Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-03

suave, and there was not a trace of
| girder, or a beam, or bolt, nut, or
even washer in his head! One could
easily tell that
This is an unexpected pleasure!"
Billy's voice rang. quite opportune,
too; 1 have something for you"
| The young lady was very prim, as
her dark gray eyes rested demurely
in the exact center of Bfllys frankly
admiring gaze.
That's nice" she dimpled. Moth
er has just discovered a few extra
pages of manuscript, which may or
may not belong to the book, and she
thought you might need them at
once. She was unable to come out
to-day"
"Too bad!" sympathized Billy, with
every appearance of satisfaction.
"Oh, Geraldine. Miss Stuart, Miss
Benning." He stepped back with
positive joy as he brought these beau
tiful creatures together. You don't
know what a tremendous pleasure 1T
gives me to introduce you two girls"
Then he added the fatal sentence
which, since time began, has proved
all men to be asses. I'm sure that
you'll like each other immensely"
They did. They smiled at each
other their intense delight at the
meeting, the gray eyes and the brown.
They each displayed a thorough ap-
probation of the others undeniable
beauty. Geraldine finished with a
droop of her eyes and fluff of her
gorgeous muffs. She was most grac-
| ious!
They chatted. They occupied the
conventional moment or so with Won
drous ease and poise, though imps
began to dance in the violet eyes and
twinkle from the black curls. How
sweet and soft-voiced the young
| ladies werei Billy was overjoyed.
Geraldine turned to him with her
most engaging smile.
"I'll wait for you, Billy" she cooed,
and went in to join Tommy and John
Doe. Bully girl she was! Always
extra sweet after a flare-up.
Now for the manuscript" said
Lane, and led the way to his private
office, where, with brisk haste, he
placed chair at the side of his desk
for Octavia Stuart, and sat down in
his own swivel. Lady visitors were
rare in the William Lane offices, and,
moreover, this was the first time
| OctaVia had called! Billy had been
at the house three times, on business.
''Is your mothers cold no better 2"
he inquired solicitously, as the caller
produced some neatly folded pages
of manuscript from her handbag.
quite a bit, thank you," smiled
the girl, lifting her eyes to Billy's,
done, for it stopped him completely
in something he was about to say.
To save him, he could not remember
what it was!
Colds are very disagreeable at this
time of year."
Eyes, aren't they?" Imps in the
violet eyes, imps in the twinkling
curls, imps in the fleeting dimples.
| She serenely waited for him to open
the pages of manuscript, but he
chucked them into a drawer.
Il haven't had a cold this winter"
He offered that in lieu of brilliant
thought, and wondered what was the
matter with him. Dog-gone him, he
wasn't usually dumb
The girl suddenly took compassion
on him; nice, big, good-natured chap
that he was. How splendidly his
| head was set!
Here's something you'll like" she
smiled, and from her handbag she
produced a sample of a place card
for children's party. She was re-
warded by Billy's instant hearty
laugh. Such things as this had anus
ed him so much the last time he was
at the house. The sample folded
! into the shape of a Noah's ark. with
a giraffe sticking its head out of the
chimney. They're all to be different
of course" she explained; "a monkey
| looking out of a window of one, and
green snake crawling around an
other, and - oh. all sorts of animals. :"
Your idea, I'll bet. You and your
mother have a positive genius for
these little creative things" He was
much more at ease, except that he
was worried.
Why had he told her that he had
something for her! 1t rustled now in
his pocket. as he closed the drawer
in which he had put the manuscript
1t was an advance royalty check for
five hundred dollars, which he had
wrung out of the book publishers.
Brilliant thought! A dash of color in
the drawer had caught his eve
Tommy Tinkle's fantastic sketches for
a neXt-month costume ball Wouldn't
Tommy scream when those sketches
weie reported lost! al said | had
something for you, and here it is" he
happily stated, producing the gay
little sketches. "I thought vour
mother might use them for her dolls. F"
Hang Tommy! lie could make new
ones, and naturally they would be
different.
AREN'T they clever!" cried Octavia.
her eyes sparkling.
Billy touched his pocket with sat
Iisfaction.. His laugh was quite care
free.
by the way" he observed, I'm
sure 10 nave check for your mother,
in the late mail. I'll bring it down
to the house, If 1 may"
Only a flash of the imps. The
mails were still running, but, of
course
That's mighty nice of you" There
was trace of her mothers drawl
in her voice at times. Deliciousi II
was music! Billy violently repressed
the desire to mention her eyes. and
her black curls, and a few other
things.
What a grand little hati" He
laughed at it as he had laughed at
the place card, laugh of pure de-
light.
little touch of color came into
the delicately tinted cheeks, but she
dimpled.