The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-06-27

i've called on all my friends. You
see don't know many people in town,
and I've shopped tall I've bought a
truhkful of things / don't need. I've
| spent hours in church and other hours
In the museum and the public libra
! ries. SO your invitation was very
welcome. Perhaps if 1 had always
| lived in the North I could stand the
| apartment. But you see this is my
| first winter North. 1 came with my
| aunt and now she has gone away for
few weeks and Pm alone. One feels
| the cold more when one is alone, I
think" Then promising not to dis
| turb Mr.. Carter any more she con-
tinued her knitting in silence. From
| time to time when Mr.. Carter felt that
| her eyes were intent on her knitting
| he swung around in his swivel chair
and caught timid glance at the girl.
Sometimes he noticed the graceful an
| kle, at other times the slender capable
hands that were so neatly framed in
| the tight white lace cuffs Of her dark
sleeves. At other times he noticed the
CLINT of auburn in her hair and then
again the long curve of the dark lasheS
that shaded her blue eyes. He did
not know that from beneath those long
lashes the blue eyes were perfectly cap
able of observing his stolen glances
though the graceful fingers went on
uninterruptedly with the needles and
wool.
Couldn't you give me job?" Nancy
Crosby put this question to Mr.. Carter
one day after she had been making
her visits to his Office for the purpose
Of keeping warm during the course of
an entire week. 81 am getting tired Of
knitting. One can't do that all the time.
l could do copying for you and sort
over papers perhaps and stick up en-
velopes and stamps and things"
SO Mr.. Carter secured a little ma
hogany desk, had 1t placed beside his
own and there established Nancy Cros-
by as his volunteer assistant. They
had finally agreed that the money that
she earned as his assistant should be
contributed to the Red Cross.
1t was in the afternoon of that day
that Mr.. Carter dropped In at the
Marbridge Court and getting the
emergency key to apartment Four d
from the janitOr there let himself into
the empty apartment and did little
amateur tinkering on his own account.
That morning through his incessant
efforts a goodly supply Of coal had
been deposited in the coal bins of the
Marbridge Court.
Nancy Crosby continued to work for
him for a week more. He asked her
one day whether her apartment was
still cold. "Yes," she said, st really
Is dreadful. There isn't any steam in
the living room radiator, though the
bedroom radiators are all right. But
you see I can't stay there in the day
time. Isn't it strange, for the other
tenants are perfectly comfortable
now"
Eyes, it is funny" agreed Carter,
and began to read lease on his desk
with eagerness.
At the end of that week Nancy's
aunt was expected to return and
Nancy had indicated that shs would
have to give up her job.
II took it just to be spiteful. IN fact,
1 came down to bother you, tust to
make you furious. I thought You were
holding off the steam so as 10 save
money and I intended to find out and
to make you so tired of seellg me
around that you would get the coal
at any cost. But really l have had a
lovely time. Thank you for making it
so pleasant. But now that aunt IS COM
ing back / really wish something
could be done about that apartment"
'Tll go up myself" Carter promised.
"Maybe something Is the matter with
the living room radiator. I'll nave it
attended to at once. But-but-we
aren't going to forget each other now,
are we? You see, I've been getting
terrifcally interested in you, though r
suppose to you I'm AN impossible sort
Of fellow"
"Impossiblew echoed Nancy. "You
don't suppose I would have fibbed
about the radiator if l hadn't wanted
an excuse to be with you. 1 haven't
even noticed whether it was hot or
cold"
you haven't" gasped Carter. "And
| put the valve out of commission in
your living ROOM"