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Show When the Worm Turns Ey M. and R. M. TERRELL t(c). litjo. Western Newspaper Unioa.) A LL his life Phineas Olmstead had been a good Samaritan, lie had always believed in giving mankind the benefit of the doubt. The night was bitterly cold, the thinly clad man waiting wait-ing before Olmstead's book store, his face as expressionless as though it had been gnawed out of rock, needed no story to portray his condition. Good old Phineas didn't hesitate a second. He took the stranger by the arm, took off his heavy mackinaw and forced it on the coutless derelict and marched off swiftly for his homelike little bungalow. bun-galow. They finally reached the cheery bachelor home. Phineas, who kept impossible hours at his book shop, was accustomed to midnight homecomings. In a jiffy he had a fire going on the old-fashioned hearth and something hot for his chance guest to drink. "Mr. Olmstead, your name should be Mr. Prince," the stranger summed up his sentiments as they smoked in front of the crackling fire before turning in. "I've heard of your pranks, sir. But you're too keen a gambler ; you're taking tak-ing a long-shot chance on me. My story? It's as old as the hills and as much a bore. I'm down and out. We'll let it crn at thnt And von took me in the right way. I would have frozen to death out there. No, I didn't see your light in the back. Mr. Olmstead, are you making a habit of this good Samaritan bunk? Most men aren't worth it." "You're wrong there, Mr. er " "Call me the exception that proves the rule." "Most men are good at heart if you give 'em a chance, Exception. There's , no risk, my boy, I'll share my dough bag with the very first fellow that comes along who needs it. He may return re-turn the lift some day." "One question, Mr. Olmstead, and then you can show me some corner to hit the hay in," he remarked. "Haven't you ever had that admirable faith of yours nicked by somebody?" "Only three times in twenty years' experience," Phineas acknowledged truthfully. "A poor young devil In here once over night switched watches on me. Dick Todhunter, who is our leading banker now, once did me out of a hundred, and Clay Hastings, who is our town's terrible example, has never paid me $27 I once loaned him to get his daddy out of jail." He chuckled. "You see, Experience, old cynic, you're barking np the wrong tree. I'll make up that davenport if you'll move over here. No, I'll trust any man once." "Well, you'd better hide that wallet sticking out of your coat pocket, Mr. Olmstead. It's making faces at me. There might be money in It." "I'l take the chance on you, Exception." "Suppose a burglar took it before morning. Where would your faith be In me?" Phineas awoke the next morning, the same old determined believer In his fellow men. A few minutes later, for the first time in his life, the worm turned. Phineas found that Mr. Exception Excep-tion had proven the rule he had decamped; de-camped; with him went Phineas' watch and his wallet from the coat pocket. The stranger's bed had been made neatly back Into a davenport. There were signs of a hasty breakfast in the kitchen ; Phineas could remember remem-ber no noise, that was all. Olmstead dressed quickly and sought his old friend, Detective Jack Say wood, and poured forth his worm's turning Into that wise bird's best ear. Say-wood Say-wood was a decent sort ; he didn't say "I told you so," and he didn't laugh. Together they searched most of the fale gathering places below the "dead line." Exception was a long shot ; he never showed at all ! Saywood walked over to the bookshop book-shop with Phineas. As they entered Phineas' cubbyhole of. an office, Mr. Exception, who was the only occupant and who strangely was reading, jumped to his feet and started speaking at once. ' "Mr. Olmstead," he exclaimed, "I've been looking for you everywhere. Here's $127. Todhunter wasn't so bad. I only hud to scare the devil out of him. That blackjacker, Hastings I had to lick it out of him. Don't look at my right eye. It's a knockout, sir." ."Todhunter? Hastings?" sputtered Phineas. The detective contented him-s'elf him-s'elf with a near smile, which would let him out all right, either way the story went. "Why, Mr. Olmstead," the young fellow cried. "A man with a faith like yours has got to have a clean slate no exceptions. It was up to me. Then, you're the only good Samaritan who runs 100 per cent to the good." j Phineas heard himself saying, "Ah, Exception, you forgot my watch." "No, I had that last night, but I held it over. I'm the chap who exchanged ex-changed with you, years ago. Here it Is. I've never hocked It, because, funny thing, that faith of yours stuck In my craw." Saywood took a hand. "See here, Where's that wallet?" he began belligerently. bellig-erently. The Exception who had proven the rule looked up In unfeigned surprise. "Good Lord, Mr. Olmstead, you don't think I Surely you remember getting up in the night und chucking It in your laundry basket !" Recollection came to Phineas. Also his old fulth. "Boys, kick me for a lunkhead !" he cried. "Sure, I got up. I'd forgotten all about It. Let's eat on me. Kxcep-tlon, Kxcep-tlon, your name must be Prince." |