Show FICTION WIVES O Oi i- i jf ERNEST LYNN a author of THE YELLOW STUB BEGIN HERE TODAY A baby girl has just been born borno to o Fay Pay Ulburn Milburn Her husband John Is s a partner in the advertising agency of ot Graham Milburn His Isis wife decides to 10 call the baby Ju Ju- Ju Leaving the hospital after his all night vigil goes to their apartment where he be encounters rs Mrs Bixby a g gossiping neighbor whom he detests detests' and whom he overwhelms before she can ask a question with witha a rapid tire recital l of Information concerning the baby Alone In the apartment he gazes a long time at lt Fays Fay's ays ay's pictures promising prom prom- ising to be a better husband from then on The firm of ot Graham Milburn Is only two ho years old and Is still small though the future seems pretty bright In addition to Nathaniel Nathaniel Nathaniel Na Na- thaniel Graham the executive and sales end of or the partnership and John whose forte is writing cr adver advertising tI lr g copy copt there ther are re Briggs an artIst artist artist art art- and Miss Knisely who serves as stenographer and bookkeeper r. r Briggs enters upon Johns John's meditations meditations meditations medi medi- and John spying an appalling appalling ap palling flower In the artists artist's buttonhole buttonhole buttonhole but but- suddenly dashes out of the theoffice theoffice office shouting that Briggs had re reminded reminded reminded re- re minded him of ot something NOW NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER III John dashed out of ot the elevator at the ground floor and ran Into the florists florist's shop He lIe cast a Q roving ee eye over the array of or flowers bank- bank ed against t the e walls wall and In the glass Class cases finally pausing in front of ot some stemmed long pink roses Til take tY two o doz dozen n of those he ordered and pulled a roll of ot bills from his pocket Yes sir said the clerk Take them with you or send them S Send nd them He gave pye the clerk the name of ot the hospital Deliver then them to Mrs John Milburne room Now how much Ten dollars please Thank you ou The clerk lerk was respectful Ten dollar orders were not picked up every minute Make lake It right awa away John or ordered ordered or- or out of flea tha shop dered and swung t tA A minute later tater he was In the cigar store I 1 want a box boa of ot cigars Good on ones s. s Box of ot fifty I 1 guess The fat man behind the counter bearn beamed d. d How good Got em as high as 60 tents cents apiece aple Noticing th the others other's hesitancy he lie went vent on n ra rapidly I I can make you a special price of ot 4 48 46 cents apiece if Ir you buy fifty Real bargain John was peeling the roll of or bills bUls again Well Veil all nil rightOn right On the way to th tb the elevator he was saying to himself Darn fool I guess to pay 23 for a box of ot cigars Still I might as well do dothe dothe dothe the thing right He lIe comforted himself himself him him- self with the thought that he was being a good sport Back in n his office he summoned BrIggs to fo his desk The artist came in from his little room sleeves rolled up and his soft shirt open at atthe atthe atthe the throat Briggs said John throw throwaway away that cigar The artist removed the short re remaInder remainder remainder re- re of ot his cigar and looked at atIt atit atit it in wonderment nt Here John laughed shoving the newly purchased box across his i desk Have a good one Your Tour taste I in smokes Briggs is almost as bad badas badas badas as your taste in flowers Briggs noting the brand laid reverent fingers on one of the cigars Save it for after while he remarked shoving the butt of the theold theold theold old cigar back baek In his mouth The office door open opened d and lind a man came In He lie glanced swiftly at BrIggs and Milburn In laughing conversation then walked toward a desk at the far tar end of ot the too room Nat rat called John Come over here The newcomer ne said said- All right but make It snappy Im I'm busy u and walked over He lie was Vas a man of me medium lum height and perhaps thirty years with light brown hair that was nas thin a high forehead and a rather narrow Jaw His eyes were hooded like a hawks I want you to break a rule Nat and smoke a cigar John was extendIng extending extending ex ex- tending the box Briggs disappeared noiselessly Into his room You know I never smoke the newcomer said unsmilingly Well Welt this Is Is' Is a real occasion Gaze upon a proud father father Nat fine John fine said Graham shaking bands hands Hows Mrs Milburn Pipe Fine Baby girl Seven pounds and twelve ounces Well I 1 certainly congratulate you John Ill I'll be anxious to sire s e her He turned back toward his his' desk Arent you going to have a ci cigar cigar cigar ci- ci gar Nat and help me celebrate No thanks Well here Take a couple and g give ve them to a customer Oh all right then thep Only I I 1 dont don't see why you want to waste your our money that wa way way He shoved a couple couple couple cou cou- of ot cigars cigars' In his pocket As he passed Hiss lIss Knisely the red-haired red girl flashed John Milburn a a. look of sympathy He noticed It and nd smiled faintly and then turned to his work b Some time later he picked up his several pages of scribbled notes and moved into the little room occupied by Briggs There not far from the theartist theartist artist as he sat at his drawing table was a small desk with a typewriter on It John sat down and began working the keys This was the firms firm's creative laboratory Here BrIggs turned out his drawings and mr mp his layouts and hero here John after first roughing out his ideas in pencil pounded out outselling outselling outselling selling copy on his typewriter The two of them worked In an understandIng understanding understanding un un- un- un silence broken only by bythe bythe the too click of ot the typewriter keys amid a thick fog of ot tobacco smoke A hour half-hour passed and John I pulled the sheet or of paper out of his machine and walked over to BrIggs Heres res the copy he told the theartist theartist artist and started to read It lt Golden Gol Golden Gol Golden den treasure hours of ot childhood are soon gone gon forever no eo fill them to the brim