Evening star., 1925-11-08

| In the air about 1t. And woman told
you about Prof Seymour, and you
went to him and he told you where to
| find your bag. See? And you spiel to
her about him? I'll tell you what to
say. It's easy. The point is, Els,
that you're nice looking girl. Shed
! fall for you. You'll get her terribly
Interested about Prof. Seymour.
You'll have his card with the address
on and the hours when he sees
! people, to and to 10. If she
don't go to see him the first shot,
then in a couple of days you can call
on her and all the while slip in some
more Seymour spiel. Then she'll go
to see him. And remember that as
/ soon as she goes to see him your
Jobs done. You get your wo-tifty,
good money, and you can drop right
out of 1t. No responsibility on your
part, you see, and easy money, and
it won't do her any real harm at all.
It'll do her lot of good. I'd call II
q cinch."
MRS. HENRY MEGGS sat on the
AvA vineclad veranda of her rented
cottage knitting. The oil had come
late in life. after 25 years" struggle
with half sterile farm. Broad, blunt
hands that held the shiny needles
| were gnarled like a workmans. The
bent fingers, however, moved with
practiced swiftness. for the agitation
Of her thoughts made her knit fast.
For two days she had been beset by
| a great temptation.
Then she saw the brown-eyed girl
who had go strangely found a hand
bag under a park bench coming up
the cement walk and the needles
stopped automatically. for this girl
| embodied the temptation. Mrs. Meggs
gave a shy, awkward, nervous smile.
The abandoned young caller did not,
| of course, begin with Prof seymour.
On the contrary, she began with the
knitting, exhibiting an Intelligent
curiosity as TO Mrs. Meggs' method OF
narrowing the sock TO the toe. In
only two minutes they were talking
as freely as though Mrs. Meggs mad
| been one of the farm women with
whom ELSIE boarded when she taught
a. country school. From time to time
the caller made some odd secret com
| ments to herself How l lie. l
must be a natural born crook.
| But | don't care.
Like slow thawinE of ice the talk
gradually became more intimate on
| the part of Mrs. Meggs, who spoke
| with a sort of elemental, unempha
sized slowness. in short sentences:
1--WE never had but the one child
She come after we'd been marrleo
nine years. She'd a been httle
| older'n YOU if she'd "a lived. She was
a nretty girl like you-not takin
after her ma" A smile accompanied
that statement The speakers nat
wr1nkIed face could never have had
any pretensions to beauty and her
| false teeth were shinily unbecomlne
to her. Elsie found the smile ols
concerting.
| 1.-The oil come along. I dunno why.
,Tain't the money. I'd be better OH
with only enough to live on. sup
pose I ought to try and do some eooo
with it, now l got 1t. She seelneu i
to put that rather as question
and Elsie murmured. "Oh. yes.
With an absent and bewildered all
trs Afeggs observed, It's hard tt
know what to do" A moment latel
she repeated, "Tain't the money bu,
In don't want 'em to say / was an oio
foo, end got my head turned and dldn
know enough to keep it Then, help
lessly, Il don't want to be swlndied.
She began to rock little with an
! inner agitation. L been Ihlhkii
about this man Seymour. Do you
suppose he's honest?
"Oh, think So" the caller an
swered. her assurance slipping
Anyway. you could try. you know
see what he says and what he tells
YOU. That could do no harm
| know he has done some Wonder1uI
things" And she ratified off one OF
the stories PiXley had supplied hei
! with But she was not comfortable
| Mrs. Meggs looked into the bou-
gainvillaea vine on the corner OF the
porch for a long moment. and APP
parently spoke to it rather than .c
her caller. 1.-The money amt brought
me much. My husband died in less /
two years Money don't keep you
| from gettin' lonesome. Some
times I'd give it all for just one day
| back on the farm-with Henry an6
Luella. He was a good man.
She turned to the caller with sud
den appeal. You go there with me.
In great confusion Elsie answered
why, yes; 1 could go with you.
But, really, Mrs. Meggs, it would be
,, better for you to go alone. You car
| go in broad daylight, you know
| There's nothing to fear. Just so ano
ring the bell-why. it's almost like
| going to a doctors office. That's
| what he is, really-a professional
man, like a doctor"
| x x x
| THAT statement of the matter
seemed comforting to Mrs. Meggs
She considered a moment and gave
a little sigh, saying, We'll. II
go tomorrow.
Elsie had no further suggestion tc
offer at the moment, and Mrs. Meggs
appeared to ponder upon her decision
/ Then she looked up at the caller
Her gnarled hands, crushing the un-
finished wool sock between them
began to tremble. her voice was un-
certain. Il hope he's honest.
: If he can make me talk to Henry
and Luella, if it's only, for minute
I'll give him plenty Of money" A
! tear ran down either wrinkled cheek
We'll, I hope he can. In
sure, I think he can. You can try
anyhow. They say he's a good
caller babbled. and probably much
more before she got herself off the
porch and out of the handbreadth OF
| dooryard Then she found herself
| walking up the street with senseless
rapidity as though she were run
ming away from something-and II
great confusion and CONSERVATION.
OF course, she hadn't bargained
for this. This wasn't funny at all
1t was quite the contrary. But she
was in for it now. Mrs. Meggs was
going to Prof. Seymour tomorrow