The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-07-05
NINE. STARE'S
WONDERFUL.
GIFT
"a by D. J. Walsh.l

I q
GO by D. J. walshl
~ Id MANGLESON picked up
the scrap of paper from where
~ it fiuttered In front of his
broom. He had raked it out
from underneath the Doctors desk,
crumpIed. tightly folded, torn at one
end. He spread it out clumsily. If
there were words on it he would save
il He knew enough for that, at least.
1t seemed to be puzzle of some
kind; not a prescription. nor a bill,
nor receipt-nothing of importance
just ehild's scribbling. He regarded
it duly. 1t might be puzzle. In his
youth he had been fond of puzzles and
sums and so on, but this was beyond
ahim.
dot one-half. Pug 10000; Carrie
nne-eighth of remainder. which equals
$4,000 Balance to knight. Grand
Rapids. Michigan"
Balance to Knight After all. this
might be important. He looked at the
date at the top of the scrap of paper
H June l. And this was July IL. No,
this account must have been balanced
long ago.
ManglesOn put the paper into his
vest pocket Later, when he had fin
ished with the sweeping, he would sir
out in the alley by the garbage cans
and figure il out
The doctor arrived in a great hurry.
He did not speak TO Mangleson. but
that was nothing new. He was in
cIined to tempers, especially in the
morning. He went straight to his
desk. unlocked and pulled out the low.
er drawer. drew ii out completely and
rested ii on the floor. He fumbled
among the loose papers in the drawer.
then turned suspicious eyes upon
ManglesOn.
"You been monkeying in my desk?"
he demanded.
MangIesOn leaned trembling on his
broom. Me? No. sir. For what
should be monkeying in your desk?"
well. get out, you make me nerv-
Gus. You should have had your work
in here finished long ago. Get on out"
Not until he was in the hall outside
the office did old MangIeson connect
the doctors temper with the scrap of
paper in his own pocket At Mrs.
Schultz. where he rOOmed. il came to
his mind strongly that the doctor had
lost something. It was even possible
he in hn7
squeezed out at the back of the lower
drawer. as valuable papers have a way
of doing. He drew it forth and stared
at it intently: ..
dot one-half. Pug 10000. Carrie
one-eighth of remainder. which equals
-"
Oh. fractions He never had been
good at fractions. He would ask Lena.
Mrs. Schultz daughter. TO figure it out
Lena worked in a 10-cent store down
town. She ought to be good at frac-
tons.
He found Lena sitting in her moth
er's kitchen with her shoes of. resting
her Oyerworked feet.
Here. Lena. do this sum once" he
invited. dot one-half, Pug 10000.
carry one-eighth of remainder. which
equals $4,000 How much is the sum
of the whole answer"
"Wha' deyah mean-dot an pug?"
demanded Lena, and held out a skin
ny hand for the scrap of paper from
which Mangleson had read the for.
mula. He gave it to her. She studied
it careIessly and returned it TO him.
sit amt no sum-" she decided.
a puzzle. then?" he suggested.
Lena looked at the paper again and
again handed it back.
1T amt no puzzle. 1t amt nothin'
Just memorandum somebody has
scrubbed"
MangIeson was relieved. "Oh," he
grunted. The doctor was mad in the
Office this morning because he had lost
something. was afraid it was this
here. But ] couldn't let him see me
take it out of my own pocket"
what made you put it in your
pocket" demanded Lena souriy. She
was tIIcu anu udu uO poICnNC I'LL
the old fool Mangleson.
Mrs. Schultz came and leaned over
for glance at the paper. Mangle-
sons last statement had caught her
attention.
"He was mad. was he? Maybe it
is something. | will take it with me
tonight and show it to Nine. Stare.
She knows everything. For dollar
she will tell you where to find your
bead bag or the name of the woman
who is getting your man away from
you. Maybe she will write your boss
a letter and say, You have lost pa
per. For a dollar will tell you where
it is"
NO." said MangIeson. sit might lose
me my job. I'll take it tomorrow
morning and put if in under the desk,
and let him find it himself"
Don't bother" advised Lena. THAT
paper is nothing. 1t must have been
something else he lost"
well, ii may be the paper he lost
and was mad about" persisted Mrs
Schultz. Better LET me take it to
Nine. Stare anG Let her find ii for him.