| Show Daily Short Fiction Story C CUNNINGHAMS CUNNINGHAM'S TURN By FARRINGTON Copyright 1913 1013 by the McClure Newspaper News News- paper Syndicate The door ot of the office opened II CUnningham looked up from the litter of I I I papers ape on his desk to see U 1 s Craig standing there with a 0 sheaf or of letters etters for him to sign CUnningham pulled forward a chair Sit down a 8 moment wont won't you he asked Some more letters she asked No No said Cunningham No I want your our opinion II Miss Cral Craig sat down Cunningham pretended to be busy with the letters she had just brought In In reality he was vas looking at her out of the tall tail of his eye She was an amazingly pretty prett girl Moreover she was young She couldn't be over O at the most Cunningham was suddenly aware that he was and that his hair was bc to thin out alarmingly alarm alarm- Insl on toP lie had been aware for fOI rome Gome time that Miss Cral Craig was a very pretty and a very charming charmin young oun wom- wom an an and the more lie he had become aware ot of It the more he had realized also how nearl nearly bald he was Taken together the they were ere symptoms Cunningham had worked up b by his own efforts to the position or of general manael mariager maria maria- ger el- el with the Crawford Motor company compan He hadn't had time to think of much else ciso but work until lately a teb Now ho was bc beginning to think of other things s that bald or head nearly bald obtruded head Itself persistently In his line of vision I Cunningham ham took another glance at Miss Craig Crail out or of the tall of oC his cye CC and h his is heart sank He felt 10 if be le felt fell felta fella a day Miss Cral Crair sl sighed hed so softly y That made Cunningham a even ware as It was as Intended Intended In- In tended to that do-that It was as nearl 5 He sprawled his signature I nature across the I topmost sheaf of letters and turned In his chaIr chail Miss Cral- Cral had all her poise with her that tha t day ay Cunningham gulped and felt decidedly foolIsh But Dut lic he had to sa say something So he began bean lamely nough Have thc they grafted you for or it too For what said she The present for BIU Billy Coyle She I 11 gave e them 2 2 she said Cunningham frowned Im Fm against thIs sort or of thing said a Id he In my opinion It should be stopped Every time any anyone one In this office gets married they give ve him a present That's an all right enough In Itself But each time Its it's a a. better present each time the they expect ex- ex you vou to come up with a little more Miss Craig nodded as It if In complete sympathy with his mood No Now me mc said Cunningham ro given this past year b by strict account 57 5 for wedding presents to the tho office force and the year is 16 young yet ct also there IT rna n r lt many P. P and female yet ct on the force The rhe endIs end endIs Is not In sight you ou see Miss Cral Craig said They have e gone Jone It pretty steep on some or of the thelast last presents pres- pres Cunningham nodded vigorously vIgorous I 1 dont don't know how rm Im going to get back even with em unless I go and get married myself said he Miss Cral- Cral smiled She seemed to take It as a joke Hans Hang It Wh Why should It I be a joke l hIs getting gelling married On Only I I wouldn't know Where to look for the girl Ir or how to ask her said ho he Miss 1 Craig smiled again Ive I put In over 10 this year rear Ive I've been wondering If there was was an any wa way for me to get square outside or of matrimony Its It's been an awful nuisance sometimes Wh Why when when- they took up the subscription for Alice Marrs Marr's present I needed a 0 new dress It strapped me dreadfully I needed the I had to give g the present to go 0 Into the dress the only way ay to get back at em cm said Mid Cunningham ham Ive I known that for Cor some som time r I bC b lIeve I will get et married Just to get m mY present that's Ion lone lone- overdue Wh Why dont don't you do the same fIss Cral Craig flushed C Cunningham thought for the moment she was as angry but she made no motion to I leave a e so he too took heart henrt Mc He picked up a pencil arid and began to scrawl little HUle on the Sa Say what a whale ot of nn an Idea It would be for two people both In this office orrice to get ct married That t would have hae em cold have to conic come up with a regular I old elephant or of a present A regular double lou lou- i ble one wouldn't the they Sa Say that's ono one I I ht little HUle Idea What do YOU think or of I It would depend entirely on who the it two people were said she Som Something In her level tones sent Cun Cun- risen hopes dashing down down- war ward yell sa say Peter Gre Gregg and Miss lIs Stiles he saId ald desperately Those two Goodness Why she she's old enough to be Peters Peter's grandmother Cunningham drew more curlicues He drew an amazing amount or of thorn them In fa fact et etWell Yell Well I might sa say you OU and t I It if I were not afraid you'd t s.-t say I was old enough t td hp h vow I I Mf Miss 5 Craig reddened She a rose arose from the chair I I think that witticism Is In ver very Poor taste said she It isn't a wItticism saId ald Cunning Cunning- ham Im In dead earnest She 1001 looked ed at him doubtfully OIl 11 am am he declared le lared with hoarse des dee Then somehow his hand went up to that thinning hall hair or of his Good GoO 1 heavens what am I sa saying ln he hc cried Oh you may take tak It back said Id she moving toward the door But sa say I dont don't want to take It back he declared She halted Cunningham ham hesitated then he darted arted across the little room and cau caught ht her hand lIss Olga er he was stammering wretchedly now Weyo Weve gotto got gotto to got get that present out or of em Loo Look they owe ove you b by your own confessIon conCession some Bome no 10 for this year car atone alone They owe me 5 57 Then theres there's back dues for tor us both It If we get marrIed and the they do as they should it'll just about break the whole cro crowd d and that's what I want ant Theres There's so te few or of the single ones left now that I dont don't hesitate lets let's do It I 1 dare you ou She said her head turned a way away Its ver foolish to roe be married to make some someone someone one give gie you ou a pre present ent Good Coed merciful heavens ens you ou dont don't think I care a darn about their old present present pres- pres ent it if I get bet you au do you Whereupon hereupon thinning hair or no he cau caught ht her Ira In his arms But I 1 think for Cor discipline we better let tet em give us the present just the same Jim said she J. J Bla Blagden den Crawford the august head ot of the Crawford rotor Motor company compan had tapped twIce on Cunninghams Cunningham's door Ito Re- no response he opened the door and ond entered He topped stopped short glaring slann savagely at what he saw Er ahem coughed the august T 7 Blagden May Ia I ask the meaning ot of this Cunningham still kept his arm about Miss Craig It means said Cunningham dell ht- ht edly that you'll have to come up forone for one morn mor we wedding present Mr 11 Craw Craw- ford I kno how hon you ou feel th thing s been overdone o In this office lately Still The a august J Blagden seized a hand handor or of each or of themOn themOn them On general princIples Cunningham Ive I've hollered once or 01 twice or of late Ill I'll admit nut But In thus this case cae I shall shaH come up Indeed Im i'm going to head hel the paper with It a sum slim make em cm all asham d not to till down ool and dc dean n |
