The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1922-05-04
Old Jerry's
Contract
By wINIfRED DUssAR.

IL there MAS one person Ia the world
who believed that n Was bad luck u
break nsifrvf. IL Was Walter Lane
II wss 40 ordinary SIX By ten look
log glass that Walter had Jcggled
against and fopplsd 10 the floor. II
WAS an rlsiif-by sixts~n-fset plate
xisss mirror one Of the nnsst ever
turned ouf BY hiehiand 4 Co. the zig
glass nrm VI the city. 10 getting IL
ready for delivery. some one stumbled
over u supporting frame aud tks costly
mirror Was shls-ssd TO atoms.
Walter Lane had been In the employ
Of RieLlaId 4 Co for over Z year
Hs was held responsible for the dam
age. although personally he had 40
hand Ia the disaster. There we're
some hot words. Walter felt the In
justice " bardening his shoulders
with the entire responsibility but lie
Was discharged. his accumulated wages
held back and threats Of = suit 10 re
cover the balance OF the damages
made.
"And about ali I know Is the kind
Of business the house does and. OF
course. they will blacklist the every
where with the trade" mourned Wal
ter
He felt pretty forlorn ~ he walked
slowly homsward.
There Was . notable operate event
on the books for Friday evening, only
two days ahead. He had invited Leah
Moore and. although she had several
other Invitations for that evening. she
accepted his own. 30 pleased and
pleasant that IL had made bis heart
bound.
II can't face her" reflected Walter.
EN- phone her this evening. and that
will goodby
II was distressing TO think VI II,
and Walters spirits sank lower as he
proceeded on bis way Then = sharp
sisp Oh the shoulder brought him 10
. halt. and turning. he faced blum and
hearty srizzlsd old Jerry Gowan.
Old Jerry had been q veteran 10
the mirror service. but for = year
classsd a. supsrsnnusted. and lived
ia an old home some relatives had
left him. Walter had been bis apprsn-
tiee. IN fact. aud Jerry was quite fond |
OF him.
well. my hearty" be hailed. how
goes itf'
bad" replied Walter. promptly and
truthfuliy. I'm discharged" and he
told how.
"0eod Grand ." cried old Jerry. Il
don't mean because you lost your job.
but because I nesd \ hand and I don't
know q better our than you. Lad.
I've sot . big contract. IN guarantee
at least 5000 for the year. What do
you ssyr'
"what DO you expect me TO dor
walter asked.
buy broken mirrors from factories.
You Just broke one. you say. 90 and
buy the fragments"
What are yoa going 10 do with
thslnr'
'scut and at them TO small medallion
mirrors. I've uvt an unlimited or
der"
Somehow the optimism Of the old
man Inspired Walter with new cheer.
Somehow his hopsisssuess Was dissi-
pstsd. and he mustered up courage to
call upon Leah and tell her every.
thing she not only accepted no other
Invitation. but asked him TO spend the
evening At her home. and svineed the
liveliest interest In his new prospects,
Somewhere old Jerry had purchased
Az enormous number VI medallion
frames Ills business WAS 10 all them
sith little MIRRORS made from the frsg-
neats Walter purchased at = bargain.
Then there WAS some rush business.
The medallion mirrors were packed
n boxes. There was nearly q carload
II them. They we're shipped across
he continent when they arrived At
he little town Ga the coast they were
'smoved to the Lame Duck.
The Lame Duch was worthy OF her
old shore liner owned BY
Va Jerry's hacker and brother.
Then fhsrv was . cruise OF SO
niles south and thea somewhere OF
he Central American coast tho Lame
)ueh came Ia anchor In the port Of
he principal Inland of q vast srchipsi-
Ise
There were natives thousands Of
hem. and one king over them all. II
res with this pet~atste that Captain
,s~an did business. II seemed that
a . previous ssssGs the captain had
resented the king With the hrst hand
airror he he'd ever s~~a. II 80 his
insshlp Wild with delight
They had 90 money. no postage
ramps, aethlss but banana trees and
Asslrsh eo the islsnd. sheep and birds.
livery native had . mattress sf the
ofsvsf down A. 70 ~esl the islands
Fsrv covered with thorns bashes that
fsrs iuss sssdsd -lth strands Of PRIV
ssos wool tora rrom the passing
erds
The Lame DUCK came bsea loaded
rffh unul snd down The TIVE mart