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& Thursday, January 21, 1932 leCORMICh 'ittSSENGER, McCOs V, i'\GE NUMBER EIGHT Iff THE ROVER By George Randolph Chester A FLURRY IN PILLS !♦ 1922, by McClure Newspaper Syndicate. *|HE porter being in John Ames wisely refjt^ffletl from opening the \>^ppw for the attractive yotfng lady; moreover, he had an impression that her thanks iwould be disconcerting if he did. She had sarcastic gray eyes. “May I open the window for you, ilfiss Janie?" offered the porter. Uncomfortable porter, too! Ames .liked them with a dialect and a chuckle; gray hair preferred. “How are you coming on with your ilaw studies, Lewis?” asked the gray* {eyed one, in the cold, even voice of intellectuality. > Ames glanced again at the clean- cut profile of the girl, slender, confi- 'dently poised, neatly tailored. She [had long, curling eyelashes. He be came conscious, in some indefinable |way, that she was aware of his watch ing her and there was t^flny sarcastic i curl at the corners of her lips. Ames bent himself studiously to his paper. :Mechanically he read again the head- •lines about the horse show, and the regatta, and the scandal at Newport; and turned from them to the adver tisements of Ocean Foam Baking Powder, and Brainful Breakfast Ce real; and “Kleno; the .Good Old- Fashidned Stuff!” That last advertisement annoyed bim very much. Those six words were set in' the midst of a great blank apace, with a heavy blac|jt border around it, and a question mark un derneath. / \ The cold, even voice of the girl flowed on and on. Lewis was a hard working student. It seemed; and ‘‘Miss Janie” knew everything. Not that she made any tremendous as- sumption of knowledge, hut that she was actually an astounding store house of well-digested education. Ames grew\tremendously fascinated. He found himself waiting for hbr to slip; but she was right there 'with the correct answer and the logical reason for It, about Cicero, and the binomial theorem, and the cosmos, and Arnold Bennet. and a new kind of fudge. If Bhe tripped any place, it was past where John Ames had been in the book; and he had leafed through quite a distance himself. Again he caught that sarcastic little curl, and looked carelessly out of the window, with a splendid restraint from abrupt ness. His eye lit on a big sign board, devoted entirely to “Kleno; the ^Good- Old-Fashioned Stuff!” Not caring a continental what this Kleno might or might not be, he slammed dowi> his paper,, and frankly listened. It seemed that "Miss Janie” had a grandfather, and a father and mother, and a normal number of uncles and aunts and cousins, and a pet niece, most of whom Vore the family name of Stanbury. She had been vibrating on this road, from branch to branch of the family tree, since she was a child. It would be a treat to talk with a girl like that. A loose-faced brakeman popped his bend in at the door, and yelled some thing which was probably the name of a town. He smiled at Miss “Janie” Stanbury, and she nodded brightly. A savage-looking conductor came through. He was as surly in appear ance as if he ate nothing fapt raw meat, and he leaned over, as h •■Janie's" seat, and made a ^luarfr which brought forth a giggle. S The train slowed down. ~ The In tellectual porter brushed Miss Stan- bury, and accepted a quarter, and gathered up her baggage. Mechanically, as if obeying some power outside his volition, tall John Ames picked up his own luggage, and followed. “Beg your pardon, sir; this Isn’t your station,” politely advised the porter. “Oh, well, never mind,” answered Ames, as one in a dream, and handed the porter a coin. * ( The amaslngly informed girl, quite “smart” looking seen now in move ment, stepped into a waiting family carriage, and the porter stepped on the train, leaving John Ames alone, la the middle of the platform, with bis trunks in the baggage car ahead, sad his reason cursing his Impulse, which had so often made a* fool of him. The train and the carriage moved away at the same moment. The por ter, looking back, smiled broadly; then opened a wide mouth, and ’laughed. The girl, turning, did not ipmile. She grinned! Chapter