe fixing" or, rather, the "unfixing." | For Bletzman's many hired henchmen | proclaimed that no matrimonial knot was too hard for their patron to un- | tie.
 "Jes' leave 1t t me-" boomed a raul | cous voice, which Gates recognized as | Bletzman's as he hurriedly pushed a | Spidery-looking young man out of his office. ''Tll get somethin' on her. They l ain't none O them too foxy fer Bletz- man, are they. Pete?'
 Pete. his assistant. acquiesced | speedily with chuckle, and Bletzman
 bent beady eye on the man who stood
 close to Pete's desk
 Come right in." he welcomed the
 other suavely. laying a sweaty palm on
 the clients sleeve. "Pete. bring tn
 gentleman's card in-now."
 The door slammed and again the
 outer office Subsided Into a low mur-
 mur of voices.
 So. unused Gates, this was what he
 had come 10. A place where the sa-
 cred ties of marriage and motherhood
 were bandied about like packing boxes I
 measles. Br-r-r!
 And across the room, instead of the
 sweet smile of his mother, a gray
 haired woman in gay clothes smirked | fraternally st him while waiting her urn.
 This drove Gates eyes to his lap, on which rested a neat package. which he now untied. Dragging forth a yell Jewish paper, he fell to reading It, and again 1t conjured forth visions from out of happy past.
 There was a great high-ceilinged par Tor, smelling deliciously of fresh picked blossoms, and echoing the sound of many laughing voices and the crinkle of many stiff party dresses. And a rose-bower in the center, under which an ecstatic couple were receiv- ing congratulations. And Gates, as he read his marriage license, heard anew, as if it were yesterday, the little old ! pastors solemn warning, Whom God | hath joined together, let no man put | asunder."
 "Purty we'll prepared, ain't yuh mis- | ter?" The voice at Gates elbow caused him to thrust the paper back | iH the packet, as he looked up to | meet the leer of the man on his right. My old woman swiped mine," contin- | ued the other, enviOusly. ''Leastways. | she muster given it t tn guy she Hoped with. Cost me fifty extra t get a new one. Ain't women tn darnest yeggs?"
 Gates stared at him unseeingly. but | the last remark caused him to shiver anew. Lucille, his wife, yegg? Nev- CT! She was a fine girl. through and through. They just couldn't get along that was all. And some one had sng- gested Bletzman to him, and "Y1l come outa tn mill sadder an poorer" vouchsafed another waiting one. "Bletzman1l see t that" "Out of the mill." echoed Gates to himself, in horror. To be sure, it was a mill but what kind? Bletzman's mill swallowed up human souls and gave up what? Fine white flour? Could that hnydenish girl he likened to his fathers flour: Or thc drcrepit. rcd nnSs'd wreck a' lis side who called ''~- wif,~--;- yr%E: Or rh .! o.d rum- ''',... .i .,.'tt. ''., ....i ;,. ,,l,...., brassy locket at her wrinkled neck there probably reposed pictures of her | grandchildren And was he to be made a party to liking" his wife little winsome Lucille. whom he had wronged? Yes. he reflected. he had | wronged her. No wonder she had com | pIsined of his friends coming to the house. drinking heavily, talking loose ly and gambling madly. It had of- l tended those finer sensibilities that now. in him. in the midst of Bletz- mans revolting atmosphere, came back with a rush. Why hadn't he kept that promise to do so, the giving of which he had called hen-pecky? If he only had kept it-she might still be with
 Two doors opened simultaneously. Through one burly individual showed a man, and stood surveying the crowd Of walters.
 Who's next?" he vOciferated, in his best barber manner, as if getting di- vorced was no more than a shave. "Ah, the little lady?" He advanced toward the outer door and Gates fol lowed him with his eyes. And then Gates staggered. In horror, to his feet.
 "Lucillei" cried Gates, as a pretty,