The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-10-17

The offices were glaringly new; new
rug, new yellow oaken furniture, new
typewriter and a lecture room ad-
Joining with several rows Of new yell
low chairs, facing brand new black
board.
"You see," said Mr.. Ellington with
eloquent gestures of his fat, bejeweled
hand, "we have them in nearly all the
largest cities in the country; Chicago,
New York, Boston, st. Louis, San Fran
cisco-the greatest little money-maker
ever invented. People must eat! All
right! These machines are filled
daily with box lunches, compact and
or cake, see? And these pasteboard
boxes are fitted into slot machines
which are retilled by our wagons from
the factory several times a day, see?
These machines are set up near fac
tories schools, recreation centers, Of
fee buildings and so on. They deposit
quarter and presto! A lunch! Bound
to sell! Can't help it! Now our part
here in this Office is to sell the ma
chimes. We are putting on force
of statesmen who will cover the city
and sell these slot machines to indi-
Viduals at $50 each, see? And out
OF the daily proceeds from the lunches
purchased, the owner of that machine
gets half. Greatest little money maker
in the Countrywide machine pays for
itself in a year at the rate these
lunches sell when they get started,
and then it is all clean gravy, see?
Ruth nodded absently. Mr.. Filing
ton smelled of hair tonic.
''Now," he continued, I'VE will start
on folding these circulars and getting
them ready. The ads for statesmen
are in all the papers today and they
will be coming in here by the dozens.
Tomorrow We start our lectures and
next week there will be several ma
chimes in operation. Greatest little
money-maker in the world, Miss Har-
riSOn."
Ruth sat at the bright yellow desk
and started to fold the circulars be-
fore her. She didn't like Mr.. Filing
ton; she didn't like the job. She
longed for the daily orderly routine
she had followed for seven years
over in Mr.. Aiken's law office; the po
sition she had left just yesterday, so
that Don couldn't find her. She would
show him! He would BE calling up
this morning and no one knew where
Ae'd gone.
1t had been a bitter quarrel and
Don had said-although his eyes had
told her Otherwise-that he never
wanted to see her again until she
had taken back what she had said. She
had replied she never would, but of
course, Don would come back to her.
He just couldn't stay away. They loved
each other; they had been engaged
three years, and were to be married
in June! The thousand dollars which
they had set as their goal was in
the bank-their "nest-egg' with which
to furnish their little apartment. Don
had worked hard to accumulate that
money and they were both very proud
of the little bank book Ruth had kept
until she gave it back to him-the
night they quarreed.
"Finest little money maker in the
country" Mr.. Ellington was say
ing to a shabby, tired looking young
man who bad come in in response
to the ad. "Our statesmen make $50
on every machine they sell and the
statesmen in St. Louis average around
S40O per week. Just come back to-
morrow and attend our lecture We
show you how-Tell you how"
The Happy Hooligan Lunch com
pany flourished the first few weeks.
Their advertising drew statesmen by
the dozens, and they sold the ma
chimes. Business was good-and then
it Jagged. Ruth was very unhappy.
There had been two letters from Don
the first week and one night he had
called at the house and urged Mrs.
Adams, her landlady, to ask Ruth to
the door, but the good woman faith
fully followed Ruth's instructions.
Then he had written her a note. "YOu
won't give me a chance and I've tried
to see you. I'm through. The next
move will be yours"
And then the Happy Hooligan
Lunch company" met with serious re-
verses. The civic organizations in
vestigated and there was considerable
publicity. Mr.. Ellington and his as
Isistants were worried. The statesmen
dropped off one by one; men came
into the Office and held long confer
ences. Ruth saw suspicious CORE
spondence handled over her desk, and
it was on the day that she thoroughly
realized she was in the employ of fake
promoters who had gained disrepute
in other cities, that one Of the few
remaining statesmen on the force
rushed into the Office waving a paper
in his hand.
81 got that bird at last, but he was
lard nut to crack But l got him
to the tune of six machines. One
thousand and fifty dollars! Told him
he would be rich in year! l am
going to meet him at u o'clock at
the National bank and get-cold cashi
Come on, Ellington, sign your John
Hancock to a little check for me
Il need it,"
Mr.. Ellington beamed and rubbed
his fat hands together raspingly.
"That is fine, O'Connor-fne! That
will add a little impetus to our ar