Evening star., 1928-01-22

now. Walt knew that his fathel
wouldn't throw him out But he knew
too. that the old man would do q
good deal TO get him off the place
quietly. Walt called Donlon the old
man." when he troubled to speak tC
him at al--or about him. People at
the Courtleigh Arms called him Mr.
Donlon" or IL they hadn't been there
very long, the clerk
II didn't do a clerk any good to have
people know he had a 20-year-old son,
Il was apt 10 make them think he
had GOT too old for the job Not much
use in Donlon's brushing his thinning
hair across the bald place. wearing
smart collars and a doggy blue bow
tie under his sageine chin. clutching
at the fringes of his youth With both
nervous, hcavy-veined, carefully tend
Cd hands. If Walt was going to come
around. rsney and swagger and slim.
saving in a significant undertone across
the desk. where any one OF dozen
people might hear him:
'Wcll-how about it? What's the
Mck?"
So far as Donlon was concerned.
there wasn't much luck and Walt knew
It Walt had pretty we'll sucked him
CRY. But apparently the mysterious en-
terprises in which Walt engaged re-
CURED constant reinforcements of in
Nestment. More simply speaking Walt
always wanted money. When he
wanted 1t acutely. he was apt to drift
into the Courtleigh Arms. beckon his
father. and inquire gently: How about
f-what I asked you last night?"
To which Donlon would make what
reply he could. Sometimes not more
than fve-sometlmeS. as much as
twenty. Once, around Christmas. fivc
crisp tens.
He WAS repaid if Walt grinned at
him. Walt was the apple of Donlon's $
eve. Behind the hard-boiled youth
Wait WAS, Donlon saw the little bov
n used to be. tagging at his fathers
reefs, asking questions Walt never
sSAeo questions now-apparently he
kneW a.! the answers. He asked Moth
Ns. !olo nothlng-lived, as it were. on
kusTo but Donlon couldn't help feel
ing mat II he had had more time
70 give Walt in the question askinc
GAYS, Il his mother had lived-anv one
Q. thousand ifs. excusing. explaining
foreiving. g.
Because that grin of Waits kept him
,oE MS father, always a child-a he.
loved migrate.
Don!on had very likely never heard
q King David. but the crv of that
monarch echoed in the clerks heart :.
sAoS14ohi. my SONNY son, Would
Cog had died for thee
OoAion could never be quite sire
Ia Ia oeatn didn't wait for Walt. per
laps around the nearest corner. Death.
n.s. ouue.-irom a policeman's gun.
Oeath, IN the chair-if the noIicens ~,
stead OF Walt, stopped a bullet a.
Five. ten or twenty dollars n,;,b+ 10
a.! between Walt and Gea.b e.; o
screen. niiiisy
An amazing SON. walt-for a father
IKE Donion. A stocky, stooped. .nyiol,s
1ool like Charley Donlon
want made the most of his father
waN made the most of l!fe-accordinp
70 Ms theories. School and a lob in
= storage wsrehousa-that was how,
OonIon started the boy: but the road
oe0oaFeo. A lob in dance hail. lob
cnce- without explanation, no lob at
Walt AZ home. in the dingy little fat
when he should have been AT WORK
walt away from the fatal hours,
scmeur1ss the whole of the 24-yhen
ne should have been at home
Inc thing looked queer Donlon
worried about IL Walt had no lob hut
ne had some intermittent source OF in
come.
Knowing Walt. Donlon was sure
tnat the source was questionable. So.
when Walt said at breakfast, II got to
nave nuncred-how about it?" Dom
4un. not daring 70 refuse for fear of
what might hang on the answer. con-
sidered Borrowing fron-wi1on12
See what can do" he said
wea-:ly.
WALT went back to bed. Donlon
went 70 work. Al noon Walt
turned tip az the Courtleigh Arms.
leaned across the desk. held his fathers
eye significantly. and inquired,
Well-Thats the iuck?"
Donlon was sorting mail. He turned
with snaal!ish. square package in his
HANDS.
Hello" he said. "weu?"
I told you it's important" said Walt
lsoonicallY
Sure. I know" mumpled Dom
Ion. adding 10 a stout. flr-coated wonn-
an. Nothing for you, Mrs. Taylor: not
thing"
Mrs Taylor had the wors. tongue in
the house, Last person on earth 10 see
Walt hanging around. Donlon said, in
o guarded undertone:
Doing what / can. boy"
Got any prospects," Walt insisted
There was kind o. desperate un-
e2s.ness about him. almost concil.atory.
Wait. the uilsi7akable. pleadingt That
frightened q father as much as any
thing.
Donlon turned the package over and
peered at the address-not U seem
reglectful Of the jop. even while stop
ping 10 speak 10 a friend Mr., and
Ys.sRsxr
Tha' vas the couple used u
be n 6 C~-the apartment with the
bookcsses Been gene nov 6 or
Think you1l haze IL for me To-
night" waits mouth and eyes showed
strain
Maybe not ali Of II. but some. On
%es some. Got tao or three lines ont .
fsl1 Don}on "And-fm pretty busy
sOs' nov" That was by way of a NOD
---ss good az wink 10 the blind pons
Half 0. Dpnlons mind was on ths
Dy;ghts ard their package. clerkl;
habit held n.nl 70 IT Postnarked Gar
Francisco funny Must b.
from soDlcbocy hadn't heard they were
fepaTatec. he was living al the Ham.
eri0r now She was over on Eag'
Kigbty-nrat street Donion remembered
having nad letters " forward Nice
feople the Dg1ghts he'd forward the
packa2r. Forward IL " which of EN-
~Hnc bow
Wei Ypal want 10 make II snappy!'
ri@t@red Walt, turning " 90
get .cg SAID DprlOn launtily.
E4' i4f Turned bAck " the mail with
claa2feeablf sinking IN the plt Of his
ElofnacYl TWO or three lines he
f.a6nt Z tGfead out
WHSt HoIlc IL mean u he coUlcn't
maze rJ9e Pfadfs was Wan IN an IN.
usually tlRn' pIace? lie had said ~
bFesk'sst Win q reckless gIeSm IN his
eyf&
ksow way Dit its & lot oI
trouble