The Huttig news., 1914-04-11

erayely. From an upper drawer of the big desk at which she had oeen seated she secured long, formidable looking paper and. rising. approached him with l 1t. Do you care to go over it now
 lie eyed it askance. as if it might have been 8 dangerous thing and liable to sting Business, Should he ever really discover how to feel the slight est interest in it or understanding Of it? What tiresone looking thing it was
 No; not right now" he told hsr al- most shivering. "I-Mr. Wallace prom ised to do all that for me.
 She put the statement hack into her desk. a little disappointed. Then he'll be here this morning."
 Yes he'll be here right away. He had to go to the barber shop He laughed. T shave myself. thank God, 2" he added fervently.
 Her manner now became more seri- ons and rather puZzling It was not as if he had done anything which dis pleased her, it was not even as if she thought he might: it was only that Of the delightful woman who is wonder ing if, presently, she may not think he might. She was not suspicious. she suspected that she might suspect He knew 1t; men always know when wom- en are beginning to wonder if they had not better very soon begin to wonder. It's the only intuition mere men have. The others are all feminine menopo- lies.
 Presently, while he waited. aeutely conscious that some unpleasant ele- ment had entered into the situation, but densely ignorant of it's character; and while she calmly N snt about the business of her office management, at which, it may as well be stated now as ever sue showed unmistaka ble signs of perfect competence, she went to complicated filing cabinet. extracted from it certain other papers. carried them across the room to the desk near which he had found seat. laid them on that desk, then slowly turned and faced him.
 Do you know that MT. Pembroke. of the Consolidated. is here in town" she asked. after a seconds hesitation
 To her great satisfaction which she would not for the world have admitted. he did not hesitate before he an- swered; he did not try to beat around the bush; he indulged in no evasions or delays of any kind whatever.
 '1es, 1 know it. he said promptly.
 It may be that some detail in his tone or manner treasured her, at any rate her voice, when she spoke next. was free from a certain icy hint of criticism which undoubtedly had crept into it.
 Did he come here with you?s
 No; he followed me here
 Have you seen him?" She made no attempt to offer an excuse for eross-exa mining him: she evidently asked the question as an interested party who has right to be informed Was she not citizen of Jonesville and an employe of the Jones Pepsin Gum Company"
 No: I have not seen him. but Mir. Wallace saw him last night and turned down hts offer. too
 Instantly the reserve, which. intangi- ble but perceptible, had affected her, dropped from her. She was no longer 1 in the least suspicious
 Oh. I'm so glad!" she exclaimed | cordially.
 But he failed to note this circum- stance; he failed to ward against on. coming danger. As matter of fact he was not thinking of her as an employe of the Jones company, he was not thinking about Jonesville. he was con- sidering his own pressing need for money and the delightful possibility that through Pembroke, in one way or another, that need must be relieved. He rose and paced the floor with light and hopeful tread. wholly without ap- prehension
 We gave him to understand that We wouldn't sell for less than a million aid half. He said this half proudly.
 hen. with the accents of hoper: We expect him here at eleven o'clock with his answer
 Her face took on a puzzled and dis approving frown. But you just gave your word to the men that
 Now he spoke definitely and crisply. No one listening to him could imagine l that he did not mean exactly what he said; that he had not carefully consid- cred every meaning of each syllable that he was uttering.
 ''0h. don't be afraid, he assured her T meant exactly what I said to Higgins
 She sighed with real relief
 T don't mind telling you, Miss Rich. ards that when came here yesterday my intention was to sell this business and get it off my hands at any price or sacrifice"
 The mere statement of this evidently past and gone intention was a shock to her. He noted, and not without emotion-mind that: Broadway unmis- takaoly was touched--that her face blanched at the thought of that which he had definitely decided not to do.
 The young man was beginning to think; he was forming some fafnt realization of the fact that his own