Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-02-04
.IQNL me 79)
MUDDY S@4R2
bY GELETT DURG[S SI1
ILLUSTRATED q RAY WALEB9
c0oEaGH% BY GxzEZ| 1U9GESS
mr. 1y GzEV 1L7GxSS

II i OILY udu you 4 bhOn iii Eho
say, don't go yet, please, Miss Fisher
wait till | get rid of it for once and for
all-it1l do me good-you wouldn't
ever have the likes of me, / know
that amt all of tits only l want to
do something for You. just to prove
how | feel! II l could only help you
some way!-don't you understand how
1t is, Miss Fisher? Won't you give me
a try sometime? That's all l want
nowi"
Flodie, leaning against the table.
watched him with tears in her eyes.
All, Flodie understood! How well she
knewl She could no longer laugh at
him. Kindly she stretched forth her
hand; and the janitor who, in all his
life had never known gallantry.
reached for 1t, and kissed it as natu-
rally as might a courtier. He touched
Flodie's little hand as If it were a holy
relic; and on 1t there fell a soft rain
of tears.
Flodie bit her lip; she slowly shook
her head. I'm awfully sorry, Alfred,
really; but I don't see what l can do"
Alfred's lips quivered, and his hands
writhed as he replied: "Why all /
want vol to do is to promise, Miss
Fisher-ask me to do something for
you. Something hard to do. The very
hardest thing you know. Why, I'd do
anything, Miss Fisher, anything"
Alfred meant literally what he said.
She put her soft hand in his. 81 know
what you mean, Alfred" she said So
berly. You're so good! I'll call on
you If ever l need you. I'll promise"
She turned a little sadly back to her
desk.
"All right" Alfred's look Toasted on
her. He paused by the door. Its
really more than 1 ever hoped for, Miss
Fisher, what you just said! Thank
you'll" He left, almost with dignity.
Flodie turned to her work. From
the telephone to her printing she vi
brated, and from that to her accounts,
occasional inspection of Alfred's prog
ress, and arrangements for the eve
ning's refreshments. Meanwhile her
busy mind was going over the problem
of managing her trio of rivals. If she
could only find Rosamund! Rosamund
she had, from the first, disliked; she
had always resented her appearance.
Now she fairly longed for her to open
the door. She thought and thought of
some possible way to reach her.
In a half hour, miraculously, as if
summoned by Flodie's mental demand,
who but Rosamund did open the door!
-Rosamund Gale, more patronizing,
more assured and nonchalant than
ever.
Hello" she said coolly; Hall
here?" She sauntered up to the mir
ror and poked at her golden ringlets.
why, no. Mr.. Bonistelle has just
left" said Flodie, suspiciously cordial,
stopping her writing. But Pm expect
ing him any minute. Won't you
waltz"
Rosamund craned her neck, trying
to catch a glimpse of her barrette.
Those pictures of mine developer"
mo, Miss Gale. Mr.. Bonistelle had
to work o. some of his customers.
I'm sorry"
well, l should think he might get
mine done first. l was in an awful
hurry to see EN-"
well, he has to attend to business
part of the time, you know, Miss Gale"
said Fodie.
"Oh, indeed" Rosamund gave her a
long, cruel stare. g" don't see why he
bothers about his old business so
much. He a afford to take it easy,
well enough"
well, of course I wouldn't say any
thing about it to a customer, you
know. but so long as you and Hall are
such great friends, why,-well, the
fact Is, I'm rather worried"
Flodie noted with glee that Rosa.
mund was losing color.
do you mean to say that Hall
Bonistelie isn't doing as we'll as-well,
as we'll as he says?" Rosamund de-.
manded.
F1odie smiled with secret satisfac.
ton. ooh, l wouldn't exactly say that,
you know, but then-well, it costs a
lot to run this place. Here, look at
those bills! l don't think he'd mind,
so long as it's you!" She handed Rosa.
mund a neatly folded parcel. 81 don't
know how in the world we're ever
going to pay them!"
Rosamund turned them over curl
ously, frowning. "H'm!" she said to
herhelf, through frightened lips. Quite
a bunch of 'em, isn't there? Why, l
don't see how he can expect to-"
she gazed anxiously at Flodie.
Flodie, seeing her advantage, art
fully receded. "Oh, Mr.. Bonistelle is
optimistic, you know. He always thinks
he's going to come out all right. Just
a wee bit reckless, perhaps, but then,
well, l guess it'll be all right"