The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-06-07
PRESSING HIS SUIT
BY SYLVIA TURNER.
!. ...."s"s"."...".-.".......-......

nine then He had figured on a quiet
evening at the hotel, going over his
new list of prospective customers for
the firm and starting out early in the
morning fit and groomed for the fray.
The wire was so like Caroline.
ARRIVE 1922 p. No., Grand Central.
Evelyn also. Meet"
One of the charms OF having an elder
| married sister was this unexpectedness
| OF her calls on one. And by slipping
In that bit about Evelyn Granger, she
had clinched the matter. She knew
that the only thing which could really
stir him to definite and swift action
was the chance of seeing Evelyn. Yet
1t was now after nine, and he wore
suit Of pajamas.
The boy who answered his prolonged
ring was dense. The one who had talk
en- his suit was off duty for the night
This one didn't know where the other
had taken the suit to be pressed. Any
way, all the tailoring places were
closed now. Fleming stared down at
him with deadly fascination, as the
boy made manifest the hopelessness Of
the situation.
He could go to bed. He would have
heavy cold, quick congestion, any
thing that necessitated great caution.
He called up the Office and ordered
some hasty drugs to make a showing
with. lie took the heavy white blank
cts from the bed and piled the pillows
on the couch, drew the small stand
near and arranged his bottles around
temptingly. Then as 10 80 drew near,
and he knew it was time for their
arrival, he stretched out under the
covers, after phoning the clerk at the
desk to tell Mrs. Henry Hardy, his sis
ter, when she arrived, that he was i'll
and to reserve the best suite for her
and Miss Granger.
Caroline received the message in
blank amazement.
as he very ill?" Mrs. Hardy asked.
The clerk was inclined to the opinion
that he was. His tone had been fever
ish and slightly delirious over the tele-
phone. He was just about to send the
hotel physician up.
ooh, by all means send him up.
Caroline exclaimed. pneumonia is just
everywhere now. Perhaps / should
call up Doctor Hazelhurst, too. He Is a
wonderful specialist, Evelyn. You
know what he did for Uncle Charles.
l think l WILL"
Evelyn waited anxiously while Doc
tor Hazelhurst was summoned.
ooh, yes, got him. He's coming up
at once. Let's go up, now. / don't
know, Evelyn, but what I'll ask you to
go with me, I'm so upstrung and upset
by this. Ken wouldn't mind, and he's
probably out of his head anyway"
so it happened that without being
announced, save by soft tap on the
door, Fleming's guests appeared sud.
denly before him. He surely looked
wild-eyed and stunned. Mrs. Hardy
hurried to him tenderly and knelt be-
side him.
"Dear, dear old chap" she cried.
"Don't worry one bit. It's so fortunate
we came in time. Are you very HIP"
Fleming remembered his role, and
said he was. He tried to avoid Eve
lyn's appealing eyes. She had never
looked lovelier than now, In her brown
broadcloth travelling gown, with a
wide-brimmed hat, and big bunch of
violets at her belt. If he had had any
doubt before, it was swept away by
the message her eyes sent to him.
"Do you know us, Ken, dear" Caro-
line begged anxlously, smoothing back
his hair. ''You mustn't worry one bit.
1 shall stay right with you and Doctor
Hazelhurst is coming at once. Why
don't you go to bed? There's draft
here from that transomT
She stepped into the inner bedroom
to investigate, and Fleming sat up,
alert and calm, very calm.
Evelyn" he said, in low tone.
"You'll understand. Tn not Ill. I've
sent my only suit out to be pressed.
Can't you steer this beastly specialist
away from me?"
The telephone bell rang. Evelyn
stepped to the wall and took the re-
ceiver down.
"HelloW she called. "Yes? Oh,
send him right up, please. Thank you
so much. And-and when the doctor
comes tell him Mrs. Hardy viii see him
downstairs"
She turned with a twinkle In her
eyes, demure little smile ON her lips.
ITS Tucker, the bellboy" she said.
"He has parcel for you, Ken. Shall
we wait for you downstairs? Tn aw-
fully hungry. We just had light
dinner before leaving and thought
you'd go out to supper with US later
here at the hotel, or wherever you
wanted to take u.s."
an ten minutes" Fleming told her,
exuberantly.
II took the full ten minutes to make
adequate explanations to Caroline,
likewise to the keen-eyed old doctor
when he arrived. And later, when
Fleming found his opportunity, 1t was
TN odd proposal of marriage he made.
"For, dear heart, 1t isn't just be-
cause you're the one girl In the world
whom l miss; it's because you under
stand fellow and have got sense of
humor. You managed the whole thing
wonderfully for me, and never even
blamed me once"
Evelyn turned her head to smile at
him, just long, intimate, understand
Ing smile