The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-10-22
WHEN
THEIR LIPS
MET
BY EFFIE sPoFFoRTH
Copyright b. ". q. Chapman,

NAMED there mOti0nless, his
eyes closed. Sometimes, when he
came home from the warehouse he
was physically inert like this. He
was only twenty-one, and the contrast
between the hopes with which he had
gone to the great city and actually
was harder than the physical fatigue.
He worked at twelve dollars week.
packing books for Vincent & Co., pub
fishers. With high school education
and literary aspirations, he ought to
be able to do something better than
that. ise
"Well give you a chance in the
basement" Vincent had told him. IF
you make good there an opportunity
may arise upstairs"
sill take it." the boy had answered.
At half-past seven the following
morning the boy went to work. He
had worked there for four months.
He did not know that Vincent was
trying him out, that there really would
be a chance for him, first at clerical
work and then If he proved efficient
In a minor role among the literary
staff of the publishing company. Vim
cent had had his eye on him all the
while, as was his way. He had asked
the foreman Of the department two or
three times If the boy was still there.
Next month, perhaps, he would give
himself the sincere pleasure of invit-
ing the boy to accept twenty dollars
and assist Mr.. Jones, the advertising
manager, In clerical capacity.
OF all that the boy knew nothing.
He only saw himself hammering nails
into packing cases, among a crowd Of
ignorant. and not high-minded asso-
ciates.
And often he had thought of giving
up and going back to the farm, to
face the sneers of the neighbors, the
silent reproaches Of his father. and,
worst of all, his mothers pity,
Then temptation, had come to him.
There was a man named Dutton
among the employees. Dutton had
shown him friendliness. had, won his
confidence.
You're fool, boy, to look forward
to life Of this sort Of work." he said.
There's easy money to be picked up
In this city. Now listen to me
In the lunch hour he had outlined
plan by which money was to be
picked up" as he phrased it. 1t in
volved plain robbery. But, though the
boy shrank away, Mortified at the sug-
gestion, the FEASIBILITY of the man
worked on his mind and the tempta-
tion proved real one in spite Of his
scruples.
Dutton had learned secret about
the safe. Every house has its secrets,
it's weak points in its defensive sys-
tenn. On Saturday nights there was
often sum Of two or three thousand
dollars in the safe. The night watch
man was an old man. The safe was
not new one. The boys part would
be simply to engage the old fellow in
conversation until the confederates
got their opportunity to hit him on
the head and take the keys. For that
1--WE uuAuLSu uOlidAo was " UC Ills
And, so strangely Is the human
mind fashioned, that the boy had felt
that, to tell Vincent, would be a be-
trayal of confidence. The atmosphere
of the packing room was not good
one. The boy had gone home and
flung himself down on his bed, and
his mind was in a turmoil.
In the next room the girl had come
home and flung herself into the an
Gent armchair with which the land
lady had supplied her when it became
too shabby for use in the parlor. She
felt utterly unwrought after her day
at the department store.
She had worked there at twelve dol
lars a week for nearly half year.
When she left the little country town,
equipped with a good education, she
had confidently expected to take the
city by storm. In fact, she was an
artist of rare ability.
But what is the use of ability unless
some one has brains to recognize it?
So day by day she had besieged the
offices with her drawings. Once she
had sold one and she had lived on
that lingering hope until the remain
der of her money was gone. Then, at
her wits end, she had accepted the
position which the landlady told her
could be obtained at Darrow's.
She had lost all faith in herself.
She had worked like an automaton
for four months and had done moth
ing. Her best drawing. one which she
had thought could not pass the observ-
ant eye, had never been returned to
her from the magazine to which she
had submitted 1t, and she had lacked
the courage to call and inquire about
1t.
At Darrow's she had toiled behind
the counter of the hosiery department.
at the beck and call Of vulgar, frock-
coated fioorwalkers, a cipher among
ciphers. She felt crushed by this at
mosphere that surrounded her. She
| felt utterly out of place among the