Evening star., 1924-11-23
Action, Thrills and Laughter Combined
in One of Years Best Short Stories
By Ring Lardner


chusetts fisherman. She could talk,
too-probably better than the fish.
"Oh, you kid" she said, flashing
few silver teeth among the gold. "Oh,
you fighting man!'
Midge smiled up at her.
Well go somewheres and get
drink" he said. "One won't hurt
In New Orleans. Ave months after
he had rearranged the map of Bud
Cross for the third time. Nudge fin
ished training for his championship
bout with the Dutchman.
DACK in his hotel After the final
- workout, Midge stopped to chat
with some Of the boys from up North,
who had made the long trip to see
a champion dethroned, for the result
Of this bout was so nearly a foregone
conclusion that even the experts had
guessed it.
Tommy Haley secured the key and
the mail and ascended to the Kelly
suite. He was bathing when Midge
came in, half an hour later.
ANY mail?' asked Midge.
There on the bed" replied Tommy
from the tubs
Midge picked up the stack of letters
and post cards and glanced them
over. From the pile he sorted out
three letters and laid them on the
table. The rest he tossed into the
waste basket. Then he picked up the
three and sat for a few moments
holding them, while his eyes gazed
off into space. At length he looked
again at the three unopened letters
in his hand; then he put one in his
pocket and tossed the other two at
the basket They missed their target
and fell on the floor.
HE'LL" said Midge. and, STOPPING
over. picked them up.
He opened one postmarked Mil
waukee and read:
Dear Husband:
I have wrote to you so many times
and got no answer and I don't know
If you ever got them, so am write
ing again in the hopes you will get
this letter and anser. I don't like to
bother you with my trubles and /
would not only for the baby and am
not asking you should write to me
but only send a little money and 1 am
not asking for myself but the baby
has not been we'll q day sence last
Aug. and the dr. told me she can't
live much longer unless / give her
better food and that's impossible the
ways things are. Lou has not been
working for year and what make
don't hardly pay for the rent. / am
not asking for you to give me any
money, but only you should send what
/ loaned when convenient and I think
it ANTS. to about $500. Please try
and send that amt. and 1t will help
me, but II you can't send the whole
amt. try to send me something.
Your wife,
EMMA.
Midge tore the letter into a hun
dred pieces and scattered them over
the floor.
They must think I'm made o. money.
1 s'pose the old woman's after it,
too"
He opened his mothers letter:
dear Michael Connie wonted me to
rite and say you must beet the dutch
man and he is sur you will and won't
ed me to say we wont you to rite and
tell US about it, but 1 CESS you
haven't no time to rite or we herd
| from you long before this but wish
you would rite jest a line or boy
| becaus it wud be better for Connie
| then a barl of medisin. 1t wuld help
me to keep things going If you send
me money now and then when you
can spair it but if you cant send no
| money try and fine time to rite let
ter onley a few lines and 1t will
please Connie jest think boy he has
ent got out of bed in over yrs.
Connie says good luck.
Your Mother,
ELLEN F. KELLY.
II thought So" said Midge. They're
all alike"
THE third letter was from New
= York. 1t read:
Hon: This is the last letter you
will get from me before your champ,
but I will send you a telegram Sat
| urday. but I can't say as much in a
| telegram as in letter and / am
writeing this to let you know am
| thinking Of you and praying for good
| luck.
Lick him good hon and don't wait
no longer than you have to and don't
| forget to wire me as soon as it's over.
| Give him that little old left of yours
| on the nose hon and don't be afraid
OF spelling his good looks because he
| couldn't be no homelier than he is.
But don't let him spoil my baby's
pretty face. You won't will you hon.
Well hon I would give anything to be
| there and see it, but I guess you love
Haley better than me or you wouldn't
let him keep me away. But when
your champ hon we can do as we please
and tell Haley to go to the devil.
| Well hon 1 will send you a tele-
gram Saturday and / almost forgot
| to tell you I will need some more
money, couple hundred say and you
| will have to wire 1t to me as soon as
| you get this. You will won't you
| hon.
I will send you telegram Satur-
! day and remember hon L am pulling
| for you.
| Wen good-by sweetheart and good
| luck. GRACE.
| They're all alike" said Midge.
| Money, money, money"
Tommy Haley, shining from his alb
! lutions, came in from the adjoining
| room.
| Thought you'd be layin' down." he
said.
/ I'm goin' to-" said Midge, unbut-
1 toning his orange shoes.
| iii call you at six and you can
eat up here without no bugs to poster
you. 1 got to go down and give them
! birds their tickets"
Did you hear from Goldberg?"
| asked Midge.
| Didn't / tell you? Sure; fifteen
weeks at five hundred, If we win.
And we can get guarantee O. twelve
| thousand, with privileges either in
New York or Milwaukee"
who WITH"
! Anybody thatu stand up in front
of you. You don't care who it is, do
you?"
Not me. Ill make 'em all look
| like a monkey"
well, you better lay down awhile" ;"
"Oh, say, wire two hundred to
Grace for me. will you? Right away;
1 the New York address,"
Two hundred! You just sent her
| 800 last Sunday"