The Washington herald., 1914-05-21
DAILY sH0RT STORY.
TuzsDAY AT xIaHr.
d nIonAnD nARkER sHELrd

~ RICHARD DARKxn SHELTON.
Molly Perrin shook her pretty head
most emphaticaiiy.
said -
The young man, standing with her
IN the vsgtibuls, shifted his position.
getting his broad back against the In
ner door, thereby frustratint Aoliy's .
plan to opsn Il With her latchkey.
Quite imposible' b no real reason, !
said he.
'i'm going in now" said Molly with
dignity. 80
ter reason for turnins me DOWN"
.Well. n YOU want all the horrible de-
tails. ] don't care enough about you.
Robert Brainerd seemed not perturbed
At this. Indeed. he smiled.
That's not the rea! reason" said he.
He looked ct her .seArchingly. The girl
tried 10 return that snxed case. but her
eyes suddenly faitsred.
"The real reason said she. and
this time her tone seemed to carry con-
viction TO him, ''is that ! won't marry
any man uniess I'm the most important
thing In his life. I'm not the most i'm
RSttaVt ultb4 tu yVSsSff W essS ASN~sso'
why. Molly, OF course. you are said
he.
mo, I'm not" she said. why. you
can't even bother to keep your engage
ments with me. Day before yesterday you
were two hours late In getting here; yes
terday you didn't come 81 all. although
you said you'd see me at ,4:3o Today,
after waiting some three hours for you
and growing tired. run out Tor breath
Of air and happen to meet you COM
ing up the street. I'm very. very i'm
portant. It would seem from all that"
My dear, I've tried to explain I'm a
very busy man these days. I've scarcely
. minute to breathe. I-"s
She made q wry little face Business.
business. always business" said she. II
see Il comes before me. and that has
made me decide as I have. Now, please.
let me 20 into the house"
But Brainerd made no move to take
his back away from the door.
You're not fair" said he.
She whirled on him wrathfully.
1T isn't as II you had to do it, said
she. You're not pressed for ready
money and you never will be. 1t would
seem that a little of this highly impor-
tant business might be dropped once in a
while SO that you could keep one ap-
pointment with me. As II is
Now. see here" said he. and his tone
was that of q man who checked his
impatience with an. effort, you have al
ways said before that mere possession
Of money is no adequate excuse for a
mans not working and giving the very
best he has In him to his work. Well.
that's what I'm doing, or trying to do
work not for the sake of working. but
to accomplish something. II I'm going
to build up a legal practice of my own
I've got to hustle early and late. And
when 1 do I'm handed this little welt
from YOU"
The girl said nothing. but the set OF
her lips told him his words had been
wasted SO far as she was concerned. at
least.
Here I am just getting a chance to
have the legal work Of the Intercity
Company. shaving my head of to get II
to please you. and you accuse me of
putting my work before you. Why. I've
been chasing Stone and Holden for q
month now. and the deals coming to 4
head. That's why I'm so seemingly neg
lectful. Don't think for q minute that
all the business in the world comes
ahead Of you"
Her lips relaxed a little in their tense
ness at that
Prove it, she said shortly.
II wili." he declared. How shall I
90 it?'
This Is Friday. isn't it," she said.
We'll, I'll give you until Tuesday to
think over whether or not Il Is worth
while keeping your appointments with
me. Come TO me Tuesday evening at
J. We will be out at the Lokeville house
them
II viii" said he.
IF business doesn't interfere" she
mocked.
1T won't" said he. grimly.
He stepped away from the door. She
,pened It and slipped inside. But be-
fore she had closed II entirely she said
softly: Maybe. IL you're on time-It
sn't much to ask you to be on time once,
IS it?''-rn have a different answer for
you"
Watch net he cried jubilantly as
The door closed.
At Z o'clock that Tuesday afternoon
Brainerd's stenographer called him to the
phone. II was Holden. of the Intercity
Company. on the wire. He and Stone, he
said. would like to see Mr.. Brainerd.
Holden went out with his head in the |
clouds. He was sure now that the thing |
ne was working for had gone through: |
hat he was to have at last the legal |