The Finest W r i t e r »
.Semi T h e i r Stories
t irat to l lir lllu »
trateil F e a t u r e
Set lion
•* r /iir i
• It'sthaiH Iti . i hi' i|4
A 4 «'M U *«g II < pi » . m i « l •»• •
* C o m in g Stories by *
^
O
th v
^
D o rn
o th
y W
W # e *>
it
*
Edward W orthy
*
E d w a r d L a w so n ‘ J
|
J. A . R o y e r »
The: A d voca te
T IIK II.U STR ATK I) FEATURE SECTION
Mar, h 12 . I!*.i 2
O B A D I A H P A Y S UP
l III
S T O R Y
<>l
S T IN G Y
MAN
H r T a lk r d M o n ry and Interest in H is S leep and
O n e D a y H e W a k e d U p.
a « (.r o ttn e
, t»g iw u u * ik o u t 1
Hr licurtt the legs of the chair
We don t need no teptetry for that » r racking leaned forward and kicked
w «'l
cronKrd Obutlitii to tlU wife, hu ic*» aiul recovered hla balance.
• an I I aim going to |*y for it no-j
What % the idea »mac king my head
h o*’
He leaned bark in Id* rhalr. nx* that?” he growled a* he turnr<1
• « " • « « hla f " •
i I .
bumi U I
L ih * ^ , hall a
| i l . t a n d hooked hla heel« on the |IMf violently, aa If »hr had left It In
edge of It
| A hurry
■ Now, Obadlah Walkln*.’* tx'ttan
Ohadlah Watkliiit I done »marked
Lut
Uiopping her jo *wing to Iter lap vou good!" laughed a »harp voice, no
en«l looking over her apectaclea at !otnlrr Mum the Mjuewking of a niou»e
I»mi
(lie tapestry waa given to the
He »wimg hla feet from the mantel«
church bmtnur and aiictionest off
I piece turned In hla chair and glanced
w*« (lie highest bidder and got it' tround the mom
N ow
•
T in right here?'* pl|M*d the squeaky
t h in il.id blaniesi w>Hiieii» k n o «e l \«»lee. ‘C ant you see me?”
Obadiah bent forward In hU chair
liow to bid It up 'cause they know»
l.m rich'* cut in Otwdiah angrily. md hi» eye* roundeo with ainaxe-
i
merit
as he »fared ut a tiny man, no
"And I aln t going to give no »evenly
dollar ch , k to pay fat tt • ** He taller than one of Obadiah’« cigar»,
lighted A iig*»r. nipped the match Into and the same color. He was »landing
III* gtale flic and tilted back ill hla with feet far apart, trying to keep his
• balance on the arm of the rocking
Chair
III» suit WUa a gray tVM I
I m won led a heap about you 1 chan
Hi* hat,
Obadlah *• 1 ucy alghed aa »he t*xjk actly like Obadiah » suit
vhuea.
gray
gaiter» and even his liny
oft her »| m *< ta< lea and gated Into hi»
j
Ivory-headed
cane,
no
bigger
thanj
face
’ Uh woman, what a you got to .» fine cambric needle, matched Oba-
! ’ w*» a* if bg wm% koofcmc
worry about me g o -lo n g f iw* grunt
j through the large end of a teleacope i
ed »arcaatlcally
• Heapa to worry about! All you' 1 at htmwlf dminken a thousand
talk« u money! Talka money at your times, until he was about four inchea
tlie hearth
Hope It knocked out
Htiui up'" si is plied In Conscience, years! That s so loollsli—"
nieal« breakfast dinner and «upper' 'all
Obadiah Watkins took hi* cigar slabbing Obadiah behind the ear
Shut your old head?" roared C ou -, some of the fool!"
