Evening star., 1924-03-09

Of the year. for the right to exhibit
Beelgle as long as he is the biggest
elephant on earth. Can't you under.
stand?'
And you've spent all our money!"
"Our?" There was a refined asper-
ity about Mr.. Greer II don't see
where it was our money. I made /,
and saved 1t, didn't I?''
"Yes; but it was going into our
house"
well, it's gone into our elephan,
now. This was the chance of life-
time. We can buy a house any old
What with?"
why, with-with the money we
| make off Of Beelgie. Don't you see:
/ A hundred dollars a week-five thou
sand dollars a year-flfty per cent
on our Investment"
Suppose he gets sick or dies?'
"Oh, listen, Margery! Be sensible
Why should Beelgie want to die?"
How do 1 know. But they do
don't they?"
mo, they don't. Live to be seventy
five and eighty years old. Besides,
put into the contract that the circus
can't work him or endanger his
health. So there's that. AS for the
price I paid. can sell him for. three
times that much any old time
Then, for heavens sake, Lawrence,
go and do it. Sell him
But / can't
You just said you could" 80
II know l did, and 1 can-when
it's really put over that he's the big
gest on earth. But I've got to get
the advertising first, and 1 can't pay
for it myself"
well, 1 don't think you've. acted
very fair. You at least could have
consulted me about it.
Didn't have time, Margery. I had
to put this deal over, and do it
quick"
"And is this the way things are
going to be? Start out in the morn
ing to buy a ton of coal and come
home with a wagonload Of turkeys?'
"Oh. now, be sensible!"
That's just 1t, Lawrence Greer-I
am being sensible. You're the one.
I'd like to know If there's anything
more foolish than to save your money
then put it all >in an elephant"
"Now, for goodness sake, Margery,
be reasonable. Figure 1t out for your
self. Elephants live to be seventy
Ave years old. Beelgie's only about
twenty. That's fifty years at five
thousand dollars a year-three-quar-
ters of a million dollars on ten
thousand dollar investment
"Oh, It sounds nice"
well, doesn't it?"
Yes" Then, acidly: 'If this
this thing doesn't die. Or somebody
else doesn't come along with an ele-
phant that's twice as big as he is.
Or
t'Now, just a minute there, Mar
gerry. I wasn't foolish, and I
Times up, mister! Drop another
dollar and a half If you wish to-
Somewhat grudgingly, Mr.. Greer
fished in pocket for the necessary
coins, only to halt. A decision had
come from the other end of the wire,
somewhat fearful, but exceedingly
definite:
Never mind. central. IL think
the conversations over"
T ATE that night Mr.. Greer left town
via Pullman, while Beelgie,' pop
eyed and shimmying with fear, fol-
lowed by freight. A month later the
picture of Beelgie, all 16.800 pounds
of him, was on twenty -eight-she ct
stands adorning the bilIboards three
weeks in advance Of the Worlds
Greatest. Mr.. Greer-when he wasn't
writing unavailing letters to ST.
Louis-was pounding the typewriter
for the newspapers about the size.
weight, history and dimensions of the
only elephant in the world that was
bigger than Jumbo. Car managers,
lithograph companies. banner squar-
ers, program distributors, bill-posters,
official announcers and bull tenders
all were on the job to make Beelgie
the most famous elephant in America.
But with Beeigie the whole blamed
thing was a washout. He was un-
happy,-woefully, terribly unhappy