The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-31

It was on the following afternoon that Dick Calardin hurried into Mary's office, to meet with such a strange reception!
 That young lady's treatment of him fairly staggered Dick.
 'I cannot keep my engagement with you-now-nor at any other time!' she had said, clearly, definitely, withN her pretty, smoke-blue eyes upon his face
 "Wha-whadda you .nean. poor D.cR had stammered. thunderstruck.
 Just what I say she had responded calmly, clicking energetically upon the keys of her machine.
 Isis MT. Darlington Bellairs inside 7 the amazed young man had stammered' thoroughly upset.
 Mary shook her head.
 He won't he for full an hour. You'd better call again."
 So Dick had gone away, queer pain gnawing at his heart.
 He had paced the New York streets like a man dazed and distracted. The suddenness of the blow had overwhelmed him. What could have happened in those few short hours to so change Mary Drew, the dear girl of his dreams? , A thought came to him with 'uneXpectet velocity-Eve Rochester, Hadn't Eve been worrying him Tor days and wee ls? He blushed at his own lack of chivalry n thinking of Eve-but wasn't it quite possible that that willy damsel had tried to set Mary Drew against him and had actually succeeded?
 He never had liked Eve. He liked her still less now.
 The young man would have been in- finitely surprised had he but known the exact extent of Eyes sayings" But as Eve had extracted a promise from Mary to keep her myterious engagement" with Dick Calardin secret, it wasn't likely thas Dick would learn of his own supposed matrimonial intentions. Meantime. Mary in her office tried to concentrate her mind on work-the panacea for all human ills and partic- ularly for heart trouble in it's various aggravating forms.
 But to small avail Tears blurred the queer little curly twists of her own par ticular brand of shorthand, so that she couldn't read her own notes properly.
 Yesterday had been glittering oasis in the desert No, not an oasis--a mir age-a cruel mirage that had lured her on, then laughed at her. For DICK Calardin-the idea man-hls love-were quite illusory. Mirage was a good word for their adequate description.
 Another tear trickled down on Mary business-like machine.
 "Oh, this will never dol I'm foolish l have no pride left" she told herself. She gave herself an angry little shake. Get on with hard work, Mary Drew, and cease romancing!
 The door of the outer office opened and in strode Darlington Bellairs. He paused for moment in front of Mary's type writer Although he smiled down at ner' his face was as mask-like as ever.
 Good afternoon, Miss Drew! Been busy? Did you deliver the package to young Calardin at the Barley Mow on record timer"
 "I did D said Mary quietly, a queer pain twisting at her heart.
 You look a little pale, said her em- ployer I'm thinking that you're iike nyself-in need of long spell of country air. Well. maybe I'll take sort of semi holiday, working out all absolutely neces- sary business over the phone from my country place at Westgate. You must come down, too because I'll need you. Your work will go on just the same.
 Mary's heart leaped painfully. At the country home of Darlington Bellairs she would be close to Dick Calardine-wonld run the risk of seeing that bewiiderlngly attractive young man every day. ohe