Show WHERE LOYA LOYALTY ENDS by J B 51 CLA CLARK RK copyright service I 1 HE news of Whit combes THE trouble exploded like a bomb in the office of the display advertising company and left stebbins the assistant and bookkeeper and miss wilcox the ste Ino grapher and filing clerk pale and bewildered it came in the form of a note from whitcombe himself written from a h otel hotel in the i n neighboring town and broke the unpleasant intelligence in t the he gr graceful ace fu manner in which whitcombe usually expressed himself an unfortunate affair that happened some years I 1 ago he wrote and which I 1 had hoped had been buried in the dead past for good and all has been rei by some malicious person land the law is seeking to lay hands ion me the matter could be easily explained to reasonable people but ithe law to quote mr bumble is bever ever an ass and an idiot I 1 have therefore decided to withdraw from the ithe scene for a time you and amiss wilcox are hereby released fwise from any obligation moral or other fwise that was all nothing about I 1 salaries for that month then due or what was to be done about the business or anything mr whitcombe of all benl men said kitty wilcox from between pale lips 1 I would have trusted him anywhere such a good business man he always seemed to me so masterful kitty had fallen for the of mr whitcombe from the day he had engaged her you see he never confided anything to me about the inside affairs of the company and he kept the cash and the bank book himself said stebbins a tall abstracted mild man whose disordered raiment had always been a source of irritation to miss wilcox 1 I have no idea what ill go around and see the bank but whitcombe was always decent to me paid me my salary regularly and all that we might try and carry on hi his 1 s business for him I 1 suppose he hell 11 turn up again get a settlement or some thing 1 I think that would only be doing the right thing said mi miss SS wilcox eyeing stebbins grate gratefully full 1 I am sure the business will make out the financial situation however proved on investigation io to be bad what whitcombe had done with the cash that came in could not be ascertained very little of it was in the bank stebbins and miss wilcox managed to struggle along for a couple of months in heroic fashion but then the end came it came in the shape of a sheriffs officer with a writ of seizure there had it appeared been a silent partner one spencer who had accepted Whit combes note the news of the batters lat hurried departure had evidently reached this gentleman and he wanted his pound of flesh he seized what there was to seize which was not a great deal but it rendered the situation hopeless stebbins and miss wilcox took counsel once more that eliminates whitcombe once and for all poor chap said stebbins and now that we are down to zero again financially I 1 don dont t see anything for it but to wind up and yet there are several good prospects I 1 believe the thing is going to go but I 1 would need to raise capital somewhere I 1 think we could swing it with a thousand dollars but I 1 dont know where to get it he sagged dejectedly in his chair miss wilcox puckered her brow in deep thought well ill tell you something mr stebbins 1 she said at length there is no doubt that mr whitcombe by his energy and enterprise laid the foundation for success although of course you have done wonders in following up lets be loyal to the absent one a little longer things may come right with him yet now I 1 have a little money partly saved and partly left me by an aunt ill put up the thousand dollars you need we will make a business of it between us stebbins could only Y grasp his admiring astonishment there are some good sports in the world yet 11 was his comment 1 I dont mind sticking it awhile yet for old whit combes sake im a little doubtful now whether he really deserves it but I 1 will give him the benefit of the doubt since you wish it miss wilcox blushed a little at this and made no reply at any rate stebbins continued its your business now and I 1 am your very humble servant he said this quite gallantly such had been the effect of miss wilcous Wil coxs coaching since they had worked together indeed it was on the tip of his tongue to add and admirer but he thought it might look like taking an unfair advantage besides he saw clearly enough that she still admired whitcombe and he be reflected some what bitterly that if whitcombe did show up again and clear himself he stebbins would not have much chance deep in his heart he caught himself harboring the disloyal wish that whitcombe might be gone f for or good it was hard uphill work for a while after that but ultimately they began to draw ahead miss wilcox de developed an unexpected capa capacity acty for advertising slogans and made several pronounced hits stebbins who had never dreamt he might make a solicitor began to find that men would listen to him that he could actually persuade them to do what he wanted miss wilcox of course was his inspiration and he told her so but she said that all she knew she had learned by studying mr whitcombe the business grew apace the staff was increased by the addition of a draftsman and a girl to relieve miss wilcox of the typing and then mr whitcombe returned he came in one evening when miss wilcox happened to have gone back to the office to clean up some arrears he found her alone in the inner room whitcombe was slender graceful curled immaculate and undaunted in the most trying circumstances he was undaunted now as he shook hands bands with miss wilcox while his keen eyes took in the air of prosperity and the signs of increased business 1 I got my little affair straightened out he said cheerily it was all verb very foolish mostly misunderstanding I 1 have seen spencer too about the note you know too bad the mean devil cleaned the place out but youre still going I 1 see chos the financial genius he glanced a at t miss wilcox appreciatively she was worth glancing at too with her pretty bare arms brown eyes and cheeks flushed with the joy of seeing her hero again but she proceeded cautiously mr stebbins managed to raise a thousand dollars somewhere vt she said demurely and so we are carrying on we thought you might clear yourself and come back some day and we tried to keep the business going for you we are doing fairly well old stebbins raised a thousand bucks U 1 said whitcombe sitting down and laughing heartily what do CIO you know about that how did the poor simp do it 1 I think he got it from a friend said miss wilcox losing color slightly then she appeared to enter into his mood for her eyes met his understandingly but of course he is is kinda simple and slow she said we have to push him alon along youre a bright little kid said whitcombe admiringly why I 1 chose you and for your good looks I 1 dont suppose theres any cash about the place im a little short his eyes glistened avariciously cious ly theres only a few dollars in the petty cash box said miss wilcox again meeting his eye understandingly but I 1 can write a check I 1 keep the cash now theres five hundred dollars in the bank would you write me a check for miss pretty said whitcombe advancing towards her and taking her hands in his would you do that for me would I 1 she said drawing her bands hands swiftly from his grasp and rising to face him before the indignant anger that blazed in her eyes he seemed to shrink within his clothes and so the first thing you sought to do on your return was to miscall and rob your best friend the man who has actually built up this business for you against your return no I 1 give you one cent neither would mr stebbins im not so sure about that kitty said stebbins voice from somewhere outside he had come quietly in and now appeared in the doorway of the private office its as well as I 1 happened up just saw aw the lights burning from the street he crossed to miss wilcous Wil coxs side and put his arm around her 1 I believe I 1 might give him some money kitty if I 1 had any to give but I 1 dont think theres time to go into money matters whitcombe I 1 saw one of the sheriffs men that was up here before hanging around at the entrance to the building I 1 think you could get down the freight elevator if you went quickly s whitcombe went and mr and mrs stebbins are running the business to this day more as a department store official 1 l he once published the humorous magazine puck rose from gob to i h ensign during the world war and j i was an active and liberal new york li state senator from 1921 to 1926 his chief interest growing with ji the yearn years has been low cost low 1 rental housing that it seems is 13 si the kind of a man who should head the united states housing author ai C ity A 0 western newspaper union |