The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-06-26
CHAPTER |.

walked INTO the once.
The large light room was vacant
Flodie shook her head in sorrowful dis
appointment at her employers tardi
ness, and shrugged her shoulders. ooh
dear!" she muttered impatiently, lust
what l expected" Then, with a shake
of her head as one who says, 1T must
be done!" she walked in and listened
outside Hall Bonistelle's bedroom door
For moment she stood poised, awk-
wardly graceful-or rather gracefully
awkward, perhaps so quaint, so orig
inal was her attitude. She knocked
with firmness: The summons was per-
emptory, yet it had the secret indul-
child. The only answer was a not I'M
musical baritone growl.
She banged on the door again. This
time she really meant it. Mr. Boni-
STEELE! You must get up Immediately
come on now!"
A wait-then the unwilling reply,
'"All right"
Flodie walked back to the office,
browning, and sat down at her desk. A
leaf from the calendar pad was ripped
off, the desk top was busted with a
cloth; then she stopped suddenly. The
elevator door had banged.
Almost Immediately there entered
to her the sad young janitor, Mr.. Al
fred Smallish. He gave a pathetic
hopeless look at Flodie and hung at
anchor in the doorway, meekly.
MI M L, I,o ov,1
grinned.
Flodie gave glance at him, casual
ly, then gazed with more interest.
Pale blue eyes, large Roman nose,
wideopen ears and a quivering mouth
had Alfred His chin was that OF a
lizard, sloping back weakly to prom
inent Adams apple.
She fumbled' over the photographs
on the table behind her.
Alfred" she said in the voice of a
school maam, did you see picture
of me had here on the table the other
day."
He turned fire-red. "You-you didn't
want that picture, did you, Miss Fish
err" His eyes implored her wildly,
/
say So only thought, maybe"
"Well, Alfred Smallish! like that!"
Flodie calculated
ooh, Miss Fisher-you see, well, 4
ididn't quite dare to ask you, and-well,
iyou know, | thought-it's just grand
.of you, Miss Fisher! I'd think the
world of it, and-couldn't you pos
isibly-"
That's enough, Alfred! l don't
dare to discuss it. You just walk that
picture back Immediately" Flodies
voice was sharp, but well,
Flodie couldn't help plying him. She,
weakened. Perhaps, I'll give you one,
sometime. I'll see."
Mr.. Smallish beamed with pleasure,
,"Some folks mightn't think you was
pretty, Miss Fisher. but think"
F1odie whipped out her watch.
Gracious sakes!" she cried, where's
Mr.. Bonistelle's eggs?"
"I'll go down and see if they're
! lily.
We'll, hurry up, then! If his break.
+, fast isn't here when he comes, he's |
+! liable to eat the tablecloth and go
right back to bed. Quick now!"
+. "Yes'm!" Mr.. Smallish left in de-
+. lection Flodie walked swiftly into the
studio and knocked again at her en-
ployer's door. "Mr. Bonistelle! Are
you ready for breakfast" she called.
Floddie's tone had changed decided
as it was, it had softened; it was al
most musical. Her face had changed,
also. She stood as if awaiting
vision.
Footsteps were heard in Halls bed
room Now, there are two kinds of
men: those who are shocked even unto
modification by being discovered in
the act of shaving, and those who take
a malicious delight in their outrageous
condition. Hall Bonistelle opened the
door and protruded his belathered
face shamelessly, grinning.
Even disheveled as he was at pres
ent, scandalously tousled and be-
daubed with soapsuds, his smile was
disarming.
Flodie's alteration of him, though
of the maternal order, did not lessen
her firmness. do you realize how
much you've got to do today, Mr.. Bon
istelle?"
Nothing to do but work." he chant
ed gaily.
you have an appointment at ten
D clock-and you know how you al !
ways poke over that old breakfast"
Speaking of which, wherefore not I
1ere?" He joyously chucked her I'M {
Ter the chin.
Flodie loved it but dared not show. {
It'll be here by the time you're fit 7
o be seen. You wash that face of i
yours and hurry up with it, you big /
,aby, you! I've got too much to do l.
myself to talk to you'll" I
"All right, oh, fair assistant, l must a
,bey!" Hall Disappeared and Flodie s
marched back to the office. v