Evening star., 1926-12-05

| Tor Mr.. PnliDf1ck All the purchase oA
a house, Ukrtdge was on to a good
convinced me that he was not the
man to be fnicky about price.
| Ukridge would undoubtedly make
enough out Of his share of the com.
mission to pay of Dora Mason's hun
dred without feeling it. Indeed. for
the first time In his life, he would
probably be in possession of that bit
OF capital Of which he was. accus-
toned to speak 80 wistfully. ceased,
therefore, to worry about Miss Ma
sons future and concentrated on my
| own troubles.
They would probably have seemed
to any one else minor troubles. but
they were big enough to depress me.
Two days after my meeting with
Ukridge and Mr.. Philbrick in Pali
Mall. 1 had received rather dis.
turbing letter.
There was a paper for which I did
occasional work and wished to do
more, and the editor had sent me .
ticket for the forthcoming dance OF
the Pen and Ink Club, with instruc-
tions to let him have q column and Q
half Of descriptive matter. After I
had digested. the pleasant reflection
that here was a bit Of cash dropping
on me out of a clear sky. realized
why the words Pen and Ink Club
seemed to have q familiar ring. 1t
was the club OF which Ukridge's aunt
Julia was president, ana the thought
OF a second meeting with that uncom-
Portable woman filled me with O. deep
gloom. had not forgotten my en-.
counter with her In her drawing room
at Wimbledon. -. 49,.
/ was not in q financial position.
however, to. refuse. 20 the thing had
to be gone through. but the prospect
damped me. was still brooding on
1t when a violent ring at the front
door bell broke in on my meditations.
1t was followed by the booming Of Uk-
ridges voice. A moment later he had
burst into the room. His eyes were
Wild his pincenez at an angle OF 40.
and his collar separated from its stud
by a gap Of several inches. His whole
blow Of fate, and was not surprised
when his first words revealed an ach-
ing heart.
Hank Philbrtck." said Ukridge, lis
a son of Belial, a leper and worm. "
whats happened now"
He's let me down, the weak-nlinded
Tishbite! Doesn't want that house in
the country. My gosh, IL Hank Phil
brick is the sort OF man Canada Is
producing nOW6OAJS, hcAFeH HcIp tuc
| British Empire!'
why did he change his nnind:"
Ukridge laughed with a sharp bit
terness that nearly cracked the win
dow pane.
What happened the other night
| was the cause Of tho trouble. Nat
urally. he woke up with bit OF a
head"
II can quite believe it,"
Yes, but, my gosh, what's head
In the old days he would have gone
and worked 1t off by taking dose Of
| pain.killer and ch0pping down half
a dozen trees. Now what happens?
Having all this money. he wouldn't
take a simple remedy like that. No.
sir! He went to ono of those Harley
street sharks who charge a couple Of
Euineas for saying Well. how are we
this morning?' A fatal move, laddie.
Naturally, the shark was all over him.
Told him he ought to spend six
months in a dry, sunny climate. Rec
commended Egypt. Egypt for a bloke
was a town In Illinois. Well. he's
gone fofs ssix months. doesn't want a
place in England. and hope he gets
bitten by a crocodile. And the lease
ready to sign. Upon my Sam, it's
little hard. Sometimes l wonder
whether it's worth while going on
struggling"
y y " \
A SOMBER silence fell upon us.
What will your friend Dora do
now" asked at length.
That's what's worrying me-" said
Ukridge. 1--WE been trying to think
Of some other way Of raising that
hundred, but don't mind confessing
l am bafYied. I can see no daylight"
Nor could I.
odd the way things happen"