Evening star., 1934-08-05
By ELLIS PARKER BUTLER
A master humorist
has some more fun with
a favorite character


coarse and brutal men,
II suppose" said Fenderton as pleasantly as
possible. that I'm being kidnapped. I suppose
I'm going to be held for ransom"
Never you mind" said his seatmat.. you'll
know soon enough. You be good or youn get
yoursl"
'T guess you're pretty old hands at tnis.'
said Fenderton cheerfully. Il mean the slick
way you got me. That was pretty clever work,
only you needn't have hit me on the head.
would have come along all right"
You bet you'd have come along" said his
seatmate
"Yes sir" agreed Fenderton Because I
have studied these kidnap cases quite a lot ana
I think it Is very silly TO put up fight and
maybe get all beaten up when you're going to
be taken anyway"
No one said anything in answer to this.
Il IOw much are you going to ask father to
pay?" Fenderton asked. ST mean % he
explained. "I think maybe I could help Won
get father to cough up a ransom quicker IL I
knew. Naturally don't want to be kept In
some dirty old hole long time and maybe
have to be shot because father don't cough up
the money.
'T don't pretend to know Just how much
father is worth down to the last cent, but
guess pretty well do know what the old gent
Is worth in general sort of way. mean it's
no good asking him to pay 100000 for me
because father simply hasn't got that much"
Good grief" exclaimed the man beside the
driver. Good grief Do we have to listen
to him. Joe?"
II mean" said Fenderton, unoffended, that
this slump has hit father just the same as
everybody else, and he just can't pay 100000
for me. And there's another thing-I would not
say this to everybody. but my father has been
sort of sore at me lately He's sort of acted
1 fuOr rof7fe fOPr
he said more than once that for two cents he'd
kick me out. So I shouldn't think he'd pay
100000 to get me back do youP"
Say what kind of bird have we got, Joe?"
asked the man on the front seat. "Am nuts
or am hearing what think hear?"
'You amt nuts, SAM" said the man be-
side Fenderton. I'm hearing it, too."
And he heaved weary sigh. Il
Well" said Fenderton somewhat less eagerly
'I presume you'll ask what you want to, but
don't blame me If you ask for 100000 and then
have to leave my hfeless body in some old hole
and not get anything I'm just giving you my
opinion and If was kidnapping me, the most T
would ask for would be $25000 Because, after
ALL I should think $25,0O0 was better than
nothing. considering everything"
What do you know about that Joe?" asked
the man called Sam. Hes modest amt he?
He thinks he's worth only $4,000. Can you
beat it?"
We'll, suppose you wonder why said con-
sidering everything don't you?" said Fender
ton What mean is that you've got to re-
member that father must have expected I'd be
kidnapped sooner or Later everybody being kid
naped as they are. mean expecting 1t like
that father probably had detectives watching
me all the time"
Shall I laugh. Joe?" asked Sam. "Or shall
I weep"
And probably the detectives are already ON
our trail" continued Fenderton. $50 should
think it would be better to ask for $4,000 and
get it quickly than to ask for 100000 and have
to fuss around and let the detectives close up
on us, and you have to leave my Iifeless body in
some hole. or maybe in some bushes, and then
not get anything at ALL"
Il ISTEN, joe" said Sam turning his head
l. again. eff we was kidnapping this euv I'd
throw him out Of the car before he talked uS
to death. Amt he birdl"
We'll, certainly should think" Fender
ton began. but he stopped because the car
swung sharply to the left, throwing him uu
against the nose of the automatic so that it
jabbed him cruelty. The car ran into a drive
way beside modest little house and came to
sudden stop. Joe put his strong fingers inside
Fenderton's collar and backed out Of the
sedan
Come on out here, you" ne ordered and
Fenderton got out Of the car. The house was
a suburban house, standing alone IN a small plot
far from the next neighbors Joe shifted his
hold Fenderton's collar, and sam out
it as the driver Of the car picked up q wicked
whip from bench beside the door.
GLADYS. come out here" the man Sam