Middletown transcript., 1918-05-11

suited her with threats and an en-
forced caress. Perhaps he merely
wanted to beg her pardon; she had
heard Of men doing such things 10
their last moments. But she could not
conceive of Mr.. Andrew Bush being
sorry for anything he did. And so sne
could not grasp the reason for that
eleventh-hour summons. But she couid
see that a repetition of such incidents
might put her in a queer light. Other
folk might begin to wonder and inquire
why Mr.. Andrew Bush took such an
interest" in her-a mere stenogra-
pher. Well, she told herself, she did
not care-so long as Jack Barrow's
ears were not assailed by talk. she
smiled at that, for she could picture
the reception any scandal peddler
would get from him.
The next days papers contained the
obituary of Mr.. Andrew Bush. He had
died shortly after midnight. And de-
spite the fact that she held no grudge,
Hazel felt a sense of relief. He was
powerless to annoy or prosecute her,
and she could not escape the convic-
ton that he would have attempted
both had he lived.
She had now been idle matter OF
days. Nearly three months were yet
to elapse before her wedding.
It seemed scarcely worth while to
look for another position. She had
enough money saved to do everything
she wanted to do. It was not so much
lack of money, the need to earn, as
the monotony Of idleness that irked
her. She had acquired the habit OF
work, and that is thing not lightly
shaken off. But during that day she
gathered together the different Gran
Vile papers, and went carefully over
the "want" columns. Knowing the
town as she did, she was enabled to
eliminate the unlikely. undesirable
places. Thus by evening she was
armed with a list of firms and individ-
uals requiring stenographer. And
| in the morning she sailed forth.
Her quest ended with the first place
she sought. The fact of two years
service with the biggest firm in Gran
Vile was ample recommendation; IN
addition to which the Office manager, 1t
deyeloped in their conversation, had
known her father in years gone by.
So before ten o'clock Miss Hazel Weir
was entered on the pay roll of fur
niture-manufacturing house. 1t was
not a permanent position; one of their
girls had been taken i'll and was likely
to take up her duties again in six
weeks or two months. But that suited
Hazel all the better. She could put
in the time usefully, and have breath
ing spell before her wedding.
Three days went by. Hazel attended
the concert with Jack the evening OF
the day Mr.. Andrew Bush received os-
tentatious burial. At ten the next
morning the telephone girl called her.
"Someone wants you on the phone,
Miss Weir" she said.
Hazel took up the dangling receiver
"HellOw
"That you, Hazel?"
She recognized the voice, half guess.
ing it would be he, since no one but
Jack Barrow would be likely to ring
her up.
"Surely. Doesn't it sound like meT
"Have you seen the morning pa
pers?
mo. What"
"Look 'em over. Particularly the
Gazette"
The harsh rattle of a receiver
slammed back on its hook without
even a "good-by" from him struck hel
like a slap in the face. She hung uI
slowly, and went back to her work
Never since their first meeting, and
they had not been exempt from lovers
quarrels, had Jack Barrow ever spo
ken to her like that. Even through the
telephone the resentful note in his
voice grated on her and mystified her
She was chained to her w0rk-which
despite her agitation, she managed tt
wade through without any radical err
rors-until noon. The twelve-to-One
intermission gave her opportunity tt
hurry up the street and buy Gazette
Then, instead Of going home to hel
luncheon, she entered the nearest res
taurant. She wanted chance to read
more than food. She did not unfolG
the paper until she was seated.
| or
caught her eye. The caption read
ANDREW Bush Leaves Money to Ste
nographer." And under it the sub
head: "Wealthy Manufacturer Makes
Peculiar Request to Miss Hazel Weir
The story ran full column, and haG
to do with his interment. There wai
a great deal Of matter anent the prin
cipal beneficiaries. But that which
formed the basis Of the heading was 6
codicil appended to the will a few
hours before his death, in which he die
"give and Dequeath to Hazel Weir, un
til lately in my employ, the sum Of
five thousand dollars Tn reparaton fol
any wrong I may have done her."
Hazel stared at the sheet, and hel
face burned. She could understand
now why Jack Barrow had hung VI
his receiver with slam. She coul(
picture him reading that article an(
gritting his teeth. Her hands clenchet
till the knuckles stood white under
the smooth skin, and then quite alb
ruptly she got up and left the restau
rant even while q waiter hurried tt
take her order. Il she had been {
man. and versed in profanity, sh'
could have cursed Andrew Bush til
his soul shudd1Red on its journe|
through infinite space. Being woman
she wished only q quiet place to cry