Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-03
DMiIy Short Story
Get a Horse
BY CHARLES McGUIRK

T WAS in January that Arnold
Prime declared in effect that he
I'D retired. II was a blow 10 his
ife. Mildred. his son, Junior, H.
I'd his daughter. Milly, who was
lst a year younger than her
.uther.
THE reason why il was a shock
,an there was that Arnold hadn't
luch money, and very little future
his job as an appraiser of oil
roperties for a large oil COM
any. He simply couldn't retire
ithout putting his family and
imself on relief. a prospect which
re family deeply resented.
But he did retire. He woke up
ne sunny morning during the
Amy season in Jacinto. Cal, and
,oked out at grass that was the
reencr and trees that, somehow
eemed poisoning because OF a
ain the night before and waited
or the alarm clock 10 go of.
Then il did, he reached over and
-irottled il and pulled the covers
YER his head and shut his eyes.
Seven minutes later, Mildred sat
p in the bed beside him.
arnold" she said urgently,
ats 20 minutes 70 seven. You'll
be late for work"
~ amt going to work." Ar
hold announced from under the
covers.
'But-" Mildred asked anX-
iously, "are you sick, Arnold: 1
told you not TO eat that avo-
cado. VIII I call n Doctor"
81 amt SICK" Arnold told her
and threw back the covers and
sat up beside her, I'm just
through working. From now on.
I'll never do n tap as long as 1
Hive. I'm tired of being pushed
around and getting nothing
for II.
I'm tired of having YOU take
my pay check every Friday night
and doing me out lunch money.
I've been getting about 2 per
cent of what make for the last
10 years.
"The children are old enough
10 20 to work. III they do, they
can support you. If they don't,
none OF you'll eat. It's your prob
lem. You can work IL out your
selves. Only I'm through work
ing"
Mildred stared at him, her
louth a little open. She saw a
ound red-faced man with a good
aw and heavy shoulders. He
,oked as healthy as ever and she
ften found his health a reason
Dr. envy. There was wild look in
is eye. She thought that, maybe,
e had suddenly gone a little crazy.
"All right, DEAR" she acqui-
esced soothingly. "just lie there
and get some sleep. I'll bring
In your breakfast. After a
while, you can get up and call
the office and say you won't be
down today. Or I'll do IT,"
TN ALL THROUGH
'Tf you call the Office" Arnold
instructed, "tell anybody that
answers to 60 to hell. Tell them
I'm through with the job. Tell
them that from now on, I'm n
gentleman of leisure. I'll never
work again"
Mildred didn't say anything be-.
ause she was convinced that her
usband of 20 years suddenly had
one crazy. And maybe he had.
But he was not crazy enough to
20 to work.
| From the moment OF his an
souncement, he set about keeping
lis word. He got up that morning
nd had breakfast and went for a
yalk. He didn't come back until
lightfall and he didn't say any
hing about where he had been.
lie merely threw a bank book on
he table.
tive drawn fifty dollars" he
said, "and I've turned the rest
of the money over to you. When
my fifty's gone, I'll think out
some way of getting more. 1
don't know what. But IL won't
be work. I'll never work again"
Mildred never asked him about
lis activities. She was afraid
But as time went on, she asked
,dvice and got plenty Of il. She
vent to the family doctor and Their
o psychiatrists.
Nobody could figure what was
he matter with him. After {
While, she went out hunting a joi
herself, thereby allying hersel