1 «!k i money and bonda. and intenwt
He threw his arms around her and
with the lllile cane
' You didn't silence. All wives likes Ihetr hus
In your alrcp! l»ove for money ha» ft.>iu In* mouth, glanced at the ttny
shove him oil - Oh. no! You old bands to pet them—what's thirty kissed her a dozen times She laughed
done put wrinkle» in your fane and one. lasted with laughter and then
and
pushed him away, then took his
chilled
-steeled
money
grabber!
Bui
years to love!"
heart. and done ahrunk your conaci« »a ut.
Funny-looking. I ain’t never seen you »Upped thst grafting scaffold in -
' She » always been been a might) fare between her hand* and kissed
ro o t till It am t no bigger than that
spector tlliy dollar* to pass that faul-l flne gal to ine! Gosh. If I last her!" him and said.
qua'ah cigar you a got at tick between nothing so small- nww-suh!”
'Thirty years marled and still
‘ Shut you face?” commanded the, ly scaffold with the platform boards
your atore-teeth—you heard
me.
"Look again?" Conscience tempted sweethearts—I sure loves my wrin
tiny one. br and idling hla cane, "It » a foot a part. Down Joe went, sixty
tnaii '••
Obsdiah turned sgalu and saw Pas kled bald-headed boy' Go-long man
your dad blamed neglect that’s made leel Hr * passed through the circles
Course I wanta money, woman!
Hr* wife and kiddles In tor Roberta In the happy crowd He with your fooling!"
OHadiah exclaimed. *‘ l waiiU all 1 can me small' Huh. some folks in this of hell'
was
patting the head* of the kiddles
He pranced around the room, rub
wahl'
You
should
pay
him
full
lime
ole New OiI an» town, done reckons
to te -
Iron] the day he fell until he's well! ' around him He raised hts hand and bing his head He chiicklr.1. took out
Il»e iiiuip you totea," broke in Lu vou"» »mailer than me'
his pen and check book, signed a
Ha ha
giggled Obadiah. slap lie Jabbed Obadiah with the cane said.
cy her eyra rounded.
the moie
"I'm so pleased lo tell you-all, that (heck, ripped it out and gave It to
atlngineaa you totea with It! Cogl- ping hu leg» la got to laugh!” and He winced
her.
he did
Please excuse me. funny lit-
"Look again, skinflint." Conscience we now have two hundred dollars for '
ta'«« : 11 4»t u n l
"Fill In the amount yourself, old
the poor, and thgt's not Including the
ordered
HUnglneah’
b l u r t e d Obadiah, ' |g m ill »lit
"Dial s your Ignorance laughs at
•
Obadiah turned and stared at the seventy dollars for the tapestry our sweetheart!" he laughed, "And wait
ull
voa are the cheek I'm giving lo
am t you got fine clothe»? Ain't you what you don t understand!”
oh! frame rliurrli. tie knew so well ' beloved sister. Mrs. Lucy Watkins'
Joe Ranee' Then two thousand to
" Who is you. pee wee?”
g>K the beat radio, aewtng machine
H ie -.11 chimney was out of plumb bought "
the pastor!"
*
D ie be»t part of you skinflint' and the bricks loose He lowered hts
- am t you got a big Bible with real
"Two hundred dollars am pretty
He slapped on hts hat. took hts cane
S«Nn«* men tote» me .»mailer than I is eyes Ui the basement doors
The good'" exclaimed Obadiah
gold edgi
Ain’t I
and started toward the door
U«ed up llila here living room with now' Sometimes I tote* men and laprstrv moved back and shut out
Go-long, you old money-hugger!"j
Man. ..where's you going?" site
I the ylslon
new furniture and thick rug? Lucy control» th em - they "a darn few'
sneered Conscience. "You could give asked, her eyes wide
Walkin', you * done gut a heap more .«in t a f«- trad >f M man I ain't I
Obadiah Watkins" began the Iwo thousand and never nnss It' Look
'T o the bank to git a pocketful of
I has don«* made kings, tyrant*, swell- stinging voire of Conscience, "a month there again?"
than m«»at white womfna—Mingyf**
quartahs and dimes and let the kid
"Y o u » atire good to me man—uh- beaded politician*, murderers, and ago you promised the pastor to fix
Obadiah heard a noise like distant dles scramble for them I feel like a
Lilli! I'm a» fat and »Irek a.» a }K*ltcd even a few lawyers, listen to me and that rlilmiiey and the furnace Prom
man that's been let outta prison Into
liou-v* tabby!
tlli-huh. man!
