The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-21

\AENH4
Dang it all-his head ached from
hangover, his leg from buckshot.
Words slipped cut of his mouth
before he realized what he was
saying. We wouldn't touch a. drop
of drink for 10 years! No Maam,
not drink for 10 years :.
"All right, Jce," his employed said,
briskly. you've been With me for
20 years and I don't want to fire
you. But if you don't stop your
drinking I'll have to let you go
particularly after all that happened
last night. 1 tell you what I'll do
if you keep your promise -
Joe thought mournfully that he'd
been an awful fool to make such an
offer. Not a drink for 10 years?
Ten hours would have been more
like it.
Joe" she began. "Joe, If you'll
give me your word not to touch a
drop of liquor for ten years, I'll
give you $4,000. That's $1,000 a
year in addition to your salary. If
1 die before the period ends, I'll
leave that sum to you in my WILL
GO the promise was made-not
~ because Joe looked forward TO
bonus at the end of a 10-year
drought, but because refusal to ac-
cept the proposition would have
lost not only his position, but
Maggie.
Maggie and Joe had been bride
and bridegroom when they went to
the Rollenbachs as cook and chauf-
feur 20 years before. The madame
had been godmother to their babies.
Joe knew that if Maggie had to
make choice now between en-
ployer and husband, he'd be the one
to suffer.
So he kept his promise, and his
job, and Maggie. For 10 years, as
he put it, he had kept as dry as
the Sahara desert" Occasionally,
Mrs. Rollenbach Shriveled and
with Noncompliance
ed him on his behavior, and re-
minded him Of that future day
when the $4,000 would be his.
Maybe it wasn't a bright thing
for me to do joe" she'd say shak-
ing her sparse gray strands. You'll
be leaving me then"
mot I, madame"
A FTER the stock market crash
IN of 1929 Joe and all her other
knew that things weren't
going so well for Mrs. Rollenbach.
But no one realized just how bad
her finances were until one morn
ing, just a week before Joe's tenth
anniversary as a dry. Mrs. Rollen-
bach called the entire staff before
her and explained that she was
bankrupt, that her effects we're to
be auctioned and that each must
seek other work.
The news of the bankruptcy
reached the village before Joe did.
You won't be having that ami
versary party you promised" some
one told him.
1t was then Joe decided to go
ahead with his plans for that party.
After all, all his friends were down
in the dumps. 1t was the very
time they needed a party.
He made arrangements for a
beerfeSt at MikeS-the same Mikes
he had left 10 years before. The
party began at 8. But it WASH
very successful. At II it had all
the appearances of a wake with
Joe acting as chief mourner.
Joe wasn't mourning the loss
either of his taste for liquor or his
$40, 000-although that was a con-
sum for one 65-year old
chauffeur to kiss good-by. He was
worried about his bankrupt employ
er's future-and his own.
GAY, look at that!' some one
~ calculated.
A little old lady stood in the
doorway-a dried up morsel whom
everybody in the barroom knew to
be Mrs. Rollenbach.
An embarrassed hush enveloped
the crowd. Mrs. Rollenbach stepped
slowly toward the bar as the men
fell away to make an aisle for her
to reach Joe.
Hello joel heard all about
your party-from Maggie. She said
she didn't think it would be a very
gay occaSion-and it doesn't look
like it,"
Mrs. Rollenbach'S faded blue eyes
the quiet audience. No
one spoke. She continued:
Il suppose I should have told you
sooner. Joe. 1 never FORGET a
promise. That $4,000 is yours with
interest. I put in in your name in
the National Bank nine years ago
You can get it in the morning"
A ripple of exclamation surged
over the gathering.
But I can't take it Madame when
you need it" Joe began.
All boSh," answered the old lady
with her old briSkneSs. We'll,
what's become of the party spirit? 2"
She looked at Joe quizzically. He
caught the merry CLEAN.
"A little sherry for Madame?"
Thank you, Joe. think I will"
THE END