The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-01-05
Ten Dollars or a
Night in Jail
BY n. RAY BAKER.


ing u proposal. OF marriage l. Can you
Imagine III But It's true. 4 heard It
With my own ears: OH dearl"
And. again Betty laughed, while
Jerry looked sglun and crestfallen.
i"What's so. funny about itr' he
growied ''ildyen't known you long
enough. Betty3 Haven't we lived next
door TO each other all our lives2 Who's
got a better right to propose TO you
than IT, - 4ot
She becafnc more solemn, although
traces of u smile remained on her at
tractive, rather pert rountenance.
why, IT'S so foolish Jerry. Think
OF You, Jerry, looking out for a wife;
You who, never did n days work In
ynu, life, who have no responsible
tl'si Jerry. you're 90, the. kind a
girh WAITS to marry-aat least, not my
kind of girl. You're too easy, for one
thing. Most girls likes TO- be bossed,
though they won't admit IL. Can you
picture yourself making. me do some
thing? No. of course YOU can't AT
least l can't. md IL could | might
picture myself marrying you. I'm fond
OF you, | admit, but can't take your
proposal seriously, because | can't
take you seriously You don't your
self, so how can II No, Jerry, forget
| Il ; II can never be-"
Jerry picked up his tennis racket
and walked slowly away. scowling
fiercely at Betty's big roadster resting
near the Rprch of her home. He was
always benten--at everything he un-
dertook. When he tried TO take Betty
to Mrs. Longworthy's ball be was
beaten by Henry Twite. who had
more commanding way. This after
noon he was beaten by Betty herself
ON the tennis court, and now he was
beaten for sure IN the game of love-
He went TO his room, banged his racket
into n closet and flung himself discon-
solately on the bed.
He was discouraged, and at the
same time he was desperate. He
thought OF hiring a gang of thugs to
kidnap Betty, just so he could rescue
up other wild schemes, all of which
he abandoned. He terminated his fren-
zied eonjecturing by arriving at the
determination To get @ job and go to
work and prove himself worthy. He
had in mind no particular job; the
first one that happened along would
satisfy. NM
4 Down into the city went Jerry.
4 Leaving his car in a garage. he started
out job hunting, wandering rather
aimessly. He happened by police
station at a time when a file Of blue
coats was coming out, and 1t made him
stop and think.
That's good chance" he told him
self. "Why not be a policeman? Per-
haps II would make me. more com
mandlng. It's worth trial, anyway"
Into the police station he went,
found the captain In charge and asked
for job. ~
The captain smiled rather perplcx.
edly at the good-looking, well-dressed
rather large youth,
"a Job. eh7 Well. we need men. Can
you manage a motorcycle"
Jerry nodded vigorously. A motor.
cycle WIS one Of the few things ne
ever had been able to manage.
swell, we1i give you trial"
Jerry went through the forrnallties
necessary to become guardian Of the
law. was equipped with four,cylIn4
der racing motorcycle. and In due
course Of time was sent out to Gran.
dali park to patrol the boulevards In
quest Of speeders. He felt mIsgivings
nplenty. but his nice blue suit I'm
parted'a certain degree OF confidence
He stood for some time In the shade
OF big tree and meditated. While
, he stood there mt least three big ma
chimes whlzzed by, going at least forty
miles an hour. And he was supposed
TO catch these demons. Well, hs
couldn't perform his duty by standing
there, so he started the engine OF hi,
motorcycle. mounted let In the clutcf
and started down the boulevard.
! The Job was not exactly to his lik
ing. In order to make arrests h,
would have to appear stern, even pug
nacious. And that went against Jer
) ry's grain. -, tf't
, AS he neared curve In the drive hi
/ heard a car coming, wieh the cut-ou
5 open. He knew IL swas a speeder b,
{ the sound, Hs supposed he woult
have to make an arrest, and yet bs
: dreaded 1t.
: Aroufsi the eknef csme the aut,
and plunged straight at him ii,
swerved .his cycle and the speeding
: machine missed him by an inch. Ther
: Jerry BECAME angry. probably for thu
first lime in his. life. II he hadn'
been quick he would have been dea,
2 policeman now. ift'
He turned about and gave chase. IN,
motorcnr was far along the boulevar,
now, but rrysopehed the throttle an,
began to gain. Presently he could Sc,
that he was. holding his. own, and hi
speedometer registered forty-6ve mile
an hour. He increased the speed I,