Show THEIR FUND aby by C CATHARINE CRANMER williams Wll llama company offered a prize of twenty dollars in gold for the best name suggested by an employee empl for or their now line of graniteware harry benton salesman and amy cashier tied tor for the prize the tha boss handed each of them a ten dollar go gold id piece but benton knew that ills hia annual salary reached in thousands almost what amys did in hundreds hun dreda wont you let me add my gold to yours so BO have enough to jingle he asked smilingly oil oh you think I 1 meant really to take it could you wont you you really earned it more than 1 I ivo ive tallied talked the goods so constantly for years that it was nat ural tor for me to think up a name caso lly all ali now said amy with a tiny pout dont intimate that thinking was such hard work for me but I 1 cant accept what you earned by your thinking evert even if it was easy to do will you have dinner with me this thia evening and help me think out a way to do something nice tor somebody with that piece of gold yo ye es began amy slowly ill help you if lot let me contribute my gold piece to the happiness fund and harry agreed A few hours later over their dinner they discussed the possibilities of their fund 1 I want ant our fund to bring happiness to somebody who dream of it and to bring it just at the means tiling thing amy was charming alien she was serious the idea exactly agreed harry and the best way to distribute happiness is to go where there is a lack of it what do you say to our taking a stroll through the outskirts where there aro are extremes 0 of happiness and unhappiness ive heard all right lets go that is if you think we wont attract too much attention oh attract your share of attention anywhere but im plain enough to offset your charms this was said without any palaver of gallantry and was accompanied by such a genial smile that amy laughed too although she thought harrys clear eyes and honest face and broad shoulders a very s satisfactory atis factory kind of plainness As they passed through the di district of the downtown poor they distributed various bits of happiness in unexpected dimes given to small tots who were standing disconsolately in doorways or tagging each other on the brick paved sidewalks look chos here no need for or our happiness fund lu in that party said harry as they saw approach irig them a festive estive f party consisting of an italian girl still in her teens her swaggering young escort who pulled at his hia sunburned mustache some dark gowned women with over their heads a few plodding men and children of assorted sizes and varying degrees of from one of the children harry learned that the young couple had been married that day and were on their way to their new home of two rooms in a nearby rooming house at that instant the clang of the fire bell was heard and with each stroke the sound grew louder until around the corner came the galloping horses and rattling hose wagons and the scream ing engine leaving its trail of sparks on the uneven cobblestones of the narrow street amy and harry stood on the curb and down amys spine went the chilly creep and into her eyes came cama the unshed tears that the sight and sou sound n d of a fire department in action abw always a ys brought to her she became conscious in the midot 0 of it that harry was holding her arm two blocks away the engine stopped tho the wagons sought the curb and the lately happy group of people began to scream excitedly the young groom tried to enter the burning house and the protesting bride threw herself before him to prevent the risk the fire was in the house where their two rooms had been furnished the lamentations of the bridal party made a babel but amy and harry looked understandingly at each other could we find a better place for a happiness fund asked amy we wont look for a better will wea we and harry put his hand in the pocket where the happiness fund reposed no this is the psychological moment we wanted answered amy and together they approached the distressed young couple this is hard luck my boy began hary but this lady and I 1 had a bit of good luck today and wed like to share it with you and your brido bride wont you take this handing him the money and get other lodgings and such furniture as it will buy the outburst of gratitude from both the bride and groom and from their kinsmen made amy ani and harry wonder how they could escape but just then f taxicab came along and harry hailed it and hurried amy into it As they dumped away over the cobbles there was a chorus ot of cheers they looked at each other and laughed happily and without embarrassment ras ms for that little happiness fund had bad formed the nucleus of a permanent one and by the end of the month they had bad agreed to tio tie tor for ell the prizes life might bring to them copyright 1916 by bv the New pr par pa syndicate 13 |