Evening star., 1925-01-02
Continued from Yesterdays Star)

excitement, her lips were slightly
parted.
IT'S mighty kind of you. Miss Tor
rance" l mumbled, ito take so much
trouble for me. 1 don't know how to
thank you"
Don't try, please; it was Mr. MILL
KEN
"Millikenr
"Milliken and the Merlin-and, oh,
the whole thing she cried You
two and that lovely plane-and that
modest little man, Mr.. Lamont
envy you, all four. Next to being a
| man myself and joining you, the best
your chance. You're lucky in your
| friends, Mr.. Boon"
| Il am that" j said warmly "Espe-
cially II 1 may number you among
them?"
Then 1 felt my ears grow hot and
my neck go red at blurting this. It
seemed so gauche after all she had
| done for me in friendship
That sounds ungrateful and silly"
| stammered. But l only wanted
TO hear 1t from you-''
| She was little bit rosy herself,
but she held out her small fist in a
frank way and her serene eyes looked
right into mine.
| Isn't that the American way?" she
smiled. ITO shake on it?'
| sometimes" 1 said, and took her
hand.
I'm green with envy at your luck, !"
she said. though you deserve II every
| DIT, but I'm with you and the crew
or the Merlin. heart and soul"
| Ihats just fine" said l, and wish
eo that kissing girls hand was still
the fashion. Presently I took my
leave of her and her uncle.
Sure enough, when 1 got back to
the hotel, Dan Lamont was waiting
for me In the foyer. He Immediately
| dragged me up to his room TO look at
the new Kit he had bought. There
! were bags of II. He must have about
| cleaned New York
| Say, Danny" I remarked TO him,
what do you think you're making
the trip on-a cargo steamer"
"Aaw, Jimmy he pleaded ITS
| just a few little things l thought
we'd find useful
Il gave you a list, didn't II"
And | stuck to II, Jimmy-faith-
| fully. I got three or four Of every
thing you said. Then I got them to
throw II some extra comforts for you
and Milliken."
The only extra comforts that Mil
! liken and / will appreciate. my son.
! are maybe few extra bands of
gasoline. You'll have TO leave five
| sixths of this behind Dan"
Il know I'm a goat when 1T comes
TO spending, Jimmy" he said Il get
so blamed enthusiastic"
Well" said 1, when you bought
this lot you certainly were in no fit
| of depression."
He looked at the collection with a
touch of despair for a minute, then
he frightened up.
Tell you how, jimmy" he said.
Well leave this stuff at our base
and draw on 1t whenever we want
new outfits"
l took my letter of marque from
| my pocket and Tipped it over 10
| him.
Then" said I. perhaps we'd bet
ter have the President alter this so
that you'll be definitely commissioned
Quartermaster general to the force
He read the Presidents letter with
| growing excitement, then danced
about the room
| Bully for you, Jimmy" he cried
"Oh, boy! I knew you'd pull it off,
| folded back my jacket and showed
the badge.
Consider yourself under arrest" l
said.
My" he gasped. You've gone and
Joined the Hicksville Temperance
! Cadets"
So I put him in one of his own kit
! bags.
Next morning Dan and I collected
| Milliken, who had returned to Wash
| ington late the previous night with
| the two new busses, and the three of
| us then went off to the address given
| me by the President. 1t turned out
| to be a modest little office in a back
| street. With its window screen of
| colored bamboo beads and it's brass
plate on which the name had been
| made undecipherable with years of
| rubbing, 1t might have been the office
Of either an attorney or some old
fashioned importer.
We were led by the doorkeeper into
the presence of a quiet, gray-haired
man in q nondescript gray suit, who
presently was chatting to us in a
pleasant, fiat voice that seemed to
have no high lights to 1t. He spoke
Of nothing much except the weather
and the prospects of business during
the year.
Business is likely to be a little
upset by these raids" l ventured
apropos of the last subject, trying to
give him a lead to our particular af-
fair.
"Ah, yes" he said softly. Most
annoying-most annoying" He
rose and held out a limp hand.
Glad to have seen you, Mr.. Boon
and you, Mr.. Lamont-ah, Milliken,"
he said, quietly dismissing us. "Ah-
any affairs with my firm, just look
up the local agent for Aunt Mandy's
Soap. You won't forget-Aunt Man
dy's Soap. Buy a packet. We are
running that line pretty strongly at
the moment. Branches everywhere"
And with that he gently shepherded
US out of the Office.
Well, said Danny, when we were
out in the street, what do you know
about that? Aunt Mandy's Soap
buy a packet!"
When in doubt we buy a packet
of soap. and SO find the nearest s. s.
agent, I take It," said I. Queer sort
of fellow that-doesn't seem to have
energy enough to wink"
Got US weighed up all right"
grunted Milliken. "Darent breathe
but he saw it. stringy guy, too
wouldn't like to fight him"
Quit joshing, Milliken" 1 protested.
why, he's like a wet rag"
Don't you believe it," Milliken said
stolidly. Chest like a barrel. Arms
like a monkey. Notice when the pen
ell rolled off his desk?"
Not particularly. Why?"
Never reached the floor" Milliken
said, gazing at the sky. Caught it
without any noise. Quickest reflex I
ever saw
Which shows, I suppose, that If
Milliken spares his tongue, he makes
full use of his eyes. Danny and had
noticed nothing about the chief-as
the quiet man in the back street
might be called-except that he
seemed bored to death with the mere
effort of living.
The next 10 days passed slowly. Mil
liken and myself were engaged in