Evening star., 1925-10-04
BY
OC7AWZS ROY COHEN
They Gould See No Reason for Staying Any Longer

= 4 AAA| AAA6~As
pear to diminish; instead she tool
greater pride in her work at the shoI
and exhibited more and more enthusi
asm over her task as housekeeper.
| X \
| THE business grew slowly, but I,
grew healthily. Among the own
ers of fine cars in the city there de
veloped q stereotyped comment: III
there's anything wrong with your car
take it to Don Ryder. He charges
but he gives service"
Eight months after starting In
business Donald made his first ster
! in a carefully meditated program OF
expansion. He leased a small build
ing adjoining his garage and laid In
part on cash and part on credit. 6
large stock Of accessories and parts.
He and Doris held q Httle tete-a-tete
celebration when this was decided
upon. They were moro like a pair OF
children than they had ever been
during their husband -and-w1fe days.
II believe I'm going to put It over
Doris
| II know you are. Right now"
| Precisely. The big money in the
automobile game lies In tho sale OF
| OoAo
| eventually, to pay cash for parts and
to stock them for all makes OF cars.
| want to handle the finest line OF
accessories in the city. II you want
1t. Ryder can give it to you! Some
| line like that. see? Do you know,
| the more I see Of the service 1 give
| the sorrier l get that I'm not wealthy
so that I could have the pleasure OF
patronizing us
She laughed. perhaps. some
day" w.,
The smile died from her lips. His
eyes were bent to her. mo. l
didn't mean that. Doris. l nope !
never get that wealthy-aSain.
They finished their meal in silence
She was conscious OF his scrutiny
knew we'll the thoughts which were
agitating him, but neither by WORD
nor sign did she give any indication
that she understood.
She was not unmindful OF the
change that had occurred In their
lives. and she realized. too. that II
was not transitory. Certain funda
mentals Of their nature had been 81!
tered. She knew that she was a dlf
ferent person. Just as she knew that
he was different man. They were
shoulder to shoulder, salvaging hap
piness: striving as partners to earn
their freedom
+&*
THE stocking of parts and acces
sories increased the efficiency oi
tho Motor Service Corporation and
slowly builded its bank balance: In
| the year which followed the business
passed from the category OF solid to
the classification Of successful" One
by one, hand picking his men, Donald
RYDER hired additional mechanics until
he had under him a force Of factory
trained experts, each a master OF
certain type Of fine car. The machine
shop equipment was augmented and
modernized: two Carmine roadsters
we're bought and equipped as wreck
ers for road service: another building
was leased, furnished as a retail store
and devoted exclusively to the sale OF
: accessories. In the Office now there
were two stenographers and a trained
| bookkeeper; Doris had become office
manager.
SO far the corporation had invested
its profits in itself. At the end Of the
third year it possessed very little
cash. but boasted a great capital
worth Success had bred success. II
was doing capacity business and never
faltering in the quality of its service
1t was reliable to the ultimate degree
and stood four-square behind every
Job 1t did and every sale 1t made.
And yet. with 1t all. Donald Ryder
felt that there was something lacking
battling sensation Of incompleteness
persisted. He tried unsuccessfully to
analyze It. He took stock OF himself
harked back three years and found 1t
very difficult to believe that he was
the same man or Doris the same
woman. Financial disaster. their queer
compact. had developed unsuspected
traits in both. Yet he wondered
whether they had changed basically
Or, at least, whether she had. Hel
actions were different. She was more
alive, more vitality interested In things
but toward him she maintained hel
| attitude OF scrupulous tmpersonality
He set his teeth grimly: somehow HI
wished that she were not SO steadfast
y = x
1T was less than six months late,
L that, he received an appointment
request from Gardner ]. Hanrahan, 8
retired capitalist. Hanrahan had beer
| from the first one of his best patrons
| The grizzled old man looked out Al
| him from under buhsy brows anc
growled a greeting.
"Sit down. I've got something tc
| say"
Donald sat. "Yes, sir?"
This business Of yours-it is very
successful. I've been investigating
Your wife has shown me the books
Now. I don't believe in beating around
the bush. I'm not a dicksrer. think
you ought to expand-open up else
where. Your idea Is sound, your meth
DDS are excellent. You need capital.
have plenty. I want to buy half In
terest in your business for $50 900"
Donald Ryder stared. In a moment
| it came to him-the astounding fact