The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1929-12-06
Pothooks and
Hangers
BY M. Z. MARCH


Louise's home and waited. Present
ly she would come in briskly, her
| brown eyes demure. her lips smil-
ing. And Jimmy, young lawyer
| though he was, knew that his heart
would skip beat and his ruddy face
take on still deeper hue as he faced
| her.
In that room he had sat three nights
| week with Louise and-yes-Terry
| Gerard, the Shark--who was the par
| ticular fly in Jimmy's ointment. Why
did he need q commercial education.
| anyway? His business didn't require 1t.
| Jimmy's did; at least, SO he had rep
resented to Louise when he had begged
| her to teach him the art Of shorthand.
| So around this table the three had
| sat-Louise and her two mismated
pupils. Both had invented their need
Of knowledge Of shorthand In order
to be near the object Of their affec.
tions.
His heart skipped a beat as Louise
entered.
While he was holding her hand,
which had been extended In welcome,
he looked at 1t idiotically, as IL he
had never seen 1t before.
"Why, Jimmy" said Louise. look
| ing at him In surprise.
| Today"
"And so have"
Didn't get It," gasped Jimmy.
Mail service punk. Was it yes or
no?"
"Silly," she answered, diving into
her pocket ~ didn't say I'd mail
it to you. Weren't you to come this
evening to take your lesson? Well!"
| She handed him a notebook.
"That Is my answer" she told him
sweetly.
He looked at 1t helplessly. "Je-
hoshaphat |" he exclaimed. For the
first time he envied that Shark. He
could have read those marks.
1t was at "recess" the night before
that 1t happened. The Shark had
left early, Louise had told him good
night In what seemed to Jimmy most
unnecessarily interested fashion, and
| Jimmy had forthwith laid his heart
and fortune at his teachers feet. In
a sweetly businesslike manner she had
promised to write him her answer.
.'That Is your answer" repeated
Louise.
Jimmy set his teeth and began to
study those awful marks with venge-
ance.
A gasp escaped him. There was
familiar chicken track In that first
line. 1t was the one phrase he had
learned very early in the course think
ing some time to use 1t craftily-"I
love you'll" He recognized that when
he saw it. 1t was there but what was
that silly little mark preceding the
word love?
Teacher" he said In q wheedling
tone which he sometimes used teas
ingly, teacher, you made this char
acter a little lame. / can't quite make
1t out" He held his breath.
THAT" answered Louise, turning to
him patiently and spelling the word
phonetically, "is 'd-o-n't'-haf length,
you know, to add It.
Jimmy stiffened and the notebook
fell to the floor When Louise left
it there and turned away again he
exploded.
II hope you're satisfied" he said
thickly. you've made all kinds Of q
fool of me--deliberately, too"
Louise raised her finger warning
ly and listened. 81 think Terry s
coming" she said. Hes early"
Jimmy swallowed and looked for
his hat. He was certain now-the
Shark had won. Louise's smile showed
that. 1t was radiant and her face was
shining with glory that only love
can bring.
Cant stay for lesson" he mumbled,
cramming the letter into his pocket
and making for the door.
ut was false ALARM" said Louise
after a moment of looking toward
the door.
THAT shark" began Jimmy an
grily.
isn't he a wonder?" asked Louise.
"He can read shorthand like print"
Good night" said Jimmy thickly.
But" said Louise, innocently. "have
you read all the letter Jimmy? There
are some good phrases there and you
should study
II know ne of them," thundered
Jimmy, land that's enough. 81 don't
love you'-in the first line-that's g
enough. / can read that"
The doorbell rang jarringly.
Jimmy gave a farewell backward
look, saw her brandishing another pa
per before his eyes, felt her hand
upon his arm. But he jerked away
angrily from those fingers he had 30
loved to touch, accidentally, Of course,
at their tasks.
"I'll read no more fool marks" he
said.
"But this Is typed transcript of
the fool marks, Jimmy" she explained.
II knew you were q fraud and pre-
pared this for you," and suddenly her
arm went about his stubborn neck,
tightened, and brought his eyes down
within range of the typewriter words /:
II don't love you half as much as
I'm going to"
"Jehoshaphat !" Jimmy waited to
read no more. but blinking at the
heavenly light that enveloped him,
he kissed his teacher, and together
they went to the door to let In the
Shark.