The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-11-12
A SHORT STORY

did that McCrea person from Toledo
happen to call when was out?"
"Only on the phone" says l, "to
Had an important conference today"
Huh" says Mr.. Robert. $50 did
l."
"Startin' Oggie Blair Is up the on
the string, eh?" 1 asks, GRIMM"
Twenty" corrects Mr.. Robert.
"And then he has the presumption to
scratch a four-cushion shot for cor
ner gather and nurse 'em until he has
run game No one else called, eh?"
"Only Mr.. Varney," says l.
"Well, how was old Horace asks
Mr.. Robert.
Seemed to have his usual crouch
with him." says l.
Mr.. Robert chuckles what in par
ticular has embittered poor Horace
against the world now?" he asks.
Being shifted to the winter greens
at Apawamis," says l. "That was his
deepest growl. Said if it hadn't been
for that crime which tire him off his
putting he'd have broken 80 yester-
day. Threatens to resign, give up golf,
or do something else desperate"
"How familiar that all sounds" says
Mr.. Robert Anything else wrong
with the universe?"
ooh, yes" says l. ''The calendar is
on the blink, accordin' to him. It's too
late to stay at any Northern resorts,
too messy in town, and too early to
go to Pinehurst or Hot Springs. Then
his man wants to take month off to
go back to England and look after a
sister who's been left widow, and
Mr. Varney say swho the blazes is to
get his bath ready and lay out his
Shawn things if that happens"
"Who indeed!" says Mr.. Robert.
"Poor old Horace! He leads a hard
life, doesn't he "
Perfectly poisonous" says I, and
we swaps grins.
Not that he don't sympathize more
or less with Horace. We do. He has
to stop so many half-arm jolts from
the rude fist of Fate, as Mr.. Robert
puts it. One day he'll be hookin' his
drive, maybe the next a careless club
waiter will bring him his filet of sole
without the sauce tartar, and that
same evenin' perhaps his bridge part
ner will double three spades when he
should haise Mr.. Varney's no-trump
and give him chance to make the
rubber. Always something or other.
AS rule he comes in and tells us
all about it. Course, if Mr.. Robert is
there and amt too busy, he gets the
tale, but if no one else is handy have
to stretch more or less willing ear.
I've listened to lot of harrowin' de-
tails; how he suspects Jepson of
waterin' his private stock, what poor
time he had at a weekend house party
up in the Berkshires where young
widow from Richmond made him sit
out in the moonlight with her until
he got the sniffles, or how that silly
sister-in-law of his lured him out to
Montclair and parked him all through
dinner next to baby vamp who
giggled in his ear and afterward tried
to show him some new jazz steps.
From all of which you might gather
that Horace Varney was an unfortu-
nate gent who was doing his best to
have a good time in world-that was
badly organized for that purpose.
Fairly good guess. Outside of that
he's bachelor we'll along in the thir-
ties, with fine Roman nose, cleft
chin, and a deep worry wrinkle be-
tween his thick eyebrows.
1t amt the price of a new winter
overcoat, or the tax on silk pajamas,
or the slump in oil stocks that worries
Horace. No. He's got an income that
will stand any strain you could think
up, short of financin' slush fund or
abckin' musical show on road tour.
and l doubt if Horace could tell ex-
actly. Mainly believe his capital is
invested in public service corporations
electric light, gas and trolley COM
panies all over the couqntry-so when
you get stuck with 10-cent fare some
where, or find your kilowate hour rate
has been jumped, you can have the
satisfaction of knowing that part of it
goes to Horace, who will see that most
of it gets back into circulation prompt.
ly. He didn't even pile up all them
preferred stocks originally. A kind
old Uncle of his who was corporation
lawyer did that for him, years ago
leavin' the lot to Horace because he
couldn't take it along with him when
he shuffaed off so sudden.