The Meeker herald., 1919-04-26
IN 4-D
~
D. MAulsA cowLEs

D. AAUllA c0WLHo III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SCopyrisht, iSis, 81 the Mcclure Nswsps.
psr syndicats)
@Tenant in apartment -Four d.
Marbridge court" whispered vocifer-
Gus Nathan. the young man who
worked the switchboard at Curtis i
Carter's real estate Offices. The young
man listened to the voice on the tele-
phone, then turning to the young Mr..
Carter, he said: "She wants to talk
to one of the firm. Kind o. mad, I
should say. Want to talk to her. Mr..
Carterr
"what's she liker queried the
youngest member Of the arm.
Sounds like a cranky old school
ma'am. She's awful mad"
"Oh. well, I might as well talk to
her. I'll kid her little. and maybe
that will keep her quiet" and still
turning over the papers on his desk.
with his right hand. Mr.. Carter reach
ed out with his left hand to take tho
receiver of Its hook on his desk phone
while the operator connected him with
the tenant In apartment Four D.
$50 you're pretty cold. Well. now
/ didn't catch the name-Miss Crosby
II certainly am sorry. But you'll
have to see Mr.. Hoover about that.
Now, you don't think we're keeping
that apartment cold Just to make you
mad. No, honest, there isn't any way
We can get more coal. What-the
theaters get coal enough. Well, that's
q good one. All you can do. then, Is
to 20 to q show. It's matinee day.
Now. really. I didn't mean to make you
angry. But you see. everyone Is kick
ing. and It really isn't our fault. We
can't get any more coal and all we can
do Is to try and keep cheerful about 1t.
What1 You bet that 1t isn't 30 cold
here In our ONCE as It Is In your
apartmentf Well, now. Miss Crosby.
I'll have to admit that 1t Is pretty
comfortable here. We've got q south
ern exposure and we're on the ground
floor, and somehow these ONCE build
ing people do manage to get the coal.
Yes, II Is unfair. Whatf Why. GER
tainiy. I'd be glad to Gee you. Come
right along. Yes, Just ask for Mr..
Carter. Jr.. Frank Carter. Good-by.
Miss Crosby. I'll see you soon." He
hung the receiver back on the hook
and then clapped his hand over the
ear with which he had been listening
a. II to relieve 1t from the effect Of
the volley fire that had been charged
m u thno,,vh tho v,honA
'SWow." he said. addressing the tel
ephone operator ON the opposite side
Of the room. beyond the little wooden
fence. "Wow. but she certainly Is
some sour old maid. thought I'd kid
her into good humor. but 1t was the
wrong tack. I wonder II she'll call my
blum and come down and zee how
warm We are. But say, Nathan. try
to get the coal commissioner on the
wire again. It's shame to run the
fires % low. Ask them II they can't
let me speak to him personally. II
seems a. II something ought to be
DONE"
A half.hour later young Carter
heard q very low but unmistakable
whistle. 1t wns Nathan's way of in
dicating that something worth observ.
Ing was occurring In the once. There
wns note Of admiration In the whis-
distinctly II was his way Of sig
mailing to the other boys in the ONCE
and Mr.. Carter. who was still young
enough to be interested In such q sig
nal even though he was q member Of
the drm-the proximity Of q pretty
GIRL.
Carter looked up from his paper.
caught the direction Of Nathan's guxe
and then whistled an answering
whistle, very low. but still audible to
Nathan. II wns a pretty girl and she
was approaching In the vicinity Of Ma
than. Envelopcd in voluminous fur.
trimmed rough wooden coat Of dark
violet hue. with her hands encased in
q black mum to match the fur on her
coat. with q picturesque black velvet
hat, cut on the poke bonnet order, that
cast much shadow ON her face, there
was still enough opportunity to sec
that the girl beneath 10 much warmth
giving clothes was young. animated
and pretty.
The bewildered Nathan looked MP a.
she approached and to her query that
Carter did not hear. he nodded to the
desk Of the youngest member of the
hrm. Then the violet coat and the
delicate aroma Of violet sachet that
went with 1t moved toward the little
wooden fence that hcdsed In Mr.. Car
ter's desk.
"Here I am" said the girl. 'rm the
tenant In Four D.. Narbridge court.
Where do you want me to sit-lnside
the fence or outsider
Carter jumped from his seat and
was % confused that all he could say
was: "lnside tho fcncc-pleasc take
this chair, any chair. any chair. Yes,
indeed. You-are actually Miss Cros-
No. H. -