while the they last Make your our boy 00 or or girl happy with Barker Williams Williams' toys As he went went on reading about how Barker Williams automobiles and andy velocipedes bring the sparkling eyes ees and red cheeks of ot health he held the paper in one hand and gestur gestured gestured 1 tur d with the other seemingly unmindful unmindful unmindful un un- unI un- I mindful of or the too others other's presence It It was as if he were addressing an audience of fathers father and mothers mothel An unruly lock ot hair haIr- felt down over his ey eye He l let 1st t It stay there ther until he had finished then he brushed It roughly rous-My aside Ge Get the Idea idea 1 he a asked ked Briggs Yeah Good copy too Here are the sketches Mr Milburn They'll fit It pretty well wl with h the COP copy i The copy doesn't dOl suit me yet yet said John I 1 cant can't seem to get gOIng goIng going go- go Ing today Lot of rough spots In It Guess Ill I'll let It go till tomorrow He gathered gather d up his hla notes and went back to the outer office He picked up the telephone and gave a numb number r. r Like to speak to Mr Forbes he said presently Hello Hello Pat Pat t Baby girl Pat Yep Y Yeah ah everything's fine Thanks drop up to the office and Ill I'll give you a good cigar r. r Just thought Id I'd Idlet Idlet Idlet let you know Goodby He used tile the phone for tor another half hour to breaK tile the news to several several several sev sev- eral more friends Then b hs took down his hat off oft the rack Im go going going going go- go ing to the hospital Miss l Knisely he said Nat Graham had not raised his head from his desk Think Ill I'll call It it ita a day Nat John Jahn called out to him Need soine sleep All right John Graham was busy and did not look up At that moment while he hurried down to his car his mind filled with the tho wonder of their baby girl three other babies were being born in Peoria and In a fine residence a n childless couple copple after atter a cruel argument argument argument ment were agreeing on a divorce In another end of town two men were having a bitter quarrel In the rear of ot a soft drink saloon One of t them m growing Infuriated struck the theother theother theother other a vicious blow low In the face and the fallen man pulled out a gun sun and andI I calmly shot him thus terminating a bootlegging feud of or long standing stand stand- ing Fate Tale was having haying her little fling Fay had been Installed jn an her own private ate I thought y you'd ud be here pr ty soon she s said ld after aner answering f his questions By the way way have you told lold any of our friends friends' Y Yep p called up Pat Forbes Dick Menefee and a t bunch more more mere AnaI And Ana AndI And I 1 know w Us U's all over over the neighborhood neighbor neighbor- n neighborhood ho hood d bec because use Mrs Bixb Bixby saw me before r I could d duck k I gave her such sucha a swift about the baby that she probably didn't understand understand understand un un- a word of or It it itA A knock sounded at the door A A set heavy-set man mane with mustache and goatee said Hows everything and add and stepped heartily Into tHe room Hello nello doctor John shook hands Thanks very Much for the good Job Dr Baker laughed Did I 1 fill the ord order r all right This little lady here turning toward Reward Fay lay exceeded exceeded exceeded ex my fondest hopes She's one olle of ot the best patients I ever had Had Hada a remarkably easy time of it Sh Shell She'll ll be out of ot here in about twelve days Might make It Jt sooner sooner but I dont don't want to take an any chances When he had gone Fay said RaId Isn't It about time we started planning planning plan plan- ning on the hO house hoase We Ve wont won't wan wanto wanto want wan to stay In the apartment any longer than we we- have to now that we ewe have Judith Besides dad always lw s 's said that every young married couple ought to own t their r own yn h home me If th they y possibly c could uld afford it itI It I agree with him John answered answered an an- I dont don't want to stay In Inthe Mire the e apartment any longer than I II I have to to either Not with wind bags like 1 Mrs Bixby around Ill I'll start looking for a hous house right awa away 1 If you want me to How much can we afford atford to pay for one one Youre You're keeper of the family budget Oh I wouldn't try to find one until I 1 get up an and can cnn go with you ou You'd buy the first thing a real es es- es tate tatt man shoved sho at you OU I 1 know you ou John Youre You're easy Its It's a good thing for tor the firm that Nat Graham has a good business ss head head o on him Goodness knows you haven t. t John grinned Well ell I 1 never was much on figures Fay I think Is is' as high as we wean can an go Weve We've got 2500 saved up but wo we oughtn't put more than 1500 pf of It into a down payment Weve We've got to have something for a rainy day And then Judith you know now know and the hospital and doctor bills Oh I wouldn't be so cautious cautious Fay I cleared last year last year and Ill I'll do better this j year ear Were We're Just getting on our feet teeL Before you ou know ow It were we're going to be making real mone money and you yon can forget about your budgets Fay said quietly I dont don't believe e In spending mone money before you ou get It it You think you OU should earn more than this year but you OU cant can't tell what accidents ma may Interfere with It Suppose you got sick Suppose Suppose Sup Sup- pose Nat Graham died or decided to leave Oh now dont don't go croaking Fay But about the tho house suppose we dont don't see aee anything for that we like 1 Then well we'll have to to wait walt until we find One Orie or until we can afford atford a better one John shot h her r a swift look and then broke out Into a laugh Little Old Lad Lady Practicality herself herselt Well YeU Fay youre you're the boss What hat you JOU sa say eay hoes oel 1 Next thing I know you'll be putting me on an allowance Dont be ridiculous John J I dont don't doubt that You Vou ou should be on onan an aji allowance Sh She glanced signIficantly significantly cantly at the roses he h had d sent out and John oh remembering also the cigars smiled sheepishly To o be cOllU continued d. d |