South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-03

ed-wire teller's cage-no wonder the
Reliable Trust Co. was considered
behind the times But that was not
ell. From the office boy" who dust
ed the rows upon rows of books and
opened the window shutters every
morning. up to the manager who oc-
cupied the only comfortable chair
in the establishment, the office staff
was made up Of clerks ranging in
years from IS TO 10.
When Jack Tracey was introduced
to il all, and realized that he would
have to work in a place that was
more like an aged peoples home
than anything he could think of, he
decided there were only two things
TO do, either put some life in the
/ place or become like the other men,
bers of the staff. The girls" were all
old maids and the men all grouches,
and 10 make matters worse his uncle
expected him 10 follow their lead.
believing that the secret Of the sue
cess of the business lay in the old
city and the old residents liked 70
do business in the same place and
with the same people that had
served them for so years.
So Jack put away his sporty
/ clothes and changed his striped ties
for black ones. He felt like a chief
mourner in his gray suit and black.
tie. or even worse About the second
week. he realized II he stayed there
ne would go crazy or dumb. At one
time there had been a manager who
/ had made a rule against talking dur
! ing business hours and IL was stin
/ strictly adhered TO. The first and
only time he had ried to be So
I ciable had resulted in his being so
completely snubbed he had not tried
it again. It was just like working in
4 cold storage plant.
We can hardly censor poor Jack
/ for feeling a trifie jubilant over the
death from old age Of one Of the
staff, for she had lived past the al
lotted span, and Jack knew Of hun
dreds Of nice girls just waiting for
positions. It seemed hardly possible
( that there was another spinster in
the city who was not employed in
their office. but sure enough there
was. and when Jack saw her HIS
I spirits took a sudden drop, and his
visions of a sweet young thing,
pounding on the typewriter by his
side. vanished. Straight black hair
/ pulled tight back TO knob on the
back Of her head. high -collarei
black dress. nl-ftting and old fash
! toned: low-heeled shoes, tortoise
shelled trimmed glasses, freckled
+ forehead and a pug-nose that de-
scrbed her exactly. Jack groaned in
wardly every time he looked in her
direction and thought of some of the
nice stenographers they might have
/ hired. Her name was Prunella, and
1 she looked her name.
But Prunella was not the trump
I she first appeared to he. She was not
/ afraid 10 talk and her voice was no.
\ in keeping with her appearance. She
ate chocolates, too, and shared them
with Jack, after he had helped him.
! self TO one while she wasn't look
] ing. Then it was up to him to buy
/ her a box He did so, and followed
/ Il with more boxes He could really
make himself like her if il were not
! for her looks. he often told himself
/ She was not so bad after ADJUST
a trump, but pleasant one, and one
with a splendid soothing sort OF
/ voice. one of those in-trouble-and-
sickness voices.
There was a thief in the office.
At first Jack thought he had been
mislaying things but when things of
value he left in his desk disappeared.
he suspected the truth Who could
be doing it? There remained one
person beside himself who had not
been a trusted employee of the Of
fee for at least 20 years, and he
could not allow himself to accuse
her.
One evening he remembered some
work he should have finished before
he left the office just as he arrived
home. AS soon after dinner as pos
sible, he started back to work. II
was quite dark when he arrived in
the building and the shutters had
been closed as they had been for
years and years Just as he was
about TO swirth on the light
shadow warned him there was some
one else in the room. A skirt swish
ed A womanl Switch The room was
flooded with light.
II have you covered. Put uO your
hands" Jacks hands shot in the
air, as he cried out in surprise Tt
was Prunella.
so you are the thief" they cried
together as their eyes met.
What do YOU mean?' she echoed
i'm a tone just as imperative.
You are the one who has been
robbing my desk" he flashed. And
for the love of Mike what's happen
ed 10 you! Look at that dress and
that hair. and that facei Ye Gods
Am I dreaming or is it Prunella ?"
No wonder he was surprised. No
longer was she the Prunella he
knew Her wavy black hair was
done in the latest fashion. and she
was in the prettiest tailored suit he
had ever seen. This Pruneila was
stunning. she was laughing softly
at his surprise.
Miss Prunella Lawrence. private
Investigator. at your service" she
jibed sweetlv. IT am investigating
the disa ppearance OF some Valuab bic