II, About the only thing of interest {John Ames saw in the town was a lthree-story frame building with the aide blown out and without a whole ,pane of glass In It. * The noteworthy ithing about It, however, was a big, ‘new gilt sign above the cornice, which ■aid: "Kleno | The Good Old-Fashioned Stuff.” The building Itself was blackened, grimed* and water-soaked, and its weather-boarding hung on it es if the ^ ■“ been carelessly rattled. impound,” explained the cigar store man across the street; guaranteed to take the spots off any- thlnc from a rotten reputation to a ealicb horse.” “The company has apparently moved,” guessed Ames, trying still another brand of cigar without much hope. “The day of the explosion,” re turned the official joker, who had cul tivated the trick of never Smiling. “Anyone hurt?” and Ames wondered if he might not have done better by lighting the other end of his perfecto.” “Nope at least Henry never said so.” Ames frowned slightly with dis pleasure. “Killed,” he surmised. “One of the workmen?” “The busiest one of the whole lot, but he was the proprietor,” stated the cigar store man, who was frog-eyed. “Henry Phelps was well enough off to satisfy most anybody, until he thought about ‘Kleno’; but his heirs have no pride in the business. The way H^nry popped across the street kind o’ discouraged theni.” Ames had no flippancy for the topic of death. “All that advertising gone to waste,” he worried. “It must have cost a fortune.” The cigar dealer was explaining. In his most humorous vein, just how much money Henry Phelps had spent, and how foolish he had been to spend it, and how regretful his heirs Were about it, when an old-fashioned buggy drove by. Behind the plodding white horse sat Janet Stanbury and a straight little gray-haired man gf the ancient school, whose firm lips sat above a chin which missed, a beard. “Nice looking old chap,” commented Ames with tremendous indifference. “Doc Dill,” grinned the cigar dealer. “He’s quit practice so he can read more. This is a high-brow town. The girl with him lives next door to the professor. They’re writing a book. Wouldn’t that kill you? How do you like that cigar?” “It’s most uncomfortable,” stated Ames, and resolved to buy no more in that place. Chapter III. “I’m not feeling very well, doctor,” x lied John Ames, glancing oyt of the window, in the direction of the house next door. , “Stick out your tongue,” ordered Doctor Dill, taking Ames by the wrist, and consulting a silver watch the size of a saucer. Ames produced a tongue which was red all the way back. The doctor popped his watch in his pocket, and looked at him reproachfully. “What do you .think’s the matter with you?” he objected. “Nothing much,” confessed Ames; “a trifle of discomfort,” and he placed his hand just over his top waistcoat button. “It’ll go away,” the physician care lessly stated. “You don’t need a doc tor; but I’ll give you something which will fix you up,” and from the bottom shelf of a tall bookcase he procured, out of a jumble of like articles, a small, square box. “You better take one right now,” he advised, pouring a glass of water from a big white pitcher. Ames glanced at the box in dismay. It was labeled “Dill’s Bilious Pills,” and It contained twelve green mar bles ! For a moment Ames chilled, and then he made an accurate pre tense of popping the pill in his mouth, and choking ft down with a great gulp of water. “I haven’t seen anything like that since I was a boy,” he smiled, slip ping the bolus into his pocket and seeming in no hurry to go. “I don’t think you will,” returned the doctor, frowning at some inward thought. “I’ve kept up with all the new methods, but, In some things, the old-fashioned way Is the best.” "You put these up yourself," sur mised Ames, looking eagerly about the room, for a live topic of conversation. “I-don’t do much else,” responded the doctor, stroking the bare chin which missed a beard. “I claim this to be the healthiest community in the country, and there’s no house without a box of this standard old correctant.” “Who’s your' jobber?” Inquired Ames, glancing again at the house next door, and wondering how long he could