Evening star., 1922-12-31
BY
HOLWORTHY
HALL
~

7ps,p1T n,
does, that she had married a boy s'hesEe.
in a mans body.
There came to call upon hlp
the boarding house one evening" ~
undersized Jew in remarkably rts-f
At clothing. Picard took him to ths
farther end of the red-plush par1or. =
and there they sat and argued back
and forth for the major portion or
an hour Bertha couldn't hear AL
that they were talking about. bu.
she was hypnotized by what she did
hear. and by the facile emphasis of
the Jews two hands. He stimulated
her Imagination; and presently. when
she had noted his dramatic repres-
sion. and his virile intensity and ttTe
light in his eager eyes. her curiosity
went far ahead of her Imagination.
Out OF long practice she catalogued
him and analyzed him to fine degree
and as soon as he had gone. she de
manded Of Picard an explanation, a.
history.
why" said Picard. that's man
by ahe name of Schoenstein. lie
blew into the Office a couple of day
ago-wanted US to float little issue
of stock for him. He owns SOM
oil leases in Oklahoma l guess It's
all right. but told him 1t was too
small to bother with. 30 he's beer
trying to get me to loan him some
money. SO he can go ahead with his
development"
ho hoa feS fbir-r
ing about II. Stuart" she asked.
dubiousiy.
Picard had been on the verge Of
negative decision; but at the implied
criticism from his wife, he instinc-
lively held up his head.
Yes. I'd thought about it.
How much does he want?"
Five hundred"
She saw that he was annoyed. bur
she knew that the evening was mo
mentous. 'On what security. Stuart"
Note" he said brusquely. and he
got up, and began to pace the floor
He'll get Endorsements. And he'll
give me q sixteenth interest In til"
property as a bonus"
When she closed her eye. she could
see the Jew and hear his voice
clearly as though he were present
before her, and out of her stern train
ing. and her insight, and her nativ.
keenness, she knew what manner Of
man he was. She would have riskeG
her life on her intuition. ''Suppos.
he doesn't happen to he honest.
Stuart? Suppose the well isn't ary
good. Have we five hundred dollar
to lose?"
We've got FIVE hundred he said
shortly"
But part OF it was mine. Stuart.
Picard stopped short. Now. listen
to me. darling You're the sweetes,
thing alive, but you don't know the
first simple thing about this kind @:
business. I'm perfectly capable o.
deciding whether it's a good thing
to do, or not
!. She perceived the crisis, and met il
What is 1T you want to be-
philanthropist?"
Lets not discuss it, please said
Picard
On the following afternoon he told
her that he had loaned money 70
the Jew. I've got security for the
loan" he said, "and ;f the well comes
throngh-that's velvet. And he's
paying me : per cent against the
savings banks s. II I'd taken your
advice. I'd have lost a mighty good
Investment"
DERTHA was wise enough to max"
- no further protest, and, more thar
that, she was wise enough to maxi
no protest when Picard, somewhs,
later. cried out to her: II told you
So" The notc was paid before ma
turity. and the well poured into
Picard's lap hundred dollars a da>
for four ecststic months. overnigh'.
he added !mmeasurably to his poi.
and to his air of conquest.
Il suppose said Bertha. refieo-
! lively, I'VE might be looking for al
apartment now"
Picard blew a cloud OF smoke To
ward the ceiling. II had funny
experience today" he said. with ap-
the Lambs for lunch. There was a
pretty big man there / used to know
and we got to talking. He wanted 60
know what I'd been doing. and ] said
I'd been resting. He seemed awfully
interested In my tailor and all that
sort Of thing. Well. the upshot OF
il all was that he offered me a part
in a new play OF his-at three hun
dred"
Bertha was deeply animated. '1sn'r
that wonderful? The right thing a.
last! Oh. Stuart, I'm SO pleased,
When do you start?"
Picard regarded her over his cigar.
"I've had a queerer offer yet. Call
fornia. In the pictures. Not acting
directing. OF course. I'm fattered.
but It's q ridiculous thing; no salary
at all, or a purely nominal one. for
year, and then II mako good. SAL
ary and a percentage"
She caught her breath. THAT Is
ridiculous. isn't itf'
Picard blinked. II didn't mean
ridiculous exactly meant un-
| usual"
THAT'S what I meant. too. Why.
you don't know anything at all about
pictures"
I'm not sure I'd say that don't
know anything about pictures.
honey"
But you've never been in them.