Show TODAY'S rODA YS Y'S SHORT STORY F Fiction ion by Arner Americas America's ica's ica s G Greatest Writers I t C e Cop ht by br the lM U Frank A. A Monsey Manur Co Ca J r THE BLESSED GIVER f By Harry Van Demark k Jh J Jf 1 f Well l m be said eaid Colton afire a as fire he nervously nen fingered the envelope Yi i-Yi rt trio o postman had left A wedding In- In I 1 can tell them intuitively JIo IIo was right Bobby and Mabel two tot of his warmest friends had at last folded decided c l to discard th the yoke of ot single sing l blessedness for tor a new sort of yoke Not tho tle slightest doubt a as aa to what was wall expected expected ex ex- ex- ex of him either Hadn't Ha nt he promised Bobby once ta ItS the pair stood with their feet teet on therill the rill rail of ot a certain thirst emporium that ii he e would do his bis share to mako make the great event a 0 worthy one when the time rolled around The great event had bad seemed far tar far In the future which only goes to prove the old adage that time flies Colton stood before the mirror a sneer sneer curling the corners comers of his lips Youre the biggest fool I know he said Eaid addressing his image Here you are are without a red cent in your pocket pocket- or anywhere else expected else expected to attend a asell sell wedding which in plain everyday English means cab flowers and a present prese t which cant can't cost less than a 0 hundred dollars Bobbys your good old pal you pal you know that dont don't you And youre you're not going to send him something youre you're ashamed of you of-you you know that dont don't you Yes you do so get busy i t Theres no use putting things off Who was the duck that wrote Procrastination Procrastination Procrastination Pro Pro- is the thief of time time and so forth he mused as h h. h left the house hous Well never mind Ive rYe forgotten his name The great and pertinent question question question ques- ques tion is What first Ive I've got to have an even hundred I suppose on a pinch that will cover cab and flowers as well as the present Might soak Boak my my watch case alones alone's worth a cool two hundred Bu But J wont too much of It I have haW It Ill Til see Billy BUly Martin He said once that If ever I Iwas Iwas was In trouble to w call on him All 11 right Bill here I come cornel The elevator soon Boon landed him on the twelfth floor of the office building where Billy worked Billy received him cordially and heard his tale of woe Of course Colton Colton Colton Col Col- ton said nothing about the wedding Sorry old man he be said but I had a It note fall due unexpectedly yes yes- You know how these things are rd Id like to do this for you butHe but but- but but- He lIe shrugged his shoulders in a way that said plainer than words Nothing doing I 1 need It ba bad bad confided Colton Well Neil Ill I'll tell you what you do Dick You go over and see Tom You know where Tom Is is-in is in the Commercial Commercial Com Corn mercial bank building He often accommodates accommodates accommodates ac ac- ac- ac the boys without a bit of security Im I'm sure hell he'll fix you up All Al right Thanks old man Colton responded and took his leave Well Nell now HI Ill tell you said Nod Nod- when Colton had explained the object of his visit Ive lost so much by loaning out small sums IndiscrimInately indiscriminately indiscriminately that Ive I've quit No personal af affront affront affront af- af front intended Mr Colton Id I'd like to accommodate accommodate- you ou But but J No you couldn't very well under the circumstances could you Mr Nod- Nod Good day ay sir Doggone Billy Billy Martin MartinI flared Colton Colton Colton Col Col- ton as he found himself again in the street Sending m me to a man like that He might have saved me the humiliation But the hundred I I must get that The Incident slipped from his mind as new thoughts crowded into his brain Ah Ahl h ho exclaimed suddenly Theres Newt Billing Billing over there Ill I'll hall hail him Hes He's always been a good goodfriend goodfriend goodfriend friend of mine Hey there Newt I Walt Wait a 0 minute cant can't you Sure responded Newt Where In Inthe Inthe inthe the world have you been keeping yourself yourself yourself your your- self Haven't seen you in a dogs dog's age Been a little under the weather Say old man Ive I've got to raise a hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred dollars Dont Don't know where I 1 can get It do you No I 1 dont don't Dick I 1 was about to strike you for for- fora a tenner myself Im I'm broke played the ponies yesterday and got swabbed out as clean as a a. gun barrel You might go see Dan Turner Hes He's an accommodating sort of a fellow let let me have two hundred on my note last spring You think hed he'd do It Newt Colton recalled his experience of a afew afew afew few minutes previous He had no In Inclination Inclination inclination In- In to have the dose repeated Sure I You wont won't have a bit of of trouble All right Thanks for the tip Where will I find him Hell be at the club about this time He always dines there 4 there there a cool debonair debonair debonair deb deb- Yes Turner was a Individual of uncertain age age sip sip sipping ping his cof coffee ee as he slowly munched a Welsh rabbit He was very glad to to see Colton again remembered their little Jaunt together in the mountains the previous summer with a great deal of pleasure pleasure but er but really he could not lend money to anyone without gilt edged security Mr Colton would understand un un- un- un purely purely a business proposition tion you know Yes Mr Colton understood and I withdrew after exchanging a few commonplace commonplace commonplace com com- words his face flushed with shame not unmixed with Indignation Pretty blamed hard this hard this asking people for money he told himself when he had In a measure regained his composure and felt duly humiliated humiliated for the sulfurous phrases he had allowed to esc escape pe him Guess Il Tl have t to fall back on the tho watch he added ruefully He took It from his pocket caressing It fondly It was a beauty solid beauty solid gold case studded with diamonds seven- seven teen-Jeweled teen movement and all that Ought to be worth three hundred to any pawnbroker Heaven only knows when Ill I'll see it again though But a fellows fellow's got to sacrifice something for his friends do as much for me Well here goes He crossed the street to where the sign of the three balls was prominently displayed and entered Well Vell uncle I 1 want three hundred on that for sixty days he said laying the tha watch on the counter Tree hundred exclaimed uncle holding up his hands in despair Va Vado Vado Vado do you tink I am am-a am a gold mine Gott Gottin in in-Himmel in Himme no I 1 vill viii gif git you a a. hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred und and a a. Oh come now uncle Dots all Well Ill I'll take It It-I It I need It iti And pocketing the money Colton hurried out Ah but It feels good to finger a bunch of the long green again I 1 He laughed gleefully But it wont won't last long I 1 might as well have this business business business busi busi- ness over over with So he Jewelry store from where he soon emerged with a silver ice pitcher under his arm The had dwindled to 1880 which 1880 which he discreetly discreetly discreetly dis dis- dis- dis held out for cab hire and flowers Now Ill I'll go home rd id d write a Do nice little note of con congratulations It will please Bobby and get this whole business business busi busl- ness off my mind As for the pitcher Mabel will go Into ecstasies As he was waiting for a a. car who should Jump out of a near by hack and dash for the curb but Bobby Here cried Colton Where are you going in such a hurry Oh lOh is that you Colton Tm rm going to catch a train Old man telegraphed me to come to Denver at once I may not be back for a year Sorry I 1 didn't see you before But the wedding wedding wedding- Forget it interrupted Bobby Postponed Indefinitely invitations called In write In-write write you about It next week got got to get this train train train-so so long He Hp wrung Coltons Colton's hand and hopped on the rear platform of a depot tram car Colton Golton looked first at the present tightly clasped under his right arm I then at the receding form of his friend Well Ill I'll be he said |