make the topic of pills hold out. “That’s good!” laughed the doctor. “Why, they won’t even sell these things in our local drug stores. I’ve had a light with these murdering drug gists for years. The pills will be 25 cents. There’ll be no charge for con sultation because there’s nothing the matter with you.” ^ The end of the topic had arrived. Ames took his little box and paid his money ,and rose reluctantly. “That’a a line bird’s-eye photograph of Pompeii,” he observed, clutching .desperately at even this conversational straw. “Since this was taken, how ever, that .statue has been removed to the museum at Naples.” Doctor Dill turned to him with an entirely new consideration. “Have you been there?" “Yes, I’ve kept fairly good track of responded Ames the excavations, hopefully. “Walt just a minute!” begged Dr. Dill excitedly, hurrying to the door. “Mother! Here’s a gentleman who has been to Pompeii!” aised an ua.. .smntly qui> Chapter IV. “You wouldn’t like all of Italy,” smiled Ames reminiscently. “I wonder why it is that the older the civiliza tion the w'orse the sanitation.” “Probably for the same reason you find it that way in an old house,” an swered Janet Stanbury, with a little curl at the corners of her lips. “I be lieve sanitation is a recent whlm r isn’t it, Doctor?” “There is always sunshine at Pom peii,” mused “Mother” Dill, who wore j her gray hair rippling coquettishly down the sides of her waxen cheeks, which had still the flush of pink in them. Above all things, she hated cloudy days. “You v must visit Pompeii,” urged Ames. “Neither words nor pictures will ever bring it to you,” and he waved his hand over the litter of books, maps and engravings strewn on the old doctor’s library table. “I wish w r e could afford it.” regret ted the doctor, with a fond glance at his wife. “This past w : eek of foreign travel with Mr. Ames has been most unset tling,” complained Miss Stanbury, with a not unfriendly glance at the handsome and polished newcomer. “Frankly, I want to really go; every place!” “Join the Dill party,” laughingly advised Ames. “Doctor, you can go, if you want to.” • “I know how poor 1 am,” the doc tor remonstrated. “Any man ’is rich who has the means of producing wealth,” stated gent; •erlng . i*r. “Evv.y Kleno 1)511 is paid and re ceipted.” he declared. “I’m g ! ad of that,” observed Ames, suavely; “bei ause I thought some what of negotiating for the Kleno name.” T. W. Phelps displayed the fact that he could smile. “We’re holding that at a pretty good figure,” he stated. Ames smiled right back at him. “Then there’s no use to open ne gotiations.” he stated in return. “The Kleno name is not worth a 'fancy price." The administrator and principal heir, lowering his brows until they al most obscured his eyes, squinted up at Ames quite studiously. “Well, there’s different opinions about that,” he argued. “Why, man, Uncle Henry spent a hundred and fif ty thousand dollars in making that name! There ought to be a profit on it.” Ames leaned over to smile at him more directly. “If I find that I can u^e it, I’ll pay you five thousand dollars for it,” he coldly suggested. T. W. Phelps conveyed, by expres sive pantomime, the fact that he was dropping dead. “I couldn’t think of it for a min ute !” he expostulated. “Now, look here, Mi*. Phelps,” Ames kindly explained; “five minutes ago you didn’t think you would ever get a penny out of this unfortunate Kleno. The compound proved dangerous; no body would have the formula as a gift, and the advertising is totally wasted. If you’ll talk sensibly with me. I’ll bargain with you; if you’re going to Lluff, I won’t.” Twice the nephew of the departed inventor of “Kleno” started to bluster, Half Smiling and Half Crying, l; She; Coat and Ames, becoming serious. “Why don’t you market your pills?” “Huh 1” grunted the doctor. “1 couldn’t sell enough In a hundred years to send us to Europe.” "I believe “you^coiild,” pondered Ames, and, for the first time, he found th> eyes of Janet Stanbury fixed on him without the expression which he had fancied to be mockery. “Oh,* do you suppose he could!” prayerfully wondered "Mother” Dill. “I thoroughly do,” John told