The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-03
Love Affairs of a Lonely Woman
By MARY HAu

No 2S. The morning dragged on to Jane, ner-
 vous with the first days straugeness in
 the office.
 There were many things she could not
 understand about the manner in which
 H. Montague Mortimer started his busi-
 ness More than once she wondered why
 he seemed to have engaged upon it with
 such apparent haste. "In Fernbank," she thought to herself, they always have things ready, with | every one employed and the wheels of the business turning more or less regularly the doors finally open. However, I sup pose this is the New York rush system.
 and as I'm just from the country I don't understand
 And then came another thought, which she finally drove away indignant at her
 own doubting mood. It was the memory of the several times in which Mortimer had emphasized his desire to have nothing to do with the po- lice. What could be his reason for so- 1 lcitude? His silent but evident wrath l at Pedro Cabannello seemed strange, for surely had any one been blamed by the
 police for striking the small office boy, | it would have been the Latin-American and not Montague? And why should the police cause anxiety to the suave, hand some well-dressed and prosperous brok- CT?
 Merely more strange characteristics of the New York business man, Jane told herself, and she busted herself in writ ing out score of letters which the brok- CT had glibly dictated to her. When at last, with luncheon time, her
 employer left to keep an appointment with some business associate at an up-
 town restaurant, she was relieved.
 Take your lunch any time that suits
 you, Miss Brown" he had said to her.
 "Just have young Master Auburn Hair stay on guard at the door until you re- turn and then leave the door open when
 he is out. will be back about or so, as expect to do a good weeks work to-
 day"
 He hurried out, and Jane completed her
 letters. She was interrupted in the fold
 ing cf them by the entry of Cabannelio, whose swarthy face was now wreathed in smiles as he approached her. "I hope senorita has forgiven me en- tire1y row." he began, with softness Of voice which was almost feline in its quality And to show that have rein stated myself in her good graces will she honor me by taking lunch with me Jane was atashed.
 "Oh no. sir" she began. Its very kind, but I am not hungry today A SGT owl came on Pedro's face. but the expression passed
 Then may I not have at least rose 1 from your pretty bunch? I love flowers l aad would like to wear one in my button- | hole even as knights did in the oid | timec as guerdon from their fair ladies I You see I am even more romantic than | ill tempered"
 1 Jane looked at the crimson flowers on i her desk, and now for the first time ! wished that Dicky Holaday, their donor, were close at hand. Somehow or other that young man had been protecting spirit to her, and she realized that the swarthy man standing before her was l inxrained, somewhere within his nature.
 wi.h a menace-even as Mortimer had said
 1 She hesitatcd for an instant. Even in l that fraction of time Pedro Cabannello | lea ned forward, stretching out his long.
 dark-skinne6 hand toward the flowers. | Jane was at loss for words, but not l Pedro
 "Just one little bud, for my lapel, Se-
 norita Brown, if you will permit me" | he exclain ed. Even as one of your l friends was kind to you, will you not be gracious to poor Pedro, lonely man in | the cold New York. a stranger from the warm, southern climes."
 He had drawn one of the roses from