CHINA
TOKEN OF ESTEE
ok a deep breath, edom. Out on the o'clock! He hadn't
on the street at seven o'clock
a man re
anybody.
ning and
until his heart burst inside hin and there wasn't any race to be- gin with, or like a man daring
times or so in twenty-five years agers of some kind for no rea-
in the evening more than a dozen
As a matter of fact, he hadn't been out where ordinary people. could see him between the hours of eleven am. and mi of ele
more years
member. He had
Ashcraft, senior,
Kenneth Ashcraft, all these
quarter of a century would have gone by this coming Tues- day since he came there as a bus boy, so hungry at the time that he wanted to work near food.
And now this had happened he had left early on the night of an important banquet because he could want no longer to tell his family that he was ceive a token of esteem.
He was home. He climbed the stairs. Outside his own door he could hear the deep voice of his son. He felt embarrassed. His hands were unsteady with the key. He opened the door.
There they were.
There they were, the three of them. Mabel, and his son, and Harriette
“Well-Dad.”
His son was embarrassed, too. hands with him. Then ∙came up and
son, or like a man named Minnon who had given up twenty-five years of his life, in a trade, and had got nothing for it but a five- room apartment and three stran- ger ho lied w
Because
his sou that way.
say
grmning
What is it they are going to do for you?" asked Mabel, her voice hard.
He had to tell them now; there was no way out. He tried to make it sound fine and splendid.
Short Story
“Why," he said, “Mr. Ashcraft
• himself and I've heard even his father is going to try and be there (and this was a lie, because he hadn't heard any such thing)——— they are going to give me a nice banquet on Tuesday and a fokeri of esteem."
His son laughed harshly
kissed him, he went over to banquet. I suppose they think you
Mabel and she kissed him, and they all sat down.
"You're home early," said Ma bel
"I thought I would,” he explain- ed. "There was an important. banquet but I let the boys handle it. I thought, here it is the first night you-you-children home, and why should I stay there and slave-
"Now he is getting some sense, Mabel
Then Har the chair
aku
bike
are
came over
down on the his ear. It
some strange young girl sitting on the arm of ms He could feel his face get
red
He thought maybe this was good time to tell them..
"It isn't so bad when you know all you do is appreciated. If it wasn't appreciated it would be too hard too many hours, too much smell of food. But I've got some news to tell you now that just about makes it all right with
me
A raise?" said Mabel.
Not exactly a raise, though could probably get a raise if asked for it."
"You ask for it said Mabel
hey gonna
something?"
him lips sneering
*Sunny what
words and
other person's face
Minnon felt the
stick
his son,
man in the world, his body
will enjoy a banquet That'll be quite a nove
you they'll probably give you some of that salad you made
“What's that token of esteem ?” asked Mabel.
"A gold watch."
Harnette spoke up then.
eepily,
You know one tretësh gave me that
"Oh. Orloff!"
you I like
Mabel
Listen This is funny. Except that a dead man said it. Orloff said I should take that watch in my hand and throw
Ist the mirror in the ball it in a thousand them they could
the
His voice sounded like one else's voice, almost loff's talking the to that st really Mabel
the oddest, wild feeling
By Harlan
Ware
said, sitting up.
If you did a thin you'd lose your jo
That wild feeling inside his chest too, when he wo ing. Some had g
ren
gry, only ing and
weren't wor
this morning was still there.
ing about. But
as different. 14
He met Mr. Ashcroft as he went
the hotel
harles, said Mr Ash
"They would," she said bitter pleasantly, inclining-1
That's Just what they would do, isn't it, mother? You'd hink if they were going to give you a watch at all they could at least give you a platinum watch, which is in, instead of a gold one, which is absolutely out, isn't that right, Mother?"
Minnon tried to defend it "Oh, it isn't as bad as that. You see a lot of gold watches around Mr. Ashcraft carries one, him-
minute,
me, but
You called about that the ot
"Did anybody tell you Orloff didn't quit?”
“What's that?” "Orloff he died!"
man?”
too bad. How's the
This will be the talk of the town
date on your
and be there earl
MAIZEES