her, acquiring a certain determination, as he looked at that waxen face, its del icate color,deepened by eagerness. “You’re not bothered much about professional ethics are you. Doctor?” “I do anything I please, as long as It’s honest,” declared the doctor. “What connection is there between ethics and pills?” “None,” chuckled Job«$ “except that I think the market is ready for some of the good, old-fashioned remedies.” He stopped and pondered a moment, as he uttered that familiar phrase, then he suddenly grinned. “You’ll have to remember I have no capital,” the doctor reminded him. “You don’t need capital,” Ames thoughtfully assured him. “I think I’ll take your case,” and he made his adieus for the afternoon. He wanted to be alone. Chapter V. “I believe you ai the administra tor and the principal heir of the Henry Phelps estate.” began John Ames, as he confronted a man whose brows were so low over his eyes that there seemed to be no upper lids. “Well?” resented F. W. Phelps, who disliked his caller for three things; because he was well-dressed, well-bred and polished. “I came to see you about the Kleno company,” went on Ames, taking a chair with pleasant assurance. He might as well have offered to bite the grain and feed man ; for that Drew Him Down by the Lapels of His Kissed Him. and twice he quickly changed his mind. “Wbuld the five thousand be in cash?” he'avariciously Inquired. “One dollar down,” Ames genially Informed him. * “You are taking up valuable time,” was the quite expected answer, and Mr. Phelps grew red in the eyes. Ames produced a wallet, thumbed over a sheaf of large bills and replaced the wallet in his pocket. The sight somewhat soothed Mr. Phelps. “The dollar is to legalize a thirty- day option,” Ames told him. “If I don’t have time to find out whether I can use the Kleno name, it has no value to me at all. I wouldn’t gamble a dollar and fifteen cents on it; but I will gamble a dollar.” Phelps still remembered the sight of all that money. “What do you want to do with this?” he suspiciously demanded. “If I told you, you’d try to do it yourself,” was the calm retort. “If you think that you can squeeze more than five thousand dollars out of Kleno, keep it; but you must decide immediately.” T. W. Phelps struggled severely with himself. “What kind of an option do you want?” he finally asked. “Ill write it for you,” offered Ann s, and did so. As lie passed over the paper, he aga'n produced the wallet, and fin gered through the sheaf of bills. Phi-fps made a rough estimate. He saw a one-thousand-dollar bill, and at least ten five hundreds, to say not'.dng of some small change, like hundreds and fifties. That was an extiemely comfortable sight, and he read the option. "Where’s the dollar?” he wanted to know, aa he reached for his pen. t Chapter VI. “Give iqe a dollar," demanded Ame.< Doctor Dill reached hesitantly in his pocket. He had perfect confidence in Ames, but he was an inquisitive- minded man. “What’s it for?” he puzzled. “The foreign travel fund,” smiled Ames. “Mother” Dill, watching his face with the keen insight of mediumship, fumbled nervously in her work basket. “If you haven’t the change, I have, papa,” she flutteringly stated. “Invest a dollar of mine,” begged Janet Stanbury, laughingly, but study ing him curiously. “I’m going to Eu rope, tOOi” Ames glanced at her disappointedly. The mocking light was not in her eyes. The doctor produced a much worn silver dollar, and Ames noticed that his look lingered on it when it was passed over. “Now read me your riddle,” the pro fessor laughed. “I warn you it’s a long shot,” Ames confessed, “but here’s' the dollar's worth I bought for you,” and he handed over the thirty-day option, made out to John Ames, agent. “You see. I’ve indorsed it to you.” “Kleno!” figure’ll the doctor, as he glanced at the paper. “The good, old-fashioned stuff,” sup plemented John. “You have the bene fit of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars’ advertising, if you’ll only change the name of Dill’s Bilious Pills.” "To Kleno!” choked Janet. “Isn’t that the cleverest thought?” and, now that she understood, that curl came once more to the corners