Evening star., 1921-05-22


Gently padded, Pod and the Doctor
feIt a yearninS of the heart toward
home.
"All very picturesque and nifty
admit" the Doc remarked. from his
rocker on the broad piazza OF the
Hamilton House, but still. there's
nothing like home, sweet home, after
all"
Moodily his eyes wandered over the
sparkling harbOr. the white salis the
whittier cottages and the turquoise OF
the broad Atlantic, beyond whose Tar
horizon lay the Land of Graft Unlim-
. tied Stats, catching his mood. nodded
assent.
II getcha," he murmured. stretch
ing his huge. white-linen-clad bulk on
the long wicker steamer chair BESIDE
his partner. Prosperity and lack OF
exercise had brought him up to 2I7.
with steady tendency toward more
81 getcha, Steve. Time to drift north
a mans size occupation. l long 10
daily with some real get-there propo-
sition again. that's all to the mustard.
Well?"
"DaIly is right" said Ben. There's
a boat out of here to New York this
pm. That's for u.s."
An then?" queried Pod. with un-
usual ambition.
"Oh. I've been incubating an idea
for some time concerning a certain
fiduciary institution in the Hub that
needs little blood-letting to prevent
it having apoplexy. it's that top
heavy with the unearned increment
The frame-up I've got buzzing round
my thinkery now will be an east-and-
west proposition. pulled Act l in
Chicago. on the Changers National
Bank, last June. That's how 1 was
flying so lofty when 1 met you in
the Hotel de Gink. otherwise known
as bench in the park. Now I've got
a hunch we can fly still loftier in
Act II, on the strength of Act I. So
get move on and let's pack our
keisters to lay a little paper in Vel
vetburg. in the good old U. S. A
Unlimited Suckers Aggregation"
Some days thereafter three passen-
gers sat in a smoking compartment OF
the o'clock limited out Of New, York.
Boston bound. A curious trio they
the big human hive. One. CONNER
cial traveller. courted his briar and
read The Alibi": the second. a stout
gentleman. dressed in expensive
though rather erratic fashion, drew
luxuriously at a black cigar. stared
out the window at the whirling land
scape. and rubbed his freshly shaven
chin with satisfaction: while the third.
q tall clergyman Of reserved bearing,
/, occupied himself steadfastly by look
ing up references in his pocket con-
cordance and making copius notes in
a portfolio.
Now and again the clergyman pass
ed some remark anent his pastoral
duties or a forthcoming sermon. to
which the stout gentleman replied by
monosylables, seemingly i'll at ease in
the presence of this man Of the cloth.
A T Providence the commercial trav-
eler left the compartment, and no
one took his place. In some curious
manner he carried away with him the
atmosphere.
Say. you petrifed jelly-roll." re-
marked the clergyman as the train
bowled out of the station. toss US
out a smoke, can't you? 1t gives me
the wee-waws to play sky-pilot more
than half an hour at time. But tell
me. on the level. how does it go?'
Like salve on sore toe." answer
ed the fat gentleman. only don't
spread it too thick or some one may
slip an tumble. see? What sort of a
gazebo is the old Goodrich. anyway?
Bug-eyed an suspicious. or how"
'One Of the great and glorious tribe
of E. z. Marx" answered the clergy
man striking a match by deftly snip
ping it with his finger Easiest
ever! He'll fall for anything. 1 put
years ago. but didn't score hard. That's
why I'm so keen to come again and
gather the ripe harvest AS things are
nxed now. he'll drop like plum-hes
only waiting to be shaken"
Listens good, but are you sure?''
"Just as sure as I am that these here
Rasaritos set me back a quarter apiece.
and that you're costing me like
sixty. Sure? I should say yes! With
our present lay we can get the jacks
It before he even gets the idea soaked
through his Uranium that he's being
did. Just you watch and-cheese It!
The conr'
Tickets. pleasew exclaimed that
worthy. entering the compartment:
ing out two pasteboards. MY friends
and mine. Have you a timetable on
the b. & NJ? Yes. we're going through
to Portland. You'll get me one? All.
thank you, thank you. Yes. it is good
weather for travelling. though trifie
warm"
The conductor departed.
How d'you do it?' inquired the
stout gentleman. admiringly. Il
thought I could 1uggle 'em along
to = syllable! It's worth gold mine
to be understudy to an article like
you. Here, let's christen"
He snapped open his Gladstone bag
and brought out a half-pint flask of
very strong waters. Shortly there
after the flask. eloQuently empty. went
spinning from a window of the ex-
press. which. clipping along in a
SIMEON OF dust, was every minute
shortening by a mile the distance be-
tween our two friends and President
Abner Goodrich of the Commercial
Trust Company, Boston. Mass.
That afternoon when President
Goodrich came back from lunch he
found waiting for him in his inner
o8ice two strangers. One Of these, an
austere clergyman. sat reading his
breviary in short-sighted fashion,
while the other. evidently an original
gaxed vacantly at the coffered ceiling
Both rose to greet him: the clergy
man fumbled through his pocketbook
and finally produced a card. which
after minute inspection. he presented
to Goodrich.
Francis G. Benedict" read the
president. Rector of st. Luke's
Church. Roxbury."
lat your service. sir" murmured
the pleasure Of making you acquaint-
ed with Mr.. Hogan-Michael ]. Hogan
of my parish"
Glad to know you" exclaimed
Hogan, much embarrassed. He ex.
tended 4 fat and hirsute paw, which
the bank president, seeing no escape
took reluctantly.
Mr: Hogan is q benefactor o.
nine" pursued the clergyman. "ol
rather. Of my church. He lacks tn,
tho outward manifestations Of cul
ture to some extent, but-er-hii