Show DAYS DAY'S DA YS Y'S SHORT STORY by Americas America's Greatest Writers Writes l iCi J tj ey tb m. tt rr Frank rt A. A rte f Oa a OO DOUBLE ENTRY By Donald Van Riper with bloodshot eye CO Into Lre re of ot the afternoon sun to watch Cn n swinging up tip the street Sub- Sub ho realized that he did dill so this man wore tho the first pair of oC quick slow Blow sta staggering or oth- oth t that had p passed that da day Beare boar Bear be e mark of at a bootblacks bootblack's recent ring efforts ray Cull reflected that if It discounts granted for ml missing leather ho he hoI I need to pay but half halt price for a aIon aon Ion on hl His own shoes Cull wanted wante ce of ot a shine but merel merely for the theLe thee Le e of ot Internal desecration dese and andt Eternal t decoration dc In log against tho the sun afflicted l lof of or South street saloons had ft Cull that one should act quickly quick ting a stranger for change T The Theof ho hoof of ot tho well shined shoes star sly as ho stepped out across s jilk Ik Cull did not resent this look lie e fly ly specked ked mirrors of at i e barrooms had Impressed him hime e facts that ho he needed a shave Is eyes eye not only red but ad d de a. a dishonest shift and that his i a. a appearance suggested the urgent of f a IL bath Besides bums do not resentment nt against individuals liber against certain classes y friend could you spare me tho the of ota a cup of ot coffee coffeo Cull believed virtue of ot a I direct appeal without toning grin slang employed by some of oC his fellow craftsmen Slurring slang is too sU suggestive of at tho the sneering sin sin- ner The Tho friend reached Into a vest pocket with a hand so 50 powerful that the bum hardly noticed the tho huge solitaire solitaire soli sell taire ring adorning it Casually the stranger Inquired How will sixteen cents cash do doT Tho The hand came forth and in the palm lay Jay three coins The quick outward outward outward out out- ward clutch of at Culls Cull's fingers indicated In an eloquent manner the tho surprised jO Joy he felt Do Ho had difficulty In finding his voice I should sa say it would The Tho stranger In a u voice corresponding corresponding corresponding corre corre- in strength with his hands It U will wilt do for tor the tho price of at three drinks I suppose By this time the money had changed hands and so Cull felt under no further further fur tur- ther obligations to lie llo for tor the tho other mans man's amusement Yes I guess Ill I'll do without that cup cupor of or coffee coffeo for tor a while longer May buy buya a n paper with the extra cent and look like a a. re regular ular sport The new acquaintance smiled That ThatIs Is Just what youre you're supposed to do with the penny Tho smile roused Culls Cull's curiosity Tho The remark increased It Any hy An plans to suggest for tor squanderIng squander- squander Ing the rest of at it 1 I certainly have It have If you want to listen to them All right If It youre you're not going t to tb b preach Cull avoided pr preaching as openly as aa ho he dodged work I dont don't want to be bo told to put fifteen cents In Inthe Inthe inthe the hank bank at ct three per cent for Cor a rainy da day Hardly the other chuckled You look as if sr life Ute had been nothing but tornadoes cloudbursts and floods lately late late- ly ly Business has been slack It hasn't been all sunshine and afternoon teas I You hit it again Tea or 01 coffee is another part of or the list list Cull was interested in the man who could bring him up short In such style Lets have havo the rest of oC It I never saw sawa a self elt made man yet et that didn't have havea a system that ho was a bug on on Self made Once more that quick alertness was apparent Sure Cull laughed An Any fool Cool could see that those hands of ot yours have worked and worked hard hant For a moment Cull reverted Aw shoot It It'll It 11 likely be over my dome I First get a cup of coffee and a aI sandwich Or two sandwiches there they're I cheap enough at these street-front street lunch lunchrooms oms Then get a paper and see I for tor yourself that there are aro Jobs to be beI had If It you ou only have havo pep enough to go I looking for them That's three throe for coffee coffee cof cot fee and four for tor a bit of ot food eight altogether Three cents will get you ou I across the terr ferry and when you ou get too I Iacross tired to 10 walk an any farther you can climb on a a. trolley and ride You'll be broke and far lar away from hero Then ThenIs I Is when you OU go to work worl some place out in the the- themore more open country Tho The hardest hl place to climb hack back Is IK where everybody e knows youre you're nothing but a failure tryIng tryIng trying try- try Ing to get up There Thero are aro too many like that here and people haven't time to tobo tobo tobo bo Interested Youre pretty sure youre you're right In Interrupted interrupted In- In Cull Cully CullI I 1 know Im I'm right Cull uti decided that though the remark sounded conclusive ho wanted to know the whys and wherefore her ton t that ut prompted prompt prompt- ed cd it Tho The man with the earmarks earmarks- or rather the footwear footwear of of prosperity seemed in no hurr hurry and a bit of at conversation conversation con con- might provide Iro some mutual I amusement lie He framed frame the opening wedge carelessly enough Hows that wa wad the query Well 11 I needed sixteen cents myself once and once and happened to get it I didn't get any advice on how to use It though I Just worked that part out for myself You ought to know admitted Cull When hen did dill you ou start getting