Evening star., 1922-11-12


lessly at James door, rang the bell.
Heavy footsteps came down the
passage-crushed. disheartened foot
steps-footsteps that sent chill to
Elizabeth heart. The door opened.
James Boyd stood before her, heavy
eyed and haggard. In his eyes was
despair, and on his chin the blue
growth of beard Of the man from
whom the mailed fist of Fate has
smitten the energy to perform his
morning shave.
Behind him, littering the floor. were
the morning papers. At sight of them
Eliza beth broke down.
"Oh. Jimmy, darlingw she cried.
and the next moment she was in his
arms. And for space time stood
still.
How long afterward il was she
never knew, but eventually James
Boyd spoke.
'If you'll marry me-" he said
hoarsely. II don't care a hang"
Jimmy, darling" said Elizabeth,
"of course I WILL"
Past them as they stood there
black streak shot silently and disap-
peared out of the door. Joseph was
leaving the sinking ship.
Let him go, the fraud" said Eliza
beth bitterly. Il shall never believe
in black cats again"
But James was not Of this opinion
Joseph has brought me all the
luck 1 need"
But the play meant everything to
you.'
Tt did then"
Elizabeth hesitated.
Jimmy. dear, it's all right, you
know. / know you will make a for
tune out of your next play. and I've
heaps for US both to live on till you
make good. We can manage splen-
didly on my salary from the Evening
Chronicle"
What! Have you got Job on
New York paper"'
Yes. I told you about it. I am
doing 'Heloise Milton Why, what's
the matter?'
He groaned hollowly.
And was thinking that you would
come back to Chicago with me-"
But 1 will. OF course I will. What
did you think 1 meant to do?"
What! Give UP real job in New
York." He blinked. This isn't really
. happening. I'm dreaming"
But. Jimmy, are you sure you can
get work in Chicago? Wouldn't 1t
be better to stay on here. where all
| the managers are, and"
| He shook his head.
'I think it's time I told you about
myself he said. "Am I sure I can
| get work In Chicago l am, worse
luck. Darling, have you in your more
material moments ever toyed with a
Boyd's Premier Breakfast Sausage or
kept body and soul together with
slice off a Boyd's Excelsior Home
Cured Ham? Ny father makes them,
and the tragedy Of my life is that he
wants me to help him at 1t. This
was my position. loathed the family
business as much as dad loved 1t. 1
had a notion-a fool notion. as it has
turned out-that 1 could make good
in the literary line. I've scribbled In
sort of way ever since was In
college.
when the time came for me to
Join the firm put it to dad straight.
said, Give me a chance, one good,
square chance, to see If the divine
fire is really there or II somebody
practical Joke
"And we made a bargain. I had
written this play. and We made it
test case. We fixed 1t up that dad
should put up the money to give it a
Broadway production. If it succeeded,
ali right. I'm the young Gus Thomas.
and may go ahead in the literary
game. II it's fizzle, of goes my
coat and I abandon pipe dreams of
literary triumphs and start in as tho
guy who put the Co. in Boyd & Co.
well, events have proved that am
the guy, and now I'm going to keep
my part Of the bargain just as
squarely as dad kept his. I know
quite we'll that II I refused to play
fair and chose to stick on here in
New York and try again dad would
go on stalking me. That's the sort of
dad he is. Bus wouldn't do 1t for a
million Broadway successes. I've had
my chance, and I've fooled, and now
I'm going back to make him happy
by being a real, live member of the
firm. And the queer thing about 1t is
that last night I hated the idea, and
this morning. now that I've got you,
almost look forward to it."
He gave little shiver.
"And yeti don't know. There's