The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-19
DECORATOR
BY JANE OSBORN.

Tindenham & Co. came in from lunch
con on that memorable spring after
noon, he first saw the ladder propped
against the end of his desk Then he
saw the familiar figure of his office
boy looking upward with wide-open
mouth and, as his line of vision went
upward. he saw the girl
She was slender and graceful and he
admitted to himself from the first that
she looked very charming on the top
rung of the ladder. Still he resented
the intrusion and was only slightly
Modified after her explanation.
You are Mr.. Tracy. aren't you" she
said in the most selfconfident of sweet
young voices. Il am Miss Grey. l am
here to do your office over. Mr.. Til
denham arranged it.
Mr.. Tracy would have explained, as
he at first intended to do. that he con-
sidered her presence an intrusion, had
1t not been that as she had turned to
make her explanation she had leveled
upon him eyes as blue as sapphire.
Then he sat down at his desk, rang
for his stenographer-there were no
women stenographers at Tildenham's
and trie to concentrate his atten-
ton on answering the days mail.
In an hour her task was done and
she left with the explanation to Mr..
Tracy that she would resume her work
before his arrival the next morning.
And Mr. Tracy" she said by way
of parting, as you usually lock your
desk at night, must ask you to leave
! the key with the cashier on your way
out tonight, SO that when ! come in
| the morning | can have everything
moved from this desk to the new one"
Morgan Tracy meant to object
| strongly. But again he caught the
| sapphire blue of her eyes and merely
looked annoyed. He babe her good
evening and went home. He felt that
| he had been rude to her. and instead
of feeling resentment at her intrusion
he felt as if he owed her an apology.
So it was that when just as Miss
Grey had returned from hasty din
ner in a nearby restaurant and was
busy directing the paperhangers, Mr.
Tracy appeared on the scene. But it
was Mr. Tracy without his usual dicta
torial manner.
II didn't like the idea of having you
here alone in this deserted office he
said so | have come to wait here till
you are through and, II you will permit
| it and have no other escort, to take
you to your home"
Miss Grey did not attempt to con
ceal her obvious satisfaction at this
courtesy You are very good she
said, and then. holding up some of the
treasures from the case she was UNI
packing See, Mr.. Tracy. isn't this a
better wall calendar than that dread.
full colored Autograph, And these new
brown blotters will be relief to you
after those frightful pink ones. l know
you cant get them at downtown deal
ers, but 1t is worth the difference to
have to order them specially. And
then I ordered some bronze desk 1T
tings that will be so much better than
those frightful pressed glass and
cheap brass things"
That night when he escorted her
home she insisted on being left at
the corner. She had not permitted
him to take her home In a taxi, and
now she was not even going to let him
know where she lived. The next morn
ing Mr.. Tracy found her at seven In
his Office. The change was marvellous
From a dull, uninteresting room. de
! void Of character, 1t had been trans
, formed to a room of distinction-no1
in the least less businesslike ant
manly because 1t had been nodded un
der the trained eye and skillful hant
of a woman.
Il never knew in what wilderness
had lived BEFORE" he admitted. .
really do not think ! have such afro
, cious taste. ] always knew that IN!
office was uncouth. disliked that fir'
/, ! insurance calendar as much as you
did. But didn't know how to change
1t. It's the same way with my apart
ment. have spent enough money OIL
: it and still 1t doesn't SATISFYING. Per
, haps you would undertake to trans
form that. too-unless you confin'
your skill to offices"
, Miss Grey laughed in way tina
was tantalizing and simply said per
haps" Then she got into her Goa
, and adjusted her hat at the miro
that hung in screened corner of tn
newly arranged office.
Just at present" she said, lets g
. and see Mr. Tildenham. He was e1
| pected in this morning, | believe"
! Together they entered the office o
, Tracy's chief and Tracy believed hin
self dreaming at first when the delight
, full Miss Grey greeted that stern bus
> ness magnate with bear hug and
r kiss Hello, dad" she said. Nv
won the bet. Now come and see hoy
r have done It, ] pretended ] was a.
interior decorator you had ordered 7
] redecorate Mr.. Tracy's Office"
I You see, Mr.. Tracy" she continue
her right hand was in that of he
' father and now she laid her othe
I hand on Mr. Tracy's arm in friendl
fashion as IL TO complete the circle
;. you see, MT. tracy, rather anu al
0 great chums. You've no idea ho'
much | know about his business, an
: he has told me lots of things abou
YOU. He said that the only fault 20
t had was that you were-yes, I'll tie
e you Just the word he used. He sal
+ YOU were getting fussy He said yo
S had use the same inkwell and tn
same desk for ten years. and wagere
a Ha nd