Smyrna times., 1931-07-01
WEEKLY SOCIETY STORY FOR
EVENING ROUND THE LAMP
READING TO WHILE AWAY
TIME AFTER DAYS CHORES
"Could Earn His Own Living" An
Interesting Short Story, Writ
ten by III. Iryisg King

ther had left him-that he would
be able to make his own living. He
made this statement at the club
and Clifford Briggs and Sam Burke
laughed at him.
"Just what would you do now?"
asked Sam. 'to earn your bread and
butter?"
Il can drive a machine" said
Paul, land Pm pretty good at me-
chanics generally; can repair al
most any sort of car-if the trou-
BILE isn't serious"
"Poofl" cried Clifford, you are a
fair amateur I'LL bet you five hun
dred you could not get a job off
your own bat as chauffeur and
keep it three months"
'Done," said Paul. And there
after for some time his place at the
club was vacant.
Soon after Paul's disappearance
from his accustomed haunts a
young man presented himself be-
fore Mrs. Richard Charters of Bea-
con street, Boston, and applied for
the post of chauffeur in that lady's
establishment, which, he under
stood, had become vacant. Mrs.
Charteris looked him over and Ques-
toned him; Mr.. Charters did the
same as did their daughters, Pen
elOpe and Barbara. He was asked
for a recommendation from his last
employer and presented a most
laudatory one. Paul had written it
himself and signed his own name
to it. The name he gave to his
employers was one which he had
chosen after much worried cogita-
tion-it was John Snooks.
"Dear me! what an awful name"
cried Mrs. Charteris. ''We gen.
orally call our chauffeur by his last
name; but Snooks ?-never! Sup
pose we call you Harrison"
Barbara, the younger of the Char
teris girls, regarded Paul with
suspicious look
Father" said she, "do you know
anything of this Paul Vinton. from
whom this person processes to bring
a recommendation?
"Oh, yes" replied Mr.. Charters,
Il know of him. He's old Hard
Pine Vinton's son. He inherited
heaps of money"
Il rather think I've heard of
him." said Barbara. Hes a dissi-
pated youth, | understand; not over
bright Do you think a recommend
alton from him is of any value?"
Paul tried not to glare at Bar
bara while she was traducing his
character. Was that really his
reputation? He did not believe it.
The girl was just spiteful; evident
ly one of those people who never
speak well of anybody if they can
help it.
All the family liked Harrison"
as they insisted upon calling him.
except Barbara. And for some rea-
son which he could not comprehend
himself, Barbara was the one per-
son he laid himself out TO please
For two months Paul stuck to his
job. "One month more" he medi-
tated, "and then I'm going to stage
a dramatic climax to my little ad-
venture" He pictured himself dis
closing his real identity before the
whole family and demanding of
Barbara-who would. of course, be
overwhelmed with astonishment-
her authority for the aspersions she
had cast upon his character. And
then? Why then, having convinced
Barbara of his worthiness, he would
approach the young lady from an
other angle.
Then one day when, because of
had been guilty of some little dere-
LECTION, Barbara said to him coldly:
"Your training with that rather dis
reputable Mr.. Vinton has, evident
ly, not fitted you for the position
of chauffeur in family such as
ours"
Paul lost his head and began an
energetic defense of his "late en-
ployer."
Really" said Barbara, Il had |
no idea that Mr.. Vinton was such |
a paragon. Your able defense of |
him would lead me to believe, al |
most, that you were Mr.. Vinton
himself"
Paul looked at her with a start |
and an expression on his face that |
was a confession.
Barbara broke into a peal of |
"Oh, you guileless youth"
said she. II have known who you
were all along. When you ap-
piled for the position Of chauffeur
saw at once that you were no pro-
fessional. And that little recon-
mend you presented was a trifie
too flattering. | suspected some
mystery and made my attack upon
Mr.. Vinton's character as chance
shot. The way you looked at me
my suspicious. I wrote
to my cousin, Tom Perberton, in
New York. asking him If he knew
one Paul Vinton. He replied that
he knew you well. belonged to your
club and had heard about the bet
you made. The mystery was
cleared up. But | determined to
make you really earn your five hun
dred-it was such fun. If you really
want to stay for another month I
think | can keep your secret just
about that much longer"
81 do want to stay on" replied
Paul.
Paul won his five hundred and
oha,,+ txua months latar pnf tha