Evening star., 1922-11-12

four-course meal and with a cigarette
hung from one corner Of his mouth
he was quite unlike the square jawed
young man in the correspondence
school ads who Is always pictured
telling the board OF directors just
how he would build the big dam. AS
a matter Of fact, Andrew Mellish
seemed like a piffiing, shiftless, no
good, who might OF might not be
able to drive nail straight in
soft pine board.
He got away to a bad start, too.
When I'd led him up to the studio.
shown him the lealky taps. the broken
pane and the other jobs and he'd
opened the tool chest and hung his
coat and derby on the floor. he still
puttered around in an aimless sort of
way.
"well?" says l.
ITS no use," says he. II can't
really get down to work unless have
on nail dickey."
"A what?" says /.
ITS kind of a canvas apron. says
he HAS pockets in 1t for nails You
could have got one at that hardware
store"
"All right" says I. TIL run back
after 1t; but 1 hope, after you've
dressed the part according to tradi-
ton, you'll be able to make good"
you just watch me. lady" says
he
< :. i: x
4 Nd it was true. The moment he'd
n tied that nailholder round his
waist he seemed a different person.
Dropping a hammer in one side and a
screwdriver In the other. he went at
the window sash. unbuttoned 1t from
the casing in jifry. scraped out the
old putty and slapped in a new pane
almost before knew he'd begun. Then
he found the water shut-off and put
new washers in all the faucets. The
closet door that never would shut he
unhinged and rehung SO that 1t would
behave. and with few Screws and two
little blocks of wood he fixed the
hanger pole in place solid enough for a
person to chin themselves on 1t. And
the rest Of the afternoon he spent in
making the dingy woodwork shine with
white paint.
Meanwhile he chatted folksy with me-
Sure lady," says he, I've done lots of
paintin'. Worked at it all one summer
on an Albany day boat. I've done
electric wirin', too. and helped in a
locksmith's shop one winter, and done
upholsterin'.
Andrew" says I. after watching him
FOR an hour or 50. II believe you're a
genius"
"Yes. lady," he agreed, 'I guess am,
more or less"
'In that case." says 1. you've no
business to be panhandling your meals
Why. suppose there's hardly an apart
ment or a private house in town where
you couldn't find at least an hours
work at good pay"
Maybe 3d." says he. 'And rd be
glad to get the work II they'd come
and ask me. like you DONE"
"You wouldn't think Of hunting up
! the job yourself, eh?" says I.
mo. I expect 1 wouldn't" says he.
Tit would be like these tramp UNI
brella mendera"
And about then had my big thought.
Andrew" says I, II wish there were
twenty Of you.''
Huh" says he. There's more'n
that sittin' around on the benches in
Madison Square Park this minute
Men who can do odd Jobs as well
as you." says L; men who have been
! painters or carpenters and plumbers
and electriciansT'
well. they might not all be as good
as me-" says he. but some would be
better in special lines. There's Dud
Haley, that was my side-kick on that
! boat paintin' Job. He's reg'lar painter,
Dud is; can do fancy stripin' on automo-
bile bodies. or marble mottlin', or any
thing. Then there's old Heiny Myers,
who's been a drst-class cabinetmaker in
| his day-dve years flnishin' Pullman
cars, he told me. They're both carryin'
the banner. And Just the other day I
ran across-'
Listen, Andrew" says /. ''do you
want a regular Job: at thirty a week,
say; and shop to stay in while you're
not working; and neat suit Of blue
denims and-and everythingT'
Sure I do" says he. But you
couldn't find enough work here to
last me more'n another day"
THAT isn't the proposition" says I.
Anyway, you're engaged. And to-
morrow want you to scout around
the parks ana pick up at least twenty
odd-job men. Have them report here
at pm. Get old Heiney and Dud
Haley. and as many others rs you
think are any good"
"You-you mean 1t, ladyT' says An
drew. staring at me.
Absolutely" says I. II think you'll
be my foreman. at possibly forty a
week. It depends on how good a
rustler you are"
Say, you gimme a chance, lady, and
I'll show you," says he. It'll get a
line on some Of them guys tonight
They'll be hero at s, you can bank on
that
n ND before he knocked of for the
~ day I'd called up the landlord
and hired a basement store where a
discouraged Italian had Just gone
out Of the coal and wood business.
Still there was one detail that both
cred me-. In advertising my new busi-
ness. what should call it? needed
a name that would be catchy, easy to
say. and exactly describe the enter