The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-29

more dramatic anG far-reaching IN its
effects upon his life, was already ripe
for the enaeting.
There were cases that could not
be turned away with a sharp answer.
Bert Morrison, for instance. Bert had
never mentioned her investment
since the occasion already recorded.
She greeted Dave with the sociability
due to their lOng-standing friendship;
and her calm avoidance of the subject
hurt him more than the abuse of all
his irate patrons.
Business conditions had necessitated
unwOnted economy in the office affairs
of Coward & Eden, as result of
which many old employees had been
laid off and others had been replaced
by cheaper and less experienced labor.
StenOgraphers who had been receiving
a hundred dollars a month could not
readily bring themselves to accept
fifty, and some of them had to make
way for new girls, fresh from the bust
ness colleges. Such a new girl was
Gladys Wardin-pretty, likable, mex
perenced. Her country home had
offered no answer TO her ambitions,
and she had come to the city with
the most dangerous equipment a young
woman can carry-an attractive face
and an unsOphisticated confidence in
the goodness of humanity Coward
had been responsible for her position
in the Office, and Dave had given little
thought to her except TO note that she
was Il willing worker and of comedy
appearance.
Returning to the office one Saturday
evening Dave found Miss Wardin max
ing up Il bundle of paper, pencils and
carbon paper. She was evidently in
high spirits. and he smilingly asked
if she intended working at home over
Sunday.
"Oh, didn't Mr. Coward tell your"
the good news had been kept secret.
He is to spend n day or two at one
of the mountain hotels, and 1 am to go
along to do his correspondence. Isn't
it just lovely? I have so wanted to go
to the mountains, but never felt that
I could afford it. And now can COM
bine business with pleasure"
The smile died out Of Dawes eyes,
and his face became more set and
stern than she had ever seen it.
''Why, what's the matter, Mr.. FL
den?" she exclaimed. as anything
wrong?'
He found it hard TO meet her frank,
unsuspecting eyes; hard to draw back
the curtains of the world so much that
those eyes would never again be quite
SO frank and unsuspecting. Miss
Wardin," he said, did Coward tell
you that?'
what? About going to the noun
tainS? OF course. He said he was
taking some work with him, and he
wondered if I would mind going along
to do it, and he would pay the ex-
penses, and-and-" There was a
quick, hard catch in her voice, and she
seized Elden's arm violently. Her eyes
were big and round; her pretty face
had gone suddenly white.
"Oh, Mr.. Eden, you don't think
you don't think-that THAT he
You wouldn't believe that"
II think you are absolutely inno-
cent" he said, gravely, Outfits the
innocent thing that gets caught
The girl had broken into violent
tears. whatever shall do? What
can I do?'' she mOaned. "Oh, why
didn't somebody tell me? What can
I dog"
He let her passion run on for a few
minutes, and then he sought, as gently
as he could, to win her back to some
composure. "Some one has told you,"
he said-'in time. You don't have to
go. Don't be afraid of anything Con
ward may do. I will settle this score
with him.
She controlled herself, but when she
spoke again her voice had fear and
shame in it. IL hate to tell you,
Mr. Eden, but must tell you'll
took-I let him give me some money
TO buy things. He said maybe was
short of money and I would want to
buy some new cIothes-and he would
pay me extra, in advance-and he
gave me fifty dOllars-and- and-Pve
spent it. %
(TO BE CONTINUED)