Evening star., 1919-12-14

maybe I've limited before, and
because can now and then size
EN- up at first glance somewhere near
accurate I'm always kiddin' myself I'm
wizard at this seventh son stun. But
as th's Is one of my lucid moments IN
e. you IN on the true dope. l amt any
thing such. Absolutely not.
II was l wouldn't have made such
wild guess on Kenneth. expect IL
was the wide eyegiass ribbon trailin'
across his fancy vest into an upper
pocket and the new pigskin document
case under his left arm that gave me
what thought was a wise hunch. ANY,
way, the minute he tricl1les into the
front office. looks around hesitatin' and
then edges over where l have my feet
parked the rolltop and an afternoon
edition Spa cad out comfortable l gives
him the back-up signal.
mo. son." says l. II amt subscribin'
to any atlas Of the new map Of Europe
showin' the location Of all the important
battlefields Of the worlds war You're
about the fifth young college hick that's
tried to wish that on me this week"
Il beg pardon, SIR" says he, but
l only"
"Yeauh. I know" breaks in. "All
you want to do is show me a bunch of
sample plates. display q line of cloth
and half-leather dummy bindings and
feed me a forty-five- minute speel on
why every intelligent citizen should sign
on the dotted line. But I amt con-
tractin' to pay a dollar down and then
get weekly visits from collectors all the
rest Of my life. don't give a hoot
where the new republic Of Cxechoslovia
is located, how Poland Is bounded on
the west. IL at all, or what they're
fumin' about at Fiume, 80 II you'll-Eh?
Don't tell me that's q bill you're fishin'
out or a subpoena?"
"Oh, no, SIR" says he. ''but II you
are Prof. Shorty McCabe. why l."
That's me-" says I. What you ~
there?"
It's just a note from one Of my old
reg'lars sayin' that this will introduce
Kenneth Wales. a nephew of his. who
wants to ask personal favor Of me.
but that l mustn't let him bother me IL
l amt got the time. AS It happens I'm
just drillin around waitin' until 7:15
when I'm to Join Sadie at the Purdy-
Pells for one of their stiff ff-necked din
ners. That amt the worst of it, either.
Sadie don't know I'm wise, but Pinck-
ney has tipped me of that afterward
the Purdy-P Pells are goin' to spring
young lady vocalist on us. one of these
freak warblers who goes out for altitude
and hopes to break into grand opera in
nj 20 NP thA iuA ;afh <~f k,nr oN1ln
bones. And Gosh! How / dread them
seances.
Also this young chap is a fair-haired.
pink and white checked party with seri
Gus eyes and kind Of a pleasant smile.
IAN right. Kenneth" says l. still
eyein' the leather case a little sus-
picious. shoot
You see. sir" says he. easin' him.
self into a chair II am writing play"
'Oh. yes" says L. And you thought
that being only few blocks from
Belasco and the Shuberts' offices I'd
know 'em so intimate could get it put
on for you, eh?''
mot exactly" says he. Tit isn't
quite finished. But in the seventh
act
"Eh?" says I. What is this,
Chinese drama? How many acts. all
told?"
mine, sir. the way I've planned it,
says he ~ suppose some Of them
might be left out. though. But in the
seventh there's a big fight scene in a
mining camp. where the hero knocks
out a lot Of neutrality-suspicious. 'em.
you know-and I-well, I'm not very
we'll up on that sort Of thing. and when
was talking to my uncle about it he
suggested that perhaps you would be
good enough to tell me il I'd got 1t
right"
II see." says l. "Never done mucn
sluggin' YOURSELF eh. Kenneth"
Hardly any. SIR says he, his ears
pinkin' up. except for one or two
fights l had at prep school. and didn't
come out very we'll in any Of them, at
that"
mo. I shouldn't say you would" says
l. But this play Of yours. I take it. Is
kind Of wild west thriller, with Doug
Fairbanks stunts in 1t. and free-for-
all mx-up. You've spent some time in
a mining camp. have your"
"Oh no." says Kenneth. Except
when I was at college I've always lived
at--at home"
where's homer" asks.
Glover Leaf, N. Y. says he. droppin'