The Washington times., 1933-03-03

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at attention. In his left hand
he held a parcel done up in a
large yellow neckerchief.
Boy Scout, eh?" inquired
Bray, returning the salute.
"Yes, SIR
"Well, Boy Scouts are good
scouts, wherever found. And
what might you have to report?"
This, sir" The boy handed
over his bundle and Bray undid
it on his lap, and there was a
pair of mems overshoes, OF
black rubber and most shiny.
Where did you find these,
KIDD" he asked.
Under a lilac bush on Mr..
Swope'S side lawn. Mr.. SWope
lives just yonder, sir, two doors
west of Mr.. McGee-that would
make it three doors from Mr..
Hollis. They were showed way
back under the bush like they'd
been hid there. I had to get
down on my hands and knees to
pull 'em out"
Anybody with you when you
located 'em?"
mo, sir"
"And you brought 'em straight
along here without stopping
anywhere?"
"Only to wrap 'em up in my
Scout handkerchief"
That's good. Son, you know
what a coincidence is, don't
you?"
Yes, SIR
well, here's a funny coinci-
dence. This must be a great
neighborhood for people to lose
their overShoes in. I send you
kids out to find a certain pair
of overshoes and you do find
pair. But it's not the pair I
sent you after. It's a different
pair altoe eether-now amt that
too bad? Hold on" he
added seeing how the little
Scouts face fell at that. tits
not your fault that you found
the wrong ones. 1 said a new
pair and that's what you've
handed me-a new pair. So I
guess you get your two dollars,
and here they are" He counted
two ones off a slim role. And
here's your handkerchief back.
Now then. you'll say nothing
about this mistake to anybody
at all, else the other boys and
girls might get discouraged and
quit, understand? Not single,
solitary word to a single, soh-
tary soul, get me?"
mo, sir"
"Now then, beat it and start
hunting again-but this time
for a pair maybe a half-size
smaller than these here shoes
and if anything a wee tritle
more pointed-like in the toe"
Git for Bursting"
The youngster saluted and
trotted away.
I couldn't hold in any longer.
I felt fit for bursting.
why did you lie to the kid?"
I asked.
"Sh-h," he counseled, his
bushy eyebrows working up
and down. wait a bit and
leave me think. . 1t won't be
long now." Hastily, he already
had showed a doubled-up over
shoe into either Side-pocket Of
his coat.
He hailed the garage-owner
who, during this, had been busy
in his shop.
Have you a small trouble
lamp that in an emergency could
be hitched on to an electric
light plug? If so, I'd like to
take it into your office whilst
I'm making a small private ex-
pertinent. And after that I'll
probably be using your tele-
phone just the one time more"
Sure" said the garage man.
"And while I'm doing that,
wonder would you be good
enough to have your helper lad
dust over toward Broadway and
see can he pick us a taxi?"
II will not-not while have
a bum little car of my own in
this dump and him to drive it.
I'll send you two gents any
where within reason you'd want
to go, and there'll be no charge
for it, neither. It's a pleasure.
Bray was closeted in the
office for what to me, impatient
though I was and burnt up with
curiosity, seemed an amazingly
short time. His coat pockets
still bulged when he came
forth.
For us the trip in the bor-
rowed car ended where a num-
bered cross-Street intersected
upper Third Avenue above the
Bronx's business center. There
we got out and Bray tipped
our driver and we stood there
until the young man had
driven away on his homebound
journey.
AS soon as he was out of
our sight, Bray said to me:
(Continued on 2nd.- Comic PGss)