The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 109: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE GILDED TRAP. the time of all times to look out for the rules is when you’re thinking of breaking them?” Zs Bruce smiled vaguely. Somehow he had always thought of Mr. Wheelock as the maker of the rules. The cashier’s attitude toward them seemed an anomaly. But he had no mind for worry over such trifling riddles this morning. Nor had he any mind for work. Though he sat with the ledgers open in front of him, the opening of them was the exact amount of his accomplishment. Between him and the columns of figures was a blinding, golden haze. ‘The one result he got was the conclusion to keep out the seventy-five dollars in cash. “ Say, old man, was it a boy or a girl?” Beecham, who had the A to F books, put this query. Beecham had married a year ago, as every one knew. Nobody had heretofore bothered to find out whether Bruce were married or single. Bruce blossomed out with the first jest he had attempted in the bank. ‘“ Both,” he answered with a laugh. “What? Twins?” The alarm in Beecham’s, voice only explained itself a fortnight later when Beecham announced the birth of a son. ‘“‘ Sure,” Evans responded. And he had to spend at least half the rest of the day explaining to his fellows that he was not married, only engaged to be. This brought him belated felicitations from several, but in a tone of much more assurance than that with which they had offered the original congratulation. “Say, old man, Ill have to give up that lunch for to-day, after all,’”’” Wheelock apologized at noon. “I’ve got to go down-town. But Ill stick you for it Monday all right. Here’s a deposit slip for the twelve hundred; and you can mention my name in putting your own in.” As a matter of precaution Bruce cashed his pay-check that afternoon as he had always done before. It was for twenty- five dollars. He would have preferred not to have quite a hundred on his person, but feared to draw attention to the fact that he did not need the cash. For the four years since his sister’s health had compelled them to give. up their flat Evans had always paid Mrs. Lundrom on Friday night. He ap- proached her that evening with a little misgiving. « “Mrs. Lundrom, would you mind taking a check to-night? I made—a little deposit in the bank to-day, and find I didn’t leave myself quite enough cash.” He had purchased a new sack suit on his way home. He felt a little wicked over spending twenty-six dollars for it. He had seen some suits in a show window which had spoiled him for anything less expensive. He had compromised on the boating togs by adding a suit of blue serge which would serve for ordinary wear with an extra pair of white-duck trousers. Frightened at so enormous an outlay for clothes, he relinquished the idea of getting a fifty-cent tie of bright color. Also he got a white-felt hat, with the thought that it would answer for the boating and be serviceable about a chick- en plot later on. This economy had re- lieved his mind so that he had wildly “blown ” himself to a silk shirt. Then the able salesman persuaded him that a five-dollar Panama hat would last three or four seasons and prove a real saving in the end. He had forty dollars left. But he was questioning in his mind whether the blue- serge coat with the white pants would not appear too much of a rush on the season if worn as evening dress at dinner. The question had arisen acutely enough to make him inquire the prices of Tuxedo coats at the store. The fact that he could get a passable dinner suit for twenty-five dollars had made the worry about it tan- gible. And, if he should buy the dinner suit, fifteen dollars was none too much to have about one even if he were a guest. That he had never dreamed of using up five dollars a week of spending money since CORNICLOOOKS 291 | (C@)