of her lips. "But what’s it all about?” quavered the perplexed “Mother” Dill. “It’s the first step in your attempt to sell enough pills to go to Europe,” Ames smiled at her. “The name ‘Kleno’ has been advertised all over the country. The doctor will put up some of his pills under that name, and I’ll present them to some big drug jobbers. If they undertake the manufacture and sale of the pills, under the doctor’s formula, it won't be very long until you can buy your steamer tickets.” “Oh, do you suppose they will?” trembled “Mother” Dill. “Kleno!” exclaimed the doctor, and, all at once, broke into hearty laugh ter. , “The good old-fashioned stuff,” add ed Ames. “How very clever,” breathed Janet, and at last John Ames understood her. He had thought her intelligent; bi^t she was only intellectual. Chapter VII. "Kleno!” exclaimed Clarence P.eak- er of the immense drug jobbing house of Beaker, Troy & Pestle. “I’ve been waiting for Kleno. You're rather far behind your advertising, though. Some of our biggest customers have beqn asking what it i^.” “It’s a pill!” exclaimed Ames, pro ducing one of the boxes, and display ing the awe-inspiring globulets it con tained. Clarence Beaker, who was eliptical when lie stood up, and could slip his collar on over his head, took but one glance at the pill, and did not ask what it was made of. “We’ll handle it with pleasure,” he announced. “That was a good line of advertising. ‘The good, old-fashioned stuff/” and he* shook his periphery with a laugh of appreciation. “Make the price right, and I’ll give you an order for a thousand gross.” Ames shook his head. * “I prefer a proposition for you to take over the manufacture, sale and advertising from this point on.” “I see,” he guessed; “broke before you get on the market.” “There hasn’t been a penny’s worth of Kleno sold, and a hundred and fifty thousand dollars has been spent in advertising. I won’t say that Doc tor Dill is broke; but he does not feel equal to pushing the sale of this pill as it should be pushed.” Clarence Beaker, in whise face there were few features by which to judge of his thoughts, shoved back the box of pills. “Sorry,” he announced; “but, while we’d handle your pill with pleasure If you’d keep up the advertising, we couldn’t go into the game ourselves. We have three cathartics of our own. and it would be foolish to pay for more competition.” Ames, though with sinking enthus iasm, studied the matter quietly. “I think you are making a mis take,” he urged. “The cathartics you have are all of one type, and there’s no new appeal in them. The very size and color- of this pill would inspire confidence.” “Maybe so,” granted Clarence, in differently ; but I’ve told you where we stand, unless you can finance the thing.” “I’ll place It elsewhere,” decided Ames, rising. “The name alone, fa miliar as it is to the public, makes It worth a serious marketing campaign.” “The name’s a peach.” readily ad mitted the leading drug jobber. “I wish we owned it.” Ames, who never let any commer cial hint escape him, breathed a sigh of relief. “What will you give us for the name?” he immediately asked. Again Mr. Beaker’s expression un derwent a change. It grew tighter towards the apex, as he reflected that the Kleno firm was probably flat broke. v “Of course we couldn’t begin to pay yoit what you’ve actually lost in ad*- vertising,” he indifferently stated; “but I'll give you a chance to save a little out of the wreck,” and he drew the pills towards him again and looked into the box. “How much will you take?” Ames studied hi» man in perplex-, ity, and felt that he was unfairly handicapped. He had never before- tried to read a man who offered so- little in the way of facial guidance. “Fifty thousand dollars,” he “bluffed.” Mr. Beaker’s countenance widened towards the base. “Give you twenty-five thousand,’* he offered; “not a cent more!” “Cash, I suppose?” observed the agent, as if in sarcasm. “Right on the nail!” returned Clar ence promptly, betraying his first hint of eagerness. Ames made no secret of his pleas ure. “Write me the ■ check, less five thousand!”' he' exulted. “Here are the papers and my Credentials.” Mr. Beaker* examined