New-York tribune., 1920-09-12
MNHERE were a number of
contributing factors in his

speak 10 CNc girl. OIS Oi
chem was his hearty dislike for
George Binns. (He had nothing,
really, against G. B. All he could
say was the cuss went down the
wrong way with him.) So when G..
B. came this morning and sat down
on the corner of his desk and
croaked: "Say, Burgess, you're miss
ing bet. Why aren't you over
mashing the heiress?" he bristled,
rather, and wanted, irrationally, to
champion the girl. He had no rea-
son to think she needed champion.
To avoid being priggish he said,
though the words came hard: "Ill
leave that to you. You're supposed
to be a sure-fre Johnny at that
sort of thipg, aren't you?"
G. B. expanded perceptibly and
ratified his keys. "Oh, she's nothing
in my young life" he said through
yawn. "But I'll be darned if I'd
sit around looking like that if my
stepaunt had passed away and left
me fortune of $4,000 per cent
school bonds and eight or ten thou
sand of loose change besides. Not
for longer than a minute. Little
old G. B. could put that where it
would do the most good. Don't let
them tell you different"
Robert Burgess restrained a de-
sire to tell G. B. something different,
and asked him q question instead
about the office routine, by way Of
getting rid of him. 1t worked.
But, after all, his alteration Of
Enid Case was a larger factor than
his dislike of George Rinns in his
resolution to 60 over and speak to-
and find out if he could do anything
for-the poor little heiress who had
sat there for an hour now, looking
more worried and forlorn every
minute. In the first place he felt
sorry for all other girls. Naturally,
since they weren't Enid. A plain,
dowdy, unassuming little thing like
the heiress touched his heart with
pure pity. The fact that she was, 80
to speak, rich only made her plight
the more pitiable The mockery
of it.
He got up, deliberately repaid the
look OF derisive Interrogation in
George Binns's face with a blank
stare and halted before the little
heiress.
"Miss-Pruyn?" he asked. He
wasn't quite sure he'd got her name
right.
Evidently he had, though, because
she started and said: "Oh, yes"
little breathlessly, and instantly
asked, "Has my father sent mes
sage for me?"
He said be hadn't any message for
her at all, and asked if she were
expecting one from her father. He
could ask the telephone operator and
make sure.
I'm not expecting a message
she said. "Only father was to have
met me here at 10 o'clock. And
he hasn't come"
WELL" he said comfortingly
people are always getting delayed
by one thing and another in this
town. l wouldn't be alarmed if
were you. He'll turn up all right y
She breathed an "Oh!" of mo-
mentary perplexity, and then she
smiled straight at him. Shed been
looking at him before, of course,
but this was different. "I wasn't
afraid of what might have happened
to him." she said. Il was worrying
about what was going to happen to
me. You see, we're going back to
Centropolis on the o'clock train
There were some things | wanted to
buy before we went away and if he'd
come at 10 o'clock there'd have been
time. Now Pm afraid there WON'T
"Well," he suggested very Judi.
ciously, pulling his watch out agair
and instantly putting it back in his
pocket, "why don't you go along ant
buy-whatever you want without
waiting for him? And then come
back here. Well explain when he
comes in"
Go without him." she gasped
"But-but I haven't any money!"
He laughed. That's the easiest
thing in the world" he said. "You
can get any amount of money right
here. III get it in minute. How
much do you want?"
She was so long about answering
and, really, with a hat and a sui
to buy she hadn't any spare time
for fact--that he prompted her.
"Two-a-hundred dollars?" h,
suggested.