Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11

me curious. for Mr.. Robert amt the
Kind OF boss that goes around chucklin'
casual. specially at a busy private sec.
yes, sir?' says ]. shown back a tray
full OF correspondence I'm sortin'.
II heard something rather good at
luncheon. Torchy." says he.
ION red hair, l expect" says 1.
1T wasn't quite SO personal as that"
says he. still, think you'll be inter-
ested"
tits part of my job to look So any
way" says /, givin' him the grin.
"And another item on which you spe-
cialize. I believe" he goes on, 'is the
detection of book agents. At least. you
used to do SO when you were head office
boy. Held a record, didn't you?"
"Oh, don't know" says l, tryin' to
register modesty. zone got past the
gate; one in five years. That was durin'
my first month";"
almost an unblemished career" says
Mr.. Robert. What about your sue
cessor. Vincent?"
ooh, he's doing fairly WELL" says I.
Gets stung now and then. Like last
week when that fiossy blonde with the
a tale about having met dear Mr.. Ellins
at French Lick and wantin' to show
him something she knew he'd be just
crazy about. She did, too. Lordly
Homes of England four volumes. full
morocco. at fifty volume. And 1 must
say she was nearly right He wasn't
far from being crazy for the next hour
or so. Vincent got 1t, and then got it,
although I was downtown at the time
1t happened. But I'm coachin' Vincent.
and I don't think another one of 'em
will get by very soon."
''You don't, eh?" says Mr. Robert, in
dulgin' in another chuckle.
Then he spills what he overheard at
lunch. Seems he was out with a friend
who took him to the Papyrus Club,
which is where lot Of these young
hicks from the different book publishin'
Harper or Mr.. Scribner or Mr.. Dutton.
but the heads Of departments, assistant
editors, floor statesmen. etc.
And at the next table to Mr.. Robert
the guest of honor was loud talkin'
young gent who'd just come in from a
tour Of the middle west with a bunch
of orders big enough. IL you let him
tell 1t. to keep his FIRMS presses on
night shifts for a year. He was some
hero, take II, and for the benefit Of the
rest OF the bunch he was sketchin' out
his methods.
"As l understand the young man."
says Mr.. Robert, "his plan was to go
after the big ones; the difficult PROPOSE
NJ and
whom other agents had either failed to
reach or had not dared to approach.
The bigger the better was his motto.
and he referred to himself. think, as
the wizard Of the dotted line"
mot what you'd exactly call a
shrinkin' violet. eh?'' l suggests.
Rather a shrinking sunflower," says
Mr.. Robert. And he concluded by an
nouncing that nothing would suit him
better than to be told the name of the
most difficult subject In the metropoli-
tan district-'the hardest nut was his
phrase, l believe. He guaranteed to
land the said person within week. In
fact. he was willing to bet 500 that he
could"
Huh" says I.
1ICCloChy Nu0 Vi OAAc u AAAS
hearers" says Mr.. Robert. 1.-THE wager
was promptly made. And who do you
suppose. Torchy. was named as the
most aloof and difficult man in New
York for book agent to"
Mr.. Elins?" says I.
Mr.. Robert mods. my respected
governor. none other" says he. Il
fancy he would be rather amused to
know that he had achieved such a repu-
tation, although he would undoubtedly
give you most Of the credit"
"Or the blame,' says I.
Yes" admits Mr.. Robert, III he hap
pened to be in the blaming mood. Any
way. young man. there you have a d.
rect challenge. Within the next week
the inner sanctum of the Corrugated
Trust Is to be assailed by one who
claims that he can penetrate the I'M
penetrable. know the unknowable and
unscrew the inscrctshle."
'Wen, that's cute Of him." says l.
'rm bettin', though, he never gets to
his man."
That's the spirit! says Mr.. Robert.
'As the French said at verdun, lis ne
passeront pas Eh?"
Meaning NO gangway.' expect"
says I. THAT'S the idea But say, Mr..
Robert, what's he look like, this king
- AzAA~A N~ASss