Evening star., 1924-09-21
BY COURTNEY RYLEY COOPER
Mr. Bainbdge Finds Business and Love Equally D stractng

from that OF Miss Margaret Lanning-
ton. Her advertising had brought no
response. Just at the time when she
needed him most, Toodles, dear little
Toodles, was gone-out there in the
world somewhere, probably cold and
shivering at night, with not enough
to eat, or mistreated, or-or--
Life was 4 bitter thing for Miss Mar
garet 1.annington these days. The
first rift had appeared; it was not
only that Toodles had disappeared
but for Theodore to act the way he
lad! 1t was because he never had
really loved her-he had just pur-
sued her for the sake OF the chase
all mon were that way. Then she
gritted her teeth and made up her
mind that il any one was going to
be turned down 1t certainly would
not be she. He'd love her, or she'd
know the reason. why.
|, Which would have been cruel If
she'd known it. But she didn't. Mr..
Bainbridge, having burned his bridges
in the matter of what he was going
to do, could hardly be expected to
give up without at least a struggle
at secrecy. He didn't know he was
breaking her heart. All he could
think of was selling campaign for
Siut-tidt, anu tne ldCL tHdl the
superintendent's desk still stood
vacant and that Mr. Kendall wasn't
even trusting him with d little more
work. Quite insistently a paraphra Sc
of his old college foot ball song was
growing in the mind of young Mr.
Bainbridge; he found himself mouth
ing the words as he sat glued to his
task:
I'm the local cemetery. they're very,
very busy
Busy at brand new gra-a-a-a-a-ve.
No-o-o-o-o-o hope for BainbridSe.
The big idea hadn't come. once he
had taken an idea to Mr.. Akers. Then
he had stumbled out again.
Been used before" had been the
verdict. Beside that, it's only a
slogan. What we need, MIR. Balm
bridge. is slogan that can be hook
ed up with a definite thing to attract
attention, if you get what L mean.
But / wouldn't put too much time
well IL you just looked after your
other work I'm afraid that you
haven't the initiative that usually Is
needed"
Then I'll work on it after hours"
Mr.. cambridge had answered and
hurried from the office.
GLUE. 1t stuck in his mind. He
realized that something was
wrong with Miss Lannington, other
than her grief for the lost shrimp
But all he could think of when he
talked to Eer was glue. This was q
battle to the death, a fight for prln-
ciple. for justice. against blind mar
and a black browed villain. 1t ever
reached the point where Mr.. BAN.
bridge didn't sleep-that is he stayed
awake long enough to realize that II
was 3 O'Clock, that he'd have to get
to the Office early to get his WORK
out OF the way in time to take Mar
garet to the circus that afternoon
following which he promptly went
to sleep and didn't awake until half
past 9.
He raced out Of the house with his
collar in one hand and his necktIe II
the other. dressing as he went. The
circus evidently had been in town
for several hours; the heavier wagons
of the main tent and seats and planks
were passing. Mr.. cambridge hardly
noticed them-that is, not for mat
ter of several blocks. Then he
paused. in an effort to learn what had
attracted his inattentive attention
And as suddenly he whiried and
whooped a command.
1t was a dog, trotting beside ar
eiSht-borse team of Percherons, az
unmist kable little dog of dirty white
and seal brown. Mr.. Bainbridgt
cupped both hands. He yelled:
Shrimp! Shri-i-m-p."
But His Majesty did not hear: tn,
hoofs OF those Percherons made too
much noise. Mr.. Bsinbridge brok'
into a run. yelping as he went. The
.hn na n n n \,
cirucus grounds as Granma, bending
from the seat, saw a gangle-armec
form suddenly sweep forward, seiz,
the squirming Shrimp and then stanc
there breathless, impotently shaking
fist. Gran'ma scowled.
Hey, there! Lay off that pup"
"You- you'll have the law OF
you"
Huh? What's that" Gran'ns
blinked. ''What'd you say"
II say you stole this dog"
II never did nothin' of the kind,
Granma went down the steel ladder
to the ground That there dos
Joined out with me in ST. Louis"
Didn't say so?" Mr.. Bainbridg,
tossed the Shrimp to the ground
waited until he had reached tn,
hoofs Of the Percherons, then callec
to him. The dog obeyed. for a few
feet, wagged his tail, then trottet
back to his horses.
Gran'ma rubbed his chin.
Il guess he's yours" he announced
But he sure does love them horses
I never stole him-honest, Mister. H,
just naturally took up with then
horses and wouldn't let co."
"Bah." snorted Mr.. cambridge, ant
scooped up His Majesty. Tell thai
to the judge. I'll have the constabl.