Bui go to church the next day If more ised al the same time, you would thunder and then he . s i the base
sunshine' I'm going to tell a lot of
Obadiah, I amt got no real happl- n»ei» would listen to my wee voice- send one of your carprnters to tlx ment begin to nil with heavy, yellow
old
geezers I know, to take a wallop
smoke
iieaa in my hravlivcaa! I'm sorry for and don't reckon I'm Just alluding to those doors' You know that the build
"The wind blew down the chimney,' irom Conscience and be young again!
• • • -
Old Man Depn iloy .» democrat*, republican* and prohibi ing Inspector told the pastor that the
Whoopee!"
giippmg and »queezlnc all the hope tionist* ’cause I ain’t why then tha uoors iou . i open oalwsrd! That the Conscience sobbed, "and the brick
world would be belter! Obadiah Wat door between the stairway of the sa-; filled up the turnace flue Now It's
from their heart*!”
What a ua giK to do with It? Ain’t kins. I ’m Conscience!”
rrlty and basement, must br a swing vomiting out gas and thick smoke In
to the basement! Look'"
Obadiah'* eye* dilated, hi* mouth ing dooi they are fire-traps!
you proud, woman, to hear folk.» say
I in rich and aucccaaful? When ua «.|M'itml and he rubbed the back of his
'T was very busy—*
The frightened women and children
wa» thirty didn't have a thin dime! Lead and whispered. "Conscience,
' Ohmtgosh
wot
a
whopper!"' were pushing and crowding against
in twenty five yeni • i dong mtM my you'* .''lire small, but you tote* an, squeaked Conscience. If you tole that (he big doors even the young men
aelf from a bilrkliiyer to one of the awful wallop! My h ade hurt* where lo u mole, lied kirk your brains out! were ( l ightened and excited The pas
lug builder* In tin* here New O il air. you done smacked me one!” He You can't wrestle with me and truth, tor was trying (o (lull the women from j
town'
O olong woman, with your! straightened and bowed, “ Now go-j IJIol' You was watt mg (or the church the doors—they fought him. scream Send your Euihorrairiag Votneai
long, you funny-looking, and don’t to Rlt some money lo pny you!"
moaning'
ing with terror Lucy, a baby In her
lo (Tie C d ilo r u id U U ill b *
pester me? I ain’t done nothing I
But folk•••«. nay* vou's stingy. Oli.i
arms, staggered toward the crowd I
"Conscience I'm sure .sorry!"
DUbllrhrd.
di.ih I know* you know*, the church ain’t !”
#
' ?el your Conscience show you this. title (ell lo her knees, glanced at the |
A Slip of the Tongue
’ I know* you ain’t ! ” sneered Con ( Obadiah Watkins' 1
chimney nrocl* rebuilding The fur-|
baby tu her arms, snatched up a (old- j
Anv woman ran readily appreciate
mice done smoke *o that the congre-, .science, and that » why I ’m with you»,
The tapestry folded buck.
ud newspaper from the Poor and fa n -,
g it Ions all weepa smoky tear.» ” Bin* look at that tapestry on the wall.” | Obtulluh leaned forward and stared, ned the smoke trom Its face. She the blavknrsr ot my most embai ras
ing moment. A friend whom I bad
ilghed.
La»t Sunday, some o ld 1 hr pointed to It with hi* canr.| Into the basement of the church H e 1 gus,H'd and collapsed to the floor
not seen for years, telephoned that
meany. done flipped a lend dollar In- j Whiit a seventy smacker* to a rich always liked the pretty Kiris of the!
