The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1941-07-19
One On the House
By GUY ROBERTS
(sIcClure Syndicate-WNU Service.)

register shut and whirled about in
surprise: HUH"
"Orangeade," repeated the new
conner calmly, pushing a dime
across the damp counter.
eyes, sir" his hand slowly left
his hip-pocket, and the color flooded
back into his face. Sliding a glass
under one of several faucets, he
filed it with sparkling golden liq-
uid. Liquid sunshine; a glass a
day keeps the doctor away" he
said, placing the drink before the
lone customer.
Thanks. Say, your clock right,
Bud?"
'To a second. JUS four ffty-two
in the A. M"
Estate an Madison sure is a quiet
place this time O. the day." unused
the stranger, slipping his drink SLOW
ly. "Just before dawn"
"You said it, mister" replied the
man behind the counter. "Say-
haven't l seen you round here be-
fore?"
'Well, now, l dunno-have your"
what mean is, 1 wondered if
you came by here very often"
ooh, no, not very" He prodded
the dime with his forefnger. Here
y'are, Bud"
"That's all right, mister. Keep it.
That one was on the house"
Say, aren't you afraid someone
will spot you? For all you know I
might be spotter."
''Not much danger in that. No
spotter would be about this time O.
the day. It's early in the evening,
and later when the theater crowd
is out that they keep an eye on you.
Hardly anybody ever comes in this
time O. the night l know"
Guess you've got long hours,
haven't your" spoke up the GUS
toner, slowly twisting the glass be-
tween his fingers.
"You hit it. From eight P. M.
to eight A. M. the OF sun sure looks
good in the morning! And does the
evening keep you on the jumpl Work
like lightning during the theater
rush, and again at the intermission,
and when the shows are out. Then
about midnight the crowd starts
! thinning out, and after that all you
get is once in a while a drunk or
two, a chorus man or drifter of
some sort. You're all tired out,
and you got to spend the rest of the
night with nothing to do, and believe
me each hour seems like four.
Lonely?-no name for it.
81 should think there'd be a good
chance of someone sticking you up"
"Huh?" darling a quick look at
| the others face.
81 say, you ever been in hold
up?"
"Just once-but that was plenty.
Some guy comes in and starts talk
ing, jes' like we're talking now He
buys a drink and we chins along.
I wasn't noticing him particularly.
He slides a dime across the coun-
ter, and l turn to open the drawer
of the cash register, well-all of
sudden he puts gun on me and
snaps-'up wit 'em, fella. "
"Yeah? An what did you do?"
"What did I do? Say, I'm no fool,
an it wasn't my money. just
does as he tells me. He grabs the
roll out of the open drawer, slams
a gag in my mouth, ties me up
and shoves me under the counter.
Neatest thing you ever"
''Would you know this guy again
if you saw him?"
Cant say for sure. He was about
my height, I guess, an he had dark
hair. o. course I was pretty scared
to notice."
"That's him, all right. That was
Ben Carters,' the newcomer
grinned, and held out his hand.
"That's the bird I'm after. I'm a
! plain-clothes man, buddy. There's
been SO many stickups along this
chain lately that the company's hired
me to make the rounds"
''Say-now =" the face of the
man behind the counter broke into
delighted smile. Gee, now, that
sure was one on me, all right, all
right. Gosh, l thought you was
honest, mister, l thought at first
you was a stickup fella."
The plain-clothes man set down
the empty glass and wiped his lips
with the back of his hand. "Well,
1 gotta be moving along, Buddy.
Thanks for the drink"
"That's OK. Mister"
He continued to nod pleasantly as
the plain-clothes man ambled up the
sidewalk and disappeared around
the next corner. Then the smile van
ished. He stopped swiftly, frightened
the gag in the mouth of roped and
bound figure that lay helpless under
the counter, rose, glanced cautious
" up and down the street.
"Yes, SIR" he unused, as he Sc
lently vaulted the counter, "that was
one on the house"