Evening star., 1925-02-15

There amt any blooming Tn
known he said bitterly. This man
had plainly suffered. Yesterday
yes; but not now"
Archie sighed.
| I'm the midst of Iife.' Deadc" he
| inquired delicately.
"As good as" replied the stricken
tobacconist. He cast aside his arti-
| Zeal restraint and became voluble.
ITS ard, sir: it's blooming ard.
I'd got the event all sewed up in a
parcel, and now this young feller-
me-lad as to give me the knock.
| This lad of mine-sort of cousin. e
is-comes from London. like you and
me-e's always 'ad, ever since e
landed in this country. a most amaz-
ing knack of slowing away grub.
| I'd ave backed i'm against ruddy
orstridge. Orstridge. I'd ave
! backed i'm against 'arf dozen
orstridges-take 'em on one after the
| other in the same ring on the same
| evening, and given 'em d handicap,
| too. 'E would have out-swallowed
| this ere O'Dowd, without turning a
hair, as relish with is tea I'd
| got couple 'undred dollars on i'm,
and thought myself lucky to get the
| odds. And now"
Mr.. Blake relapsed into a tortured
| silence.
But what's the matter with the
| blIghter? asked Archie. why
can't he go over the top? Has he
| got Indigestion"
Indigestionr Mr. Blake laughed
another of his hollow laughs. You
| couldn't give that boy indigestion il
| you fed i'm on safety-raZor blades.
Seems last night, instead of going
and resting is mind at a picture
| palace, like I told him to, e sneaked
off to some sort of a lecture down on
Eighth avenue. e said ed seen a
piece about it in the papers, and 1t
| was about rational eating, and that
kind of attracted i'm. E sort Of
thought e might pick up few hints
like. e didn't know what rational
eating was, but it sounded to i'm as
If 1t must be something to do with
food, and e didn't want to miss it..
E came in here just now," said Mr..
Blake DULY, "and e was a changed
lad Scared to death e was. Said
the way ed been going on in the past,
IT was wonder ed got any STUN
mick left. 1t was lady that give the
lecture, and this boy said it was
amazing what she told 'em about
blood pressure and things e didn't
pictures-colored pictures-of what
| 'apens inside the injudicious eaters
stummick who doesn't chew his food.
and it was like a battlefield. e said
e would no more think of eatin' a lot
of pie than e would of shootin' i'm
self, and. anyhow, eating pie would
be a quicker death. 1 reasoned with
i'm. Mr.. Moffam, with tears in my
eyes. But there wasn't any doing
anything with him. e give me the
knock and 'opped it down the street
dnlI PC
and more gone pop, not to talk of the
$50 e would have won, and me to
get S25 Of"
A RICHIE took his tobacco and
\ walked pensively back to the
hotel. He was fond OF Joe Blake and
grieved for the trouble that had come
upon him. 1t was odd he felt, how
things seemed to link themselves up
together. The woman who had de-
livered the fateful lecture to the in
judicious eaters of the West Side
could not be other than the mother
of his young guest of last night.
AS il Destiny were suiting her
plans to his, one Of the first persons
he saw as he entered the lobby of
the Cosmopolis was the long boy.
We'll. well. well.' said Archie.
Here we are again-what?" He
prodded the boy amiably in the lower
ribs. You're just the chap 1 was
looking for. Got anything on for the
time being?"
The boy said he had no engage
ments.
Then 1 want you to stagger round
with me to a chappie I know on
Sixth avenue. It's only a couple of
blocks away. l think l can do you
bit of good. Put you onto some
thing tolerably ripe. If you know
what 1 mean. Trickle along, laddie;
you don't need a hat"
They found Mr.. Blake brooding
over his troubles still
The long boy scanned the poster A
CLEAN appeared in his rather dull
eye.
"welI?"
Some people have all the luck"
said the long boy feelingly.
Would you like to compete
what?"
The boy smiled sad smile.
Would I? Would I? Say"
Il know" interrupted Archie
Wake you up in the night and ask
you. I knew I could rely on you, old
thing" He turned to Mr.. Blake
Here's the fellow you've been want
ing to meet-the finest left-and-
right-hand eater east of the Rockies!
He'll fight the good fight for you"
Mr. Blake's English training still
retained nice eye for the distinc-
tions of class.
But this young gentleman's a
young gentleman" he urged doubt
fully, yet with hope shining in his
eye. He wouldn't do it,
Wouldn't do what?" asked the
boy.
Why, save the old homestead by
taking on the champion. Dashed sad
case, between ourselves. This poor
eggs nominee has given him the
raspberry at the eleventh hour, and
only you can save him. And you owe