Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-08-07
SERVICE
THAT WAS
COKE
BY FANNIE HURST
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W. {(S by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicatsl
(WNU Service)
I'm THE eyes of the world, Coke
was somewhat of an enigma. He
was one of the most successful life
insurance agents In his district,
large metropolitan one, and yet he
never seemed to get anywhere. That
is, he never seemed to get anywhere
in the sense that his less successful-col-
leagues did People in position to
Judge estimated that Coxie's earning
capacity, what with the policies he
was writing from year to year, should
have carried him to a high-hgure in
come.
The jolly little fellow, worming his
way up from Office boy of the vice
president Of the huge company that
employed him, had managed to cap
ture the liking of the theatrical pro-
fession. Most of his policies were
confined to the people of the play
world. He had a way with them. He
loved their emotional, volatile. friend
ly qualities and they in turn, because
of those qualities, reacted with en-
thusiasm to Coke.
He was so downright likeable. His
round, good-humored face radiated
amiabllity and something strangely
deeper. Coke had soul. He felt 1t.
And here let 1t be said that there
were those in the profession who
knew, almost reverently, that Coke
had a soul. These were the people
who knew why Coke, unlike his col
leagues who drove cars and bought
country homes, continued to live, a
somewhat reluctant bachelor, in a
rooming house and use the subway.
1t was said of Coke by one of these
clients of his who had reason to know
that he had soul, that it was simply
impossible for the little insurance
agent to sit by and see policy lapse
for want of funds. His faith In hui
man nature was so enormous. His
human beings was infallible. If his
confidence in these dealings had on
various occasions been undermined,
Coke was the last to confess it. He
went on believing and he went on dig
ging into his own pockets to meet
payments that for one reason or an
other could not be paid-and all these
reasons were passiOnately poured into
Coxie's sympathetic ears.
Men and women died blessing Coke
IN sentimental and unashamed graft
tude. Coke had saved many a gay
Thespian from a pauper's grave; and
many Thespian's child from the
pinch Of poverty.
And the little man himself, known
to all Broadway, loved by Broadway,
loving 1t in return, glorled in his job.
Service that was Coke.
The fly In the ointment, however,
was as big as frog In the puddle.
There were ragged hurting edges to
Coxie's heart and the reason was
Annabelle Evans. Strangely enough,
she was not of the theater. She was
forelady in an artificial flower fac
tory. She and Coke had met at q
theatrical benefit for disabled children
and for twelve years had been unoffi.
cially engaged. as the saying goes.
Twice week, Coke took Anna
belle, who was pretty in a blrdlike
fashion, to theater or to a motion
picture and on Saturday night spent
the evening with her in the prlm par
lor of the prlm little fiat she shared
with prim little aunt. Coke loved
Annabelle and, in what was becoming
a fearful, patient and almost hysterlcal
fashion. Annabelle loved Coke.
The fact Of the matter was that
Coke could not afford to marry. That
Is, unless he permitted Annabelle to
continue her work in the flower fac
tory. That prospect was abomlnable
to both OF them. Not only did Anna
belle dislike her work. but she had
developed a curious racking cough
from her surroundings.
Time and time again, Coke, who
bore with her berutings because he
felt he deserved them, promised to
conserve his income which In its en-
tirety was more than sufficient for
them to start life together In comfort
and even a small degree Of luxury.
But year after year showed a deficit
in CoXle's finances. He could not let
a policy lapse and since his writings
were in the name Of the most IMPROVE
dent people in the world. constant and
multiple were the demands upon him.
And then the inevitable happened.
1t had not ever occurred to Coke that
Is could happen, but 1t did and that
was probably the reason that this
little man Of lnd0milable good faith,
good will and good heart. found him
self crushed.
A rival for the hand Of Annabelle
Evans stepped In. 1t had all hap
pened so quickly that Coke walked
around broadway for two days there.
after with his mOOn.rOund face all
fuddled with dIze.
A young shipping clerk In the fac
tory where Annabclle was employed
had fallen heir to ten thousand dol
lars. TO Annnbelle's establishment, It
seemed that he had looked upon her
with yearnlng for years and now II
had all come about and was possible.
The young shipping clerk wanted to
marry at once and suddenly, after
years Of the procrastlnatlon, the de-
lag and the dlsappOlntments and the
deferred hopes that went with Coke;
here was n c0:tr1te opportunity to
salvage happiness.