The Washington times., 1938-08-16


ing, suddenly flung down the pa
per in which he had been reading
the story of a gangster's death
The article appeared under tht
hackneyed caption, Crime Doesn'
Pay,
"Baloney," said Fred to himself
sure it pays if you know how tt
| behave yourself. I'm in a racket
and look at me-sitting pretty,
am. I'm one of the smart ones
Il live quietly and put my dough
in the savings bank and my girl
thinks my job with the Bernstein
Jewelry Company is on the level. =
SOME TOUGH GUYS
Fred came of decent people in
the country and behaved himself
until he fell under the influence
of some tough guys from a neigh.
boring State.
For a while he honestly had
tried to get work. But his friends
didn't help as they promised; he
played in continual bad luck, there
were no jobs and iE very short
time his money was exhausted and
he was down to exactly so cents.
Moreover, his landlady, Mrs. Cas-
Sidy, to whom he owed consider
able, told him firmly that unless
he came across with something by
Monday morning he'd have to go.
Mrs. Cassidy had a very pretty
daughter named Jean whom Fred
had at once recognized as the only
girl in the world. Jean fell for
him, too, but with things as they
were their future looked none too
bright. But he sure did want to
hang on at Ma Cassidy'S; some
other guy'd get Jean if he left.
If he could only scrape up even
five dollars-that would be a stop
for Ma and he'd heard of pos
sible job in another week.
1t was a cloudy Sunday morn
ing. No use hunting work today,
so gloomily leaving the house at
ten, Fred started down the street
in an aimless fashion, jingling his
two lone quarters in an otherwise
empty pocket.
GOES TO CHURCH
Now, quite unknown to Fred for
the last block or So behind him
had walked a man. A very, very
rich man, philanthropically in
clined, but eccentric. He had been
watching Fred and sized him up,
correctly as it so happened.
There goes a country boy mused
Mr.. x. Down on his luck. Decent
looking, but on the weak side.
Looks sorta like my boy Cliff when
he was young. If I knew whether
he was honest or not I'd find him
a job. At that precise instant
Fred turned into the church which
put one of Mr.. KS unusual ideas
into his head.
His chauffeur who had been
told to meet him in case of rain,
now drew big car up to the curb.
Mr.. K. spoke to him.
William" he said, watch that
church door, and when a young
lad about 20 comes out" (here he
described Fred accurately follow
him and find out where he lives"
Consequently, when, just before
it was time to take the collection,
someone touched him on the
shoulder Fred jumped. Turning,
he saw white-haired man lean
ing in his direction.
Il have to leave" whispered the
stranger. would you be good
enough to put this in the plate for
me?" Fred looked down and
gulped when he saw a 5-dollar bill
being pressed into his hand. In
another instant he saw something
else, too-the man tiptoeing from
the church by a side door.
MISSES A CHANCE
But Mr.. x didn't really leave
the church at all. He went inside
the Vestry room, where, after the
service, it took only a few mo-
ments to discover the dishearten-
ing fact that there was no 5-dollar
bill in the plate at all-certainly
not the one Mr.. x had given Fred
and which had been marked. So,
when his chauffeur reported that