Evening star., 1932-08-21

time; hence, when that friendly door,
way Informally extended the glad hand Kent
observed no formalities: he simply and straight
way shied into it. And that made all the diff
ference.
The rain swirled in the streets with the viru-
lence of a petulant Pacific.
An item of fotsam drifted in the midst of it.
The items clothing was threadbare, and his
hat was rumpled and pulled well down over his
eyes
The item sloshed into the haven. He shivered
slightly there in the dark. Got fag, Jack?"
the newcomer raised a face that was doleful,
decidedly, even in that gloomy blackness. The
face seemed shrewd, perhaps but indefinite.
Kent produced cigarette and his lighter.
The man inhaled a draught of smoke and
sighed sigh of mingled relief and depression.
Hard times. and wet" he hazarded.
Kents eyes twinkled bit under his hat. He
felt a touch imminent.
II spose you haven't got half, so that guy
could get bed, eh Jack?"
Kent Nicholson was six-foot frame, well
clad and he supposed that the general i'm
preston among strangers was that he was a
chap of affluence. Amusing. Thanks, old boy,
for the compliment. I'm glad that look as
though I have four-bits. AS a matter of fact
-" he probed in his vest pocket, II have
just thirty cents. Here, you're welcome to it.
You don't act like professional"
He offered the thirty cents. The stranger
hesitated a moment.
Go ahead" said Kent 'if you weren't well
come I wouldn't offer it,
The stranger hesitantly took it. Thanks,
jack" mumbled the other. He looked out into
the rain 1t had slackened little. The
fotsam set sail bit more resolutely than he
had come into port.
Kent looked thoughtfully after the fellow,
sloShing away in the darkness. SloSh, Slosh.
His shoes sloshed particularly because they
were too long and fappy and pointed. Prob
ably he'd picked them up at some charity
place
Kent came back to his own predicament with
. start. With his usual impulsiveness he had
done of the things which sane men are
supposed not to do. Things such giving away
your last thirty cents to what was likely, after
all. a professional bum with good income.
Well, his room rent was paid for a week yet.
It wasn't his fault that Albert's had gone under,
leaving their talented handy man and ad writer
without anything but his last weeks salary;
the said salary having disappeared rapidly into
the accounts of various merchants to whom he
was in arrears Things were not particularly
bright at the moment for ad men and handy
men. Maybe when Lee Winters got back from
Seattle he could touch him for fifty. That
might hold him over into another job. Until
then, well!
Kent found to his surprise that he had wan
dered out into the rain again. 1t was abating,
though, and wouldn't be likely to take the
crease out of his trousers Just small drizzle
He found, startled by the import that he was
peering into little pawnshop. little pawn
shop that made practice of staying open until
o'clock with a view to catching just such men
as Kent Nicholson.
He found himself lingering his thin gold
watch. 1t was one his father had left him, an
expensive make.
He hesitated. With unequaled perversity one
Of those flashes of intuition had whispered loud
ly into his ear that tonight that most tickle of
an DANES would perch in a chair at his side
ard bestow largesse. He had had those
lunches before but had never had the means
or the opportunity to carry them through. Per-
haps. he reflected it was just feeling of self
applause for giving away his last three dimes
that made him suppose he was beset by intui-
ton.
However that may be, he found himself IN
side the little pawnshop talking terms with
the whiskered little Hebrew who was manager.
owner, janitor and guard in one.
The emanager-owner- janitor- guard talked elo-
quently of bad times lack Of money over
stock. and the low value Of gold watches. Even
when exquisitely engraved and Of perfect jewel
ing.
Kent finally walked out with thirty dollars,
congratulating himself. The manager-owner
was also congratulating himself
Young Mr.. Nicholson knew now where he was
going. 1t a semi-exclusive joint up on
Grant avenue social rendezvous for bond
statesmen, young brokers and the like. 1t was not
wholly social in character, however. There was
. touch of the mercenary. One could shoot
craps play any Of four card games, or twist the
tigers tail at the roulette wheel.
The proprietor was an Oriental of customary
badness and of more than customary joviaIty
II you were friend of his. Most everybody
was friend of his. Wung saw to that. His
club was sequestered. known only to a few
(hundred) and furnished in Oriental splendor.
Kent had been at the club but once before,
his first week in the city. Lee Winters, his
friend from college days who selling lum-
Der for California firm. had taken him. As a
general thing, Kent had little taste for gam
bling, and the social side Of the thing, among