Evening star., 1932-04-02
INSTALLAIENT xxx.

~ sustomers.
Very bad" answered Mar
tin with embarrassment
Would you be so kind as to shut
this trunk for me? I simply can't get
it shut said Tat.
Martin got it shut at once. He was
charged like a dynamo. He had the
strength Of giant.
We'll, now-tell me all you have to
say said Tat, sitting down and offer
ing Martin a chair.
Martin hesitated. and May scratched
with her fingers inside her coat pockets
A pause.
well, Just tell me all about it." said
Tat. and pulled out his repeater. 1t
struck four faint chimes.
Martin took the plunge.
What wanted to say is that have
got to marry your daughter"
One moment. Which of them do
you mean7" asked Herr Lyssenhop.
May"
i see. So this one is May?" said
Tat. inspecting the girl in the leather
coat at the door so he has got to
marry you Have you got to marry
him?"
Yes. Absolutely"
Herr LySsenhop looked at his finger
nails. So far he had conducted the
conversation half humorously. Now he
became shade more serious.
My dear Herr He'll" he said, Il
don't want you to misunderstood me.
am not a tyrannical stage father. and
my girls do pretty well what they like.
girls might marry whom they pleased
and do as they liked. But as I have
only this pair Of girls, it is very i'm
portant matter whom they bring along.
The continuance of the family is in
volved-and, in fact, everything. !
have, as you may know, life's work
my engineering works, the Bewamag
May could tell you better than I what
this means. She has been Of great help
to me in it since she was 10. In so far
then, as it means that my future SON.
in-law must one day succeed me in my
business I have the right to a say in
the matter. Good looks and all that
takes a woman's fancy simply don't
count there. Do you agree, May?"
Certainly, Tat"
Good! Then Just tell what induce
ments you have to offer. There is no
need to be modest about it."
Martin looked down at his feet He
was very conscious of his old cotton
shorts and washed-out flannel shirt.
HIS sweater had gone with Anika.
I have good health" he said in a
constrained voice, and I'm moderately
young-26 next birthday. And I'm
Ialrly strong. l can stand good deal
I'm demon for work"
Mn" said Herr Lyssenhop, not i'm
pressed and waiting to hear more
l come ora good family My father
died long ago. He was a clerk to the
magistrates. have no brothers or sis
tiers. My mother is still alive.
l hold the record for Austria for 200
meters" he added
Then he reflected. while Tat waited.
have no money" Martin said reso-
lutely. When he had said this he came
10 stop. May at the door clenched her
hands in her pockets.
No money. Well, many are in the
same case nowadays. But you earn
something? Or do you teach swimming
only for fun?" Tat asked rather i'm
patiently.
Yes. Yes, OF course. That is only
only little holiday amusement. l am
an engineer by profession
Ah-that is better Anything to do
with machinery"
Il know something about machinery
or course, 1 took my degree in chem
istry. But to get the diploma in engi-
neerlng you have to know something
about machinery. It interests me, too.
In the Oluma Works I even introduced
an improvement in machine, and it is
In use now
Are you in the Oluma Works?"
Il was. Unfortunately they cut down
their staff after an amalgamation and
The oiuma Works are in rotten
way my dear fellow. Any one who
holds their shares had best sell out be-
fore it is too late" said Herr Lyssenhop,
speaking inadvertently as If to an
equal. What was that improvement
you spoke of by the way? Can you ex-
plain it to me or is it a Secret?"
Its like this ;" said Martin,
and hastily taking a pencil from his
pocket he began to make q drawing on
the margin of hotel bill that lay on
the table. May caught only snatches
Of phrases. This Is the ma
chine, and here I It Is driven
from this point. So you see I can work
the from both ends at once.
Quite a nice saving in that :"
May looked at their two heads bent
over the paper In o common enthuSi-
aSm. They had forgotten her. And
Martin-why, Martin had become
little distant. He was no longer the
foolish boy. the lover by moonlight, the
woebegone young fellow, so forlorn and
helpless.
1t was curious how different men be-
came as soon as they got on their pro-
fessions. All the directors and chief
engineers and foremen in the Bewamag
had this same air. May could see Mar
tin among them. A wave Of warm and
joyful esteem broke over her. Tat took
the hotel billion which were entered
several items Of champagne for Count
and Countess Czerney-and put 1t In
his pocket. Mn" said he II see
what YOU mean. Not bad. So they let
you 60? Well, and now 2"
Martin shrugged his shoulders.
Tets cigar raeanvhile hAd ACQUIRED
- 1u1ned6e1y GnHoa1u-N -,