September, 1941
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
339
The Pure in Heart
A Story By BERTHA B. MOORE
C ONRAD WILLIS was tired. He had been walking all morning and up until three o’clock in the afternoon. He had not succeeded In making a single sale of his set of eight really splendid books, the Bible In eight volumes, with the first volume a children’s study of the Bible. People seemed simply not interested in such books, or too busy to be bothered, or too short of money to invest in books of any sort. No matter what were their reasons, Conrad Willis was tired, discouraged, and almost ready to give up trying to "peddle” books, anyway. ."I’ll try one more place!” he decided, starting up the walk to a pretentious- looking house. "These people should have the money, and they should be Interested in the Bible in eight volumes with excellent print and all these mar velous helps!” Conrad stood very straight and dig nified and handsome as he lifted the imposing knocker. He fully expected a butler to appear and calmly to inform him the mistress of the house needed no eight-volume Bible. The door opened suddenly and noiselessly and vigorously. “ Oh, hello!” came from a charming young voice. Conrad rose to the occasion. He began his sales talk in his very best manner. “Do come in!” invited his pleasant hostess, a smartly dressed young woman. He followed her into a spacious living room that gave the impression of being very much overstuffed. While he proceeded with his npxt "step,” the young woman lit a cigarette and listened with an amused smile playing about her red lips. She sat up quite suddenly, motioned toward him with her lovely hands, and interrupted him, saying, "You are simply marvelous! And are you a friend in need! I say! Listen, Mr. Whatever- your-name-is, what are you doing to night ?” “My name is Conrad Willis. Tonight I am supposed to make out my report, study a lesson in my correspondence course, and finally retire so that I may attempt to sell some more of .these sets tomorrow.” She laughed gaily. "You are quaint. Listen, Conrad Willis, please let me borrow you tonight. I’m giving a party. One of my men has gone teetotally out on me. I’ve tried and tried to rake up another one in his place,' but there’s not an available personable man I can find. And now here you are! You will do simply marvelously. You will, won’t you ?”
Conrad was confused. "But, Miss Whatever-your-name-is, I may not fit in your party!” "My name is Julia Blackburn. Oh, yes, you will fit. A man like you would fit anywhere. Do you have a tux?” i, “That’s all right, John has an extra one. He’s my brother and he is just your size! You have absolutely no ex cuse. I’d be willing to pay you per fectly good money, I’m that desperately in need of an extra man of exactly your type. I could pay, well, say ten dollars. Does that help?” “Frankly, yes. I’m trying to get enough cash together,for my last year, at college. Every dollar counts, espe cially since I haven’t sold a single set of'books all day long. But, Miss Black burn, I’m not' a party man.” “That won’t matter at all. Just leave it to me, and I’ll take a set of books, too. Now you will do this for me, won’t • you?” Against his better judgment, Conrad finally agreed. Ten dollars plus the commission on the best binding was something not to be neglected. What was one party, even though he might not approve of all that would be done? No one would know him. He would never see any of them again. And ten dollars extra! “No, I do n ot”
dance. They were laughing and teasing and apparently having a very delightful time. He saw po harm in what any one was doing at that moment. Then he gave in. He was graceful, light on his feet, quick to learn the steps. As the young night .grew old and became the beginning of a new day, Conrad had to admit that the fun that had begun so innocently was not ending as it had begun. There had been drink ing, and some of the young men, and even the young women, were far from being as sober as they had been upon their arrival. Conrad did not drink. He did not smoke. He wished he could escape and go home. When he had about decided to slip back to John’s room, change his clothes, and leave, Julia made her way to him. "I want to thank you for helping me out, Conrad,” she said. "You’ve been grand. In fact, I want to know you better. I wish you would come to see me some time when this gang isn’t here. Would you?” she asked prettily. "Why, Miss Julia, I’d like to very much,” he answered, quite truthfully, for he had liked John and he had liked Julia. "Then do. And don’t say Miss Julia. It sounds too much as if I were an old mqid. I know you must be tired
He a p p e a r e d early enough to be taken to John’s room, where he dressed in one of John’s suits. It did fit. And he certainly was handsome. While he gave his hair, black and too curly to suit his masculine taste, one more bit of brushing, he thought, “Becky, you should see me now!” But Becky was too far away to be seeing Con rad. All she could do was to keep oh praying for him every day, He mingled with the crowd of young people, none of whom he had known before he was in troduced. They accepted him as one of themselves. They danced. He declined, saying he did not know how. Three girls clus tered around him, pulling him upon the floor. They promised to teach him to
Conrad rose to the occasion prepared to give his sales talk in his very best manner.
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