The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-05-03
SECOND GLANCE
BY a cANFiELD


NAM 6EANt RANAC' $50
sneeze.v His landlady, Miss Caruth.
looked up in surprise. to Mr.. Peiham's
qualification. His first experiment had
worked.
When he reached his Office that
morning, he walked to his desk, and
opening his drawer, laid his nat in
side instead Of hanging it on the wall.
ITS a theory Of mine" he explained
to Evelyn that evening, when she ques-
toned him about the odd color effect
OF his red-clocked hose and his purple
tie, Il have decided to be famous. as
the quickest way to wealth" He pom
! dered a moment. .'To be a novelist
would be best, l think"
A speculative CLEAN came into Eve
lyn's lovely blue eyes. but she was not
one to criticise without being sure of
her ground.
Wont you please explain 1t to mef'
she asked, with deceptive naivete.
WELL Stanley began, with the COM
Portable assurance a man assumes
when explaining anything to a woman.
what a man is, depends entirely upon
what his neighbors think he is. They
are going t. think me a genius"
But how" queried Evelyn, 'ff you
don't really write the noYels?
whats q novelfp scoffed Pelham
anyone can write one. Just look at
the junk turned out every day, But
the minute a mans name gets known,
his work sells like wildfre. So /
funny ties, and say that prunes make
me sneeze, and / keep my hat in the
desk drawer, and a lot of other things.
People always notice. They stop and
look at me again. Take it from me,
Evelyn, its that second glance that
counts. Do you understand"
Evelyn looked over the list of
peculiarities which Stanley had left
proudly with her. 1t contained such
items as never swim in fresh water;
..airpIanes instruments of the deVif';
ajewelry distastefuls never use
Christian names" Evelyn's pencil
paused halfway down the sheet, and
she smiled with satisfaction.
Pelham, raising his ringless hands in
HDIIUI IDdI EtEAinH OfCA LAI AAC6 "a
attending light opera, was pleased TO
observe the curious eyes of MAN. of his
fellow boarders upon him.. The con-
versation gradually veered about to the
subject of crime, and Pelham expressed
the opinion that many of the burglaries
in the neighborhood recently had been
committed by airplane pilots. too con-
spicuous to be suspected"
Mrs. stones house, now" he said.
THAT chain of pearls might he laid
along the end of a wing support, and
not be discovered in a hundred years"
"Or 1t might be kept in a desk
drawer" said one Of the boarders cas-
ually. Pelham looked up, and unac-
counfably redeemed.
you know" remarked a second
boarder, there is a theory that those
burglaries are done by someone in this
neighborhood."
Pelham was uneasy when he rose
from the dinner table, though ne re-
peatedly told himself that he was I'M
reasonable. Nevertheless, when he
paused at a corner to arrange his pur-
pie tie, he turned, flushing, from a
nearby policeman. For b first time
since the formulation of his theory, he
shrank from the second glance.
'Why don't you wear pins any
more?' asked Peck at the office, and
Stanley Immediately forgot his mo-
meutary discomfort.
Il detest jewelry and such affecta-
tion," he pronounced pompously, and
watched for the familiar CLEAN of won
der in Peek's eye. Instead, he saw a
narrowed. speculative glimmer.
Listen here. Pelham" Peck's voice
was lowered. I'm not one to butt in,
and you would be safe with me any
where, but you'd better watch your
step. No one trusts his neighbor now
adays. That Stone affair made things
pretty serious"
what do you mean?7 cried Pelham.
Nothing, probably" Peck shrugged.
"But it doesn't pay for a man TO begin
suddenly acting queer. Better line up
with the others-if you can With
this parting shot he strolled of.
1t was a miserable day for Pelham
Every time a glance was directed
toward him he shrank as from a blow.
The result was that he seemed queerer
thar ever. His mind was in a turmoil.
What on earth could he do to defect
such ridiculous suspicion from himself?
How is the author. Stanley?" cried
Evelyn. brightly. that evening.
Don't speak Of it :" Pelham paled a
little. i've beer an awful fool, Eve
lyn. and now l may be in for some
thing serious. Why on earth didn't l
know enough to stick TO the hardware
b~usiness?r he finished %savageIy.
Then you've given up your plan?'
Perhaps the disappointment in her
voice was not so real as she tried to
make it, for Pelham looked at her
closely.
DO you want me TOP he asked.
She nodded. writers are such