Evening star., 1925-09-06

roads,
Not safe?" she echoed Indignantly
I'D like to see you make a better
skid
In spite of himself Dicky grinned.
"I--nearly didr' he reminded her.
"So--I saw"
II ought to put you into court he
assured her, relapsing into his official
manner. But I'll let you off this
time. Only don't let me catch you
again"
III certainly try not to-" she replied
with a meekness that but masked
mockery.
EPHRAIM X. SMITH was president
of the Smith Shoe Company,
Linford, Mass.
Ann called herself his private secre-
tary. He called her his stenographer
AS such he paid her SIS a week. He
himself had married on less, as he had
reminded her-until it occurred to her
to ask what round steak and anything
else he might mention. including
shoes. had cost then. Old Eph had
merely grunted. But in private he
had chuckled.
"Pretty-but smart as a whip" was
his opinion of Ann.
Ann had told everybody she was
puNlnS lle coupe OH lilStdllIllentS. STe
had not told anybody that old Eph
was paying these installments.
This was deceitful. Also discreet.
For when "A man who is past so. who
has wife, a married daughter and
three grandchildren suggests to his
stenoErapher, who Is neither married
nor 60, that he will present her with
a car under certain conditions, a sus-
picious world may be expected to prick
up its ears. Especially when the man
has the reputation of being a tight
wad.
Even AIMS first, glimpse of the
coupe had not damped her enthusi-
asm. 1t was second hand and il
needed paint. But Ann had attended
to that.
Come and see it now, mother" she
had called when she had attacked it
with paint and brush. Doesn't it
look dandy? Couldn't you just hug
it?'
You look as if you had" her
mother had assured her.
Paint on her nose, Ann had stood
there, gazing raptly at the rejuve-
mated coupe. Il guess I'll call it
Violet" she had decided.
In Boston on that same Friday the
thirteenth when Ann and Violet skid
ded into Dicky's life. if not his heart,
three men were holding what business
men call a conference. They were
variously, and more or less descrip-
lively, known as Lefty Red, Louie the
Dope and the Chelsea Cyclone. The
business they were discussing con-
cerned Old Eph's pay roll.
From the time he had started out
for himself, back in the sos, Old
Eph had carried his weekly pay roll
from the bank every Saturday morn
ing.
He had seen no reason why he
shouldn't. He had read of pay roll
robberies, but he had an idea that he
was immune. Many so-called hard
headed business men have ideas like
that. -.
Even the hardest head, however.
cannot resist the impact of a new
idea with blackjack behind it. The
black jack had struck Old Eph back
in April. When he came too, the
leather bag and it's contents were
gone.
THE prevailing opinion was that Old
Bph would recover from the blow
on his head but he never would get
over the blow his bankroll had sus-
tanned. And, in fact, it was the loss
of his pay roll that Old Eph had
minded most. New skin would grow
on his head. but $4,000 didn't grow
on any, bush he had ever met up
with. The protection of his pay roll
became a mania with him.
Even so he wasn't, as he assured
his wife, crazy enough to pay the
rate the insurance companies quoted
him.
So Linford had gasped when, the
Saturday after he had been robbed,
Old Eph with bandaged head walked
from the First-and only-National
Bank of Linford carrying the new
leather bag which replaced the old
one. The only apparent departure
from his former practice was that
now the Linford police force accom-
panied him in full uniform.
The police forces name was Chief,
He had other names, but these had
been submerged beneath his title. He
was an institution, like the fat mems
race at the county fair.
Now what 1 plan to do" Old Eph
had explained to Ann, sis to have Eb
Sears get the pay roll every Saturday
morning when he gets change for the
day. 1t will be all ready for him,
wrapped up like an ordinary bundle.
You get it with the other stuff you
need for the Office at his store-you
can order your supplies so there will
be several bundles Saturday-and
bring it along with you in the car with
nobody the wiser. See?"
Ann had said she did. But what
she had seen was the car she was to
get.
III go to the bank and get what
everybody thinks is the pay roll, but it
will be only silver for change" con-
tinued Old Eph. That's the plan;
what do you think of it?'
II think it's too wonderful for
Words she had replied.
But she was thinking not of the
plan but of the car. To get Violet
she would have agreed to transport
the crown jewels of England. And
besides, as Old Eph had pointed out,
there was no danger anyway, because
nobody would ever suspect that she
was carrying the pay roll. This to
Ann had seem indisputable. How
could any one suspect?
No one in Linford had. The report
that had come to the Chelsea Cy-
clones caulifiower ears and put his
Dashed nose on scent was that Eph
still carried the pay roll himself. This
Lefty Red and Louie the Dope had
doubted.
THAT guys been stung once and it
don't stand to reason he'd do thing
like that" Lefty had said positively.
"It amt even worth investigating"
But Chelsea had decided otherwise.
On the Saturday before-June z,