those papers with interest and a smile. At last, his face hud expression. “Option, eh?” I^e chuckled. “That’a where the five thousand goes. Why, Kleno was originally to have been a cleaning compound! You know, I don’t think it was a good name for u pill!” “That’s what worried me,” acknowl edged Ames. “I hope you have a bet ter use for it?” "Tooth wash,” explained Beaker, reaching for his checkbook. ‘Tve been hunting for a name for a month, but I never expected a snap like this. ‘Kleno; the good, old-fashioned stuff r ” “Yes, you bought a bargain,” agreed Ames, thoughtfully. “I still believe, however, you "would have found the ' pill a good proposition. It has been tried for twenty years. It was former ly known as ‘Dill’s Bilious Pills.’ ” ” Clarence Beaker jerked the box towards him. “Dill’s Bilious Pills?” he repeated. “Now, that’s what I call a name for a pill; especially a pill that looks like this! We might negotiate with Doc tor Dill for his name and formula. We can unload it on our druggists without advertising.” John Ames, agent, waited until he- had signed all papers and had re ceived a check. “Speaking as Doctor Dill’s repre sentative, I may say that neither the formula nor the name is for sale,” he firmly announced. “The docter will manufacture them for you. himself, hut cannot begin until his return from- Europe, next spring.? Chapter VIII. Ames disliked to be cruel, but he- had a test to make. “Sorry, companions,” he reported; “but they won’t have the Kleno pill at any price.” Doctor Dill laughed, with no trace of disappointment. “Mother” Dill's waxen fingers locked themselves together, and then she smiled very sweetly. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” murmured Ja net Stanbury, with softened gray eyes. “I don’t care, Mr. Ames, it was a clever idea, anyhow; a brilliant idba!” ( - - Ames felt a trifle ashamed of him self. “I didn’t come back empty-handed, however.” he went on, and passed over the check. “I sold the Kleno- name for a fj>oth wash.” “Twenty thousand dollars!” gasped the doctor, clutching at the chin which missed a beard. “Mercy!” fluttered “Mother” Dill, and, adjusting her glasses carefully as she went, she hurried over to the bird’s-eye view of Pompeii. Ames stole a glance at Janet. Again her gray eyes rested mockingly on him, and the curl came at the corners of her lips. She had penetrated him, and why had he done all this, from the-time he had followed, her off the train until now, when he had tried to test her? The curl came once more. The doctor, having feasted his eyes on the check for a long minute, slowly passed it hack. ’ ■' • “This don’t belong to me,” he de cided. “Why not?” disputed Ames. "You paid for the option, and besides, the check is a direct outgrowth of your pill. I am sure I won’t have the cheek.” The doctor, who was a just man, pondered slowly. “I’ll divide it equally with you,” he offered. “That is positively the only basis on which I’ll do business.” “All right,” accepted Ames, cheer fully. “I have less compunction of conscience about it, because I’ve made a bargain for you to manufacture five hundred gross of your pills a month, as soon - as >you get baOk from your trip to Europe. Beaker, Troy & Pes tle think ‘Dill’s Bilious Pills’ a great* name for the article!” Janet Stanbury’s eyes glowed with, admiration again. “What a triumph of cleverness!” she exclaimed, and there was no mockery about her. However, Ames reflected, her sense of humor was liable to assert Itself at any time. Suddenly he realized that she mocked only that which she understood. The, thing which had fascinated him had been hut an imitation. He sighed; for her potSe was perfect and her lashes were long. The doctor shook him by the hand, and “Mother”' Dill, half smiling and; half crying, drew him down, by the lapels of his coat, and kissed him. “You've made the world so real!” she told him. “How soon can you go to Europe,. Janie?” s soon ns you can get ready.” “1 ( «tter go along, John,” urged the doctor, heartily. ji l.u felt the eyes of Janet fixed on hint, and that tb^re was wintfulness in them. “Sorry,” be regretted; “but it is urn p9P» ibIe;t , J