The Tri-Cities Sun (Goose Creek, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 225, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 21, 1933 Page: 3 of 6
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The irrepressible
Mr. Roper turns his
talents loose on a
slick bit of crime
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L
NDERTON ROPER carefully
closed the doors of his father’s garage,
making sure that no one could see him,
ASTjLi. and from his own classy little runabout
took a length of rubber tube. Since he had
jammed.into a police car, causing considerable
eipense. his father had not only insisted that
Fenderton get a job but had refused to give him
any, pocket-money whatever, and Fenderton’s
CW’was put of gasoline. The tank of bis father’s
big limousine was brimming full.
’-^ |fUsiog the rubber tube as a siphon, Fenderton
borrowed three gallons of gasoline dexterously,
aCprwrd the tops on both tanks’, hid the rubber
tube under the seat of his car, opened the doors
“ and backed out and down to the street. He
was straightening out to drive down town when
he heard the cheery hail of pretty May Mid-
dleton. ’ ...
“Yoo hoo, Fenderton, yoo hoo!” she called.
"Going down town? I’m going down town.’’
"tittle old Fenderton is going right there,’’
laid Fenderton in his grandest manner. “Hop
.'jp, May; I’m in a big rush—get a move on."
“What’s the matter, Fenderton?" asked May
ai ilie sCfifflibted into
a job, Fenderton?"
May was on her way to the Westcote Cheap
““Market to tuy cemed beef- at -five cents
a. pound so she had Fenderton let her off at the
Elite Department Store and went in there, and
Fenderton drove on until he found a vacant
parking space near the Valhalla Restaurant.
It was close to, the hour of 11 in the morning
when he entered the restaurant and the manager
took him in hand instantly.
“CjO. you showed up?” he said. "Get off
° your coat and get on the job. TomoK
roW you 11 be here at nine. .Eddie, this young
man will take over your jobt” “ "*%
What job Eddie was to take Fenderton did
npt know, but Fenderton stooped down and,,
entered the small room where hats and coats
were checked. He was to be hat-eheck boy for
the Valhalla Restaurant, and it soon proved
that it was to be a busy job. The trickle oF
nearly noon patrons soon became the mid-day
rush. . .... -.
For a few minutes Mr, Baglow, the manager,
watched Fenderton at work; then he seemed
satisfied and went about other matters that took
■ kim.inta lb,- large difling room. He had hardly
I
And a nice hat-checker 'you
have here!" said the young
man sarcastically.
NSTANTLY Fenderton knew what he had
done. He recognized this young- man as-the
young,man who had, given him the light gray bow about.’
that job. There was no future in it."
"What happened, Fenderton? I’m dying to
know." ....... .
What for. Fenderton? No.vI haven't.
Fenderton. I didn't brjn« any money. *
Haven't you got any money, Fenderton?"
‘Tm sort of just a little temporarily
abort," Fenderton admitted. "I'm sort of
entirely out of cash this evening. I’m broke.
May."
....."W. Fenderton, how dreadful !J’ MVy ' “ ~
rxclaimed. Hived t you §ot ujf rooney
: .„at..4l>. Why, we ,imply have tp have ’
money to buy a paper of pins with, Fenderton.
Can’t you think of some place to get some
money?" ■
■
"Mother'd give me some, only she’s gone to
the city with father. I don’t suppose your folks
«T ACCEPTED a position, yes," said Fen-
£-• derton. “They wouldn’t take no for an
answer, and I felt it my duty to help them out,
May. A big concern like that, why-wed,
when an important position is empty everything
foes wrong, so when they begged me
gone when a young man wearing a pearl-gray
fedora hat stopped at the bar of the checking
room and handed fenderton his hat and, with-
out stopping, went on into the dining room.