rich though Bet I It t was waR before the hl high h cost of at living got sot so high that it al almost almost al- al most smothered the torch on the Statue of ot LI Liberty bert I You guessed wrong then I was I ju Just t as broke as you are aro now three e years yearN a ago o. o I braced a prosperous i I looking chap right on this street He lie HeI I handed me one dime one nickel and otic cent lIe He did it 1 so 0 quickly and andI I I without asking any questions that I Iwas Iwas I was grateful BO so I told him that If it I II II I I ever got square with myself Id I'd show I him how much I thanked him So now I I 1 mako It a point to give e over every man that asks It as much as I needed to start back Only I add a n. little sermon whenever I get Jet tho the chance Ever see the man again aln 7 asked Cull I Probably wouldn't have known him if I did I tried to find him thou though h but he either J gave me mo a 0 false clue or else I looked In the tho wrong places lIe He gave me me me- meThe The big bib fellow tellow was evidently evidently evidently evi evi- dently a n. believer In action for tor he drew drow out a a. card case and rap rapidly I dl rifled a soiled pasteboard from Its place I think It was the businesslike look of ot that card that made mado me want to climb mb up more morn than anything else elMe The he beggar stared red at tho the card Ho Ito had never nc up to tho the present realized how much romance could bo be connected with a slip of at paper Abruptly ho he felt Celt stirred to speech There Thero was a a. fellow drifted down here helo about a year ago by that name I wouldn't mention it only I happen to know that this chap had been up in inthe tho the world once and claimed he had been given a raw raw leal and had lost his pile 1110 in two s short ort years ears It was about a year ago that ho blew into this part of town so 50 that would fill in the three three- year gap sap since this ticket was issued John Collins is a a. pretty common name though lIe He paused and then Did you Ou look him up at this address Yes but hut hardly a person could rev re- re recall recall call even the tho name nante and no one knew where ho he had gone to He Ho had fino fine of offices offices ot- ot if that was the place where he hedl dl The Tho office had been rented In the name of some somo company compan at the time of ot the tho sixteen-cent sixteen affair It Il was a blind trail troll This fellow 1 know is around the docks and bin gin mills yet ct Would you oU want me to go looking him up It might be worth a n try Ill I'll give you OU my own card so 80 you OU can let me I know If It is worth my time to go and andI iI I talk with him If It tho man who started me up Is down I certainly would like to give him a chance to come hack back Sixteen cents' cents worth 7 Cull asked Sixteen thousand thousand thousand-It If he wanted It came the prompt reply Prett Pretty high Interest in three years' years time said ald Cull as ho he started to hand handback handback handback back tho the card with the legend John Collins and in the tho lower corners Room Broad Brond Broad street New York City Ily A neatly penned Inscription on the hack back of at the tho soiled slip caught his hiB glance He re read d Sixteen cents cash October 1912 Heres a pencil You'd better take takedown takedown takedown down what It says says on that card even tho words he wrote on the tho back If It your our Collins is tho the right man hell he'll re remember remember remember re- re member when those words were written Cull wrote knowing that the other was watching how easily he ho scribbled on the card Act almost educated dont don't I 17 The other man recognized the fire In Inthe I tho the remark h by cutting the stare short till tho the writing was finished He resorted to a c common wa way among amons men of covering up an awkward break Come on in here hero and Ill I'll buy you a drink Just to make It the tho last Jast till you can afford to lo return the com- com Culi Cull U hesitated and then inwardly I called c. himself a n. fool tool for tor doing so 80 Sure Im I'm willing A At t tho the bar however he did a most peculiar pecullar thing thing thing-an an unheard of ot thing In all his career on South street He Ho ordered almost ashamed of ot the feeling that urged him A glass of oC soda The drink paid for tor he downed It with a awry awry awry wry face and a mumbled Thank you then plunged quickly tO toward ard tho the door while tho the proprietor looked on with mouth agape Together they reached the tho outer air Cull still felt a guilty guilt lush Hush at his un unexpected unexpected unexpected un- un expected act and was tilled filled with a ad d desire to run After Arter stammering a moment ho plunged headlong Into a agoo goo goodbye Ill keep your card so 80 that I can let you OU know if It I ever over arrive At this point Cull remembered tho the pencil and grimy card of at John Collins Heros Here this other truck he muttered and hurried hurried hurried hur hur- ried up the street leaving his benefactor tor staring after him Not even a n thank you I wonder what ailed him 7 growled the man with tho the shine A block farther tarther on as he started to return the card to Its Its place in the case he halted to look in amazement amaze amaze- amazement ment Another entry had been mado in the ledger Clearly legible in the 6 same e fine small hand as uJ tho the first in inscription inscription in- in he read Paid In full September 1915 Thank you ou j J. J c. c B By this time the bum hum had hopelessly disappeared John Collins had halt started a new account with the world |