"They're trapped!" whimpered Oba- j she was ill town We made an ap
to the contribution plate— Uh-hiihf «•Id gee/vr like you Is! You refused, church Now the basement was crowd distil
pointment for luncheon downtown I
*
•fil'd ‘bout us good as that puaaou’a j ti pay for it' A |>u tot al, too! Ain’t ed with (hem. All shapes, sizes unci
"Your neglect set the trap." accused saw mv frl'n d before she saw me and
was terribly surprised that she had
Jake piety!”
I right’ "
colors, from pure black to chinkapin-' Conscience
Pon t ‘lude. woman? Weren’t me!” 1 • Well I reckon* you » right, Con brown. Many of the girls had Pat
'1 ucy! My
Lucy!" sobbed Oba- aged so I knew that she had pars’d
through a distressing series ot mis
science " admitted Obadiah
Mtapiird Obadiah
baskets, filled with rakes, camber r.nd, dlnh, trying to rise (ruin the chair, j fortunes
but. at that. I could hardly
Nlie ighed. glanced at him. hinooth- ' "Watch It now?" whispered Con-. toys. Several had grab-bags.
Ho j "Honey-boy, is you all right?" cooed, reconcile this almost aged looking
rd her apron and .smiled and said,1 science
could hear their trilling laughter as Lucy's soft voice, close to his car. | person with tire young woman I d
' Obadluh, can't us pet the furnace I Obadiah »aw the tapestry, on the they peddled their dainties
“You'» boon squirming like a speared known a few years before As I ap-
wall between the windows, draw aside j ' He, lie," chuckled Obadiah, "It am 1 call"
and church chimney fixed?”
pr ached her I noticed^ how beauti
.She ganped, leaned and put hei ! Into folds until It was hanging 1» one' the church bazaar! T h ere» my Lucy
He opened his eyes and looked up fully groomed she wasVlust'lhc la-t
word
In smartness, so. naturally,
1 .11 *;.• I,ild. He gasped In ustoiilh-j lo the lent. She's telling the fortunes into hers- lie was lying Hat an bis,
i ind on h
houldt i
i •» \ m in
she .»aid. "Don’t lean *o fat back In me]it he was slat Ilia Into the ward of the lioys and girls. Everybody loves liark, Ills load «lose lo (lie white hot, wanting to say something pleasant.
n«v first Irnpuls- was to sav. after the
that chair? If the leg* should break, of a hospital, and at a hla man In a' Lucy she loves everybody!"
inals In the grate. Hr glanced at the greeting was over "My dear, how
you'd smack your lie-ad against the bed. Ills strong face twisted with pain,
"You're a miser with your love and i lisir near him—bath rear legs were nice you are looking!
I t. cant it so
floor and break my new chair, too!” his thin Angers picking at the coun with your money I" accused Consci broken off. He got on his feet, rub sincerely that I would, of course, have
“ I ain’t doing no work In the church terpane.
ence. " t t ’a mighty long lime since bed the bark of his head and gamed put a great deal c( zest Into It. but
lty me forever when I tell you that
"T h a i-* the wreck of wliat was Illg you done (Hit your arm around her. Into Lucy's smiling eyes
and wait, for my money, Mr*. Lucy
Joe ltanre, one of your best orna pressed your cheek against tiers and
Watkins! It** slow pay and—”
"Done tole you not to Iran bark In ! looked at her sweetly and said with
much
feeling "My dear, how old you
“Stop leaning *o far back?” she mental plasterers,- sobbed Conscience called her your ritar old sweetheart — Iliat chair?" *hr admonished, smiling
are looking!” The old subconscious
warned again, “ And yon’s scratching
"1 didn't shove Mm oil the scaf you love dodger I"
It bruk and smacked that turnip will have Its say!
*.l»e varnish off the mantel with you fold !" whimpered Obadiah
Hut us dots- been married thirty you calls a head, against the tiles of i
m c h ku
i . i i h i k i
Embarrassing
Moments
f