• ; • * ; , .;r ■
“UEY! HEY!" called Fenderton. “Your
check!" but the young man appeared
not to hear him and went on his way, and Fen-
coat,and he had handed this young man’s coat
to the other young man. And at that unfortu-
nate moment Mr. Baglow, seeing a young man
in the checking room with Fenderton, came to
the bar. ~ ;
< ’ "What’s the matter in. there?” he asked in
■ a most'unpleasant voice. "Have you gone and
mixed things up ?’v
"I gave this man’s coat to someone else,”
said Fenderton in the rilcekest of voices. “They
both had gray hats—" , _______' j_______
“And a nice hat-checker you have here!”
said the young man sarcastically. "I check a
hat and coat here and eat in your rertaurant and
now my coat’s gone. You’ll have to pay me
for that coat.” * ' ' V . '
Now, not so Ibud^hoT *0 loud, please I"
begged Mr. Baglow, for the young man’s voice
was rising to angry vehemence. “Keep your
■ shirt on and we'll adjust this matter. What
was your,coat worth?”
"It was a brand new coat this season; I paid
nineteen fifty for it."
“I saw it wasn't going to lead to anything.
May. I don’t say I was dragged iijto it by
false pretenses, you -jg^ftfa^Jecglie you would accommodate. me with a small loan,
don't get. little old Fenderton Roper to go into . May? F pean^ tav. untriTuRtin^
anything until he looks into it mighty carefully, around tomorrow aid make arrangement*" / ■
but- there werr=-weH—-some things I -didn t-........"Why, I’ve-got plenty of money at home,
Feiderton," May said, "j’ve got adollar—*i»
He spoke with dignity, but May, who knew
him, wasn’t really fooled. --■>
“So you resigned, Fenderton?"
"Yeah! 1 had a sort of talk with the man-
ager. What time shall I stop for you. May?"
Mr. Baglow.
The young man snorted angrily.
"Say, listen! Are you all rob-
bers in here? I said I paid nineteen
, fifty for that coat—a brand new
coat. Why should I take fifteen
dollars? I’ll sue this concern—”
Fenderton. "Big concern. The manager said
to me—”
“Yes, I know, Fenderton; he said you-were
just the man fie wanted,” said May quickly.
"■ yfot b ike job. Fenderton? You aren’t
going to wash dishes, are you? I should think
— —.ij - better job than washing dishes,
going to wash dishes,
you could get a bcttei
"I certainly am not going :to wash dishes,’
said Fenderton indignantly. “This position is
nbers and Fenderton was kept busy and noth-
ing remarkable happened until another young to Fenderton. “Was that
man hurried in and divested himself of a strik- coat?”
ingly light gray coat and pearl gray Fedora . “Yes, aur," said Fenderton
hat. He tossed these onto the checking room hoarsely. ■
-■ bar and hurried toward the dining room. "It was, was it? And what do you think-.
“Hey f You £ Fenderton calR but7tRe~“wM it worth nineteen titty?"
young, man did not look back, and Fenderton "Yes, sir,T,r saST Fenderton even more
laid the brass check beside its fellow on the end hoarsely.
of the nearest hat shelf. "Come oVer here to the cashier’s desk," said
There was no lull of arrivals before thq Mr. Baglow to the young man, and he led the
earlief diners began to leave, and Fenderton way. He scowled after the young man as he
handed out hats and coats with a "Thank went out of the restaurant and then he snapped
most a dollar—*«fy cents, anyway. But if we
go all the way home, Fenderton, we’ll never W
the first to get back to Dot’s. Can’t you think
of some place nearer, Fenderton?"
’•No." he said, ”1 can’t."
- ■■■ *....-. i -. , . - ■*
'THEY had gone four miles when tttiy came
* upon a car that was almost identical with
Fenderton’s clacsy runabout. It was headed in
the direction they were going, toward Watt-
cote, and as Feoderton’s car neared it a m|n
stepped into the road and held up his hand.
He was a young man and he wore *
gray fedora hat, and so did the second _
man who stepped from behind the car
stood beside him. Fenderton stopped his
"Sorry, friend," said the young man '
held up his hand, "but maybe you
out. We’re atuck—ran out of yts. ^Coutd you
lit us have a gallon or so?" / »
Instantly Fenderton recognized the two young
men who had failed to take their checks from
him in the Valhalla Restaurant. In the light
4 4X4
■TUST sell us a gallon or so," the other
J young man said. "Just enough to get us
to a gas station, brother." ' “ ,r
“I can sell you that much,” said Fenderton. - '
"I’ve got a tube in here that we can siphon
tome from my tank to yours with. I guess
cents A th*ut what ges costs otqaad jf
One of the young men laughed.
“We can even go as high as twenty een
if you haven’t got change.” he raid, and F«
derton got out of fhe car and felt under his tit
for the rubber tube. He handed it to the near-
est young man...... .
"You cr.n go ahead and arpbom' Fenderton -
told him. "and HI watch my gas s
. m the ear."
So, presently, one of the young men handed
iBI
s i
; jy^ _
, "Are„ycu going to be the cashier. Fender- you!” when a dime was slipped into his hand, his fingers angrily and returned to Fenderton.
ton)" and presently one of the young ppm. came OOt'-He held the checkroom bar as high as “ft
"Well, no." admitted Fenderton. “No, not of the dining room. ’ would 8°- _ ,
..... .......I-forgot to take my check," he said. “Gray "You come out of there," he ordered. "Get
out of there.
May, drawing for Fenderton and hersdf,
found "Nero paper of pins—not safely
, pins," mitten on their slip.
- ■ ■ ' :■ ■ ■ ...
“TPIGHT THIRTY, don’t you think. Fen-
■*-J derton? It will take us thirty minutes
to drive out to Dot's won’t it? Have you got . . v.,t;
enough gas to drive out there and back?" first corner toward the crossroads store.
Look at my gauge,” said Fenderton. "That
show. you. I guess little M Fenderton know, “gUT, Fenderton.” May asked. “Why d0
« 'j*
Fenderton sent his car ahead, turning at the
j
you tell me to shush? Why did you tale
„ I where he can get trusted For a measly old five , JHB,----------------
Fenderton sa.d noth.ng at all. He would gaf]on, of gal. Miss Middleton.” that ,r«y coat out of their car? What are you
,
to be his turn. He got his hat and coat and gave / eight thirty that evening be picked up May and Don t you worry, said Fenderton. Little
vpu are. Fenderton. maybe you can get your compared them with the brass check, on the
~Sd ouf tl^W andf^ft 1 '»«* mmt*........,h*ydroveouttheB^
said Fenderton haughtily, and May felt justly you!" for the dime that was given him. later he Was in hi, classy little runabout. Sever., of the party ,
i>
you can’t go to Dot’s party, can you? Oh,
Fenderton, I’m so disappointed!"
“A man can’t let pleasure interfere with
business,” said Fenderton. "When he is be-
ginning his career— Well, I wouldn f^jjtj^to
ask to get oft this evening when I’m only starting
this noon. May." *
i of .course not. Fenderton, May
was used .to being fired out of schools and
__________ „ ..|||P|HH 11colleges and jobs, and piMiim-0t;.car drew.
No more than two minutes later, while Fen- up in front of May Middleton’s humble home
derton was doing his best to return coats and and he caused his horn to utter the three honks
. that were his signal to her. She came hurrying
out without her hat or coat, for the weather was
.mild.
"Oh. Fenderton, are you fired again? How
go to Dot’s party.
Read te Dot’s home
•oevsrai or me parry were already there and
all were eager to know what Dot’s new game
TTE was not, actually, much disturbed for he might be, for she was always clever at thinking
was used to beitiff fired out of schools and
hats to the Valhalfo, Restaurant's patrons, the
second young man cime
■■PRSBi to him.
"Sorry," he,said, “but I forgot to take my
check, boy- A gray fedora hat and a light gray
overcoat. I can show you.”
/ith that he dodged under the bar and
■V
"I «*“ 1
-
„of pew amusements for hei guests; but she would
not, this time, explain until 10 o'clock had
struck. Then she-borrowed c«« of the boys’
hats and dropped into it one slip of paper for
“SXUSSin;
"and I think it will be lets of fun. We hunt
in pairs, and that's why I invited boys
.J1* ol ‘“i
old Fenderton knows whal he ii _ds«t A
couple of crooks, those guys, working in cahoots.
This coat goes back to the Valhalla Restau-
rant." ‘ '
“I don’t know what it is all about, but you ,
are wonderful. Fenderton." May said. "Step
on it a little, Fenderton, we won’t w
"And:
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Pendergraft, W. L. The Tri-Cities Sun (Goose Creek, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 225, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 21, 1933, newspaper, February 21, 1933; Goose Creek, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1020826/m1/3/: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.