Evening star., 1921-12-11

his private little office-which became
crowded the moment he sa. IN It,. for
all his slenderness-was like the fne-
spun web OF deft spider. He could
turn out weighty economic articles.
stories, advertisements. editorials, in
terviews and speeches-with which
more than one politician made his
hit-without changing the tone of his
voice as he sat holding the tube Of
the debating machine with his slim
hands, and looking absent!y into
space. Nor would he miss punctua-
ton point in his dictation, or mix up
one sentence in five hundred.
THE girls Of the Office made them
selves SO at home in it that they
dominated 1t. 1t was parlor and not
at all a mans haven like most offices.
Mr.. Strayer was out most of the time,
and even when he was there he was
SO adaptable a person that he never
felt out of place. But poor Mr.. Can
dler felt more or less constantly like
a man who stays at home and gets In
his wife's way and feels in danger OF
beine compelled to do small talk at
his wffe's tea. Which Is precisely
what occurred in this crazy place
every day, for although Mr.. Gambler
had for three years refused every day
without fail-except on the few days
when Mr.. Strayer insisted-to join the
It'll. Of >ea nevertheless each day
they asked him again.
= IT was like a ceremony. Miss Mad
den. who had bobbed hair and wore
q smock and could have snapped Mr..
Gamblers thin arms in two with her
athletic arms. would say each Day
with the game particularly graceful
smile. won't you join us at tea. Mr..
Gambler" and the office would wait
for Mr.. Chambers faint tone, no.
thank YOU" 1t was like a same 10
+rv IN ..smoke out" Mr.. Gambler. or
to trv to marry him off to some new
pirl in the Office or to make advances
to him on a dare. Yet in his own
nav Mr.. Gambler was very tight on
h;a feet" for he could retreat In
greater variety of ways and manners
from the combined onslaughts OF the
staff than they could think UP ways
to trip him
Rut one day shortly after new dc
tation-machine operator. In the per-
son Of a particularly sad-eyed ana
r.ntle-mannered girl, had been hired
the girls were dumfounded to see MT.
Gambler sharpening q pencil for her'
Eight feminine eyebrows rose Almost
as one and gazed at Mr.. Candler' "ho'
observinr blushed as he had never
be.n known to blush and fled precip1-
lately to his little corner. IL "as
what is popularly termed a oeao
1aye away; utterly unprecedented
strange. exosamous and revolution
arv. It was rich gravy for the un-
nrincipled female brigands OF the OF
Ace. this sudden Towering, right IN
their midst, Of a violet Of romance In
the barren heart of Mr.. Gambler.
Having been thwarted In their own
efforts to marry of Mr.. Gambler tney
were out to thwart him. A cabal was
instantly formed to place obstacles IN
loves path. Every device. fair ana
,cu, was used to prevent the girl
from talking to Mr.. Gambler, or from
meeting him coming or going. at the
Office. It then watched in delicious
anticipation for Mr.. Gamblers pussy
foot moves to accomplish even such a
pathetically modest tryst as carry
ing to the girls desk a cylinder OF
dictation to obtain a moment of per-
functory conversation. Cruelty was he
denied even this by the seemingly ac-
cidental. but never failing nearness Of
some one with rude interruption.
The smoke screen on Mr.. Gamblers
face became less and less inscrutable,
as he obviously showed his disap-
pointment. Also he became moro bold
and callous in his plannings to talk
to her.
He appeared with his hat always
about the time she left. with a studied
air Of accident. entirely inconsistent
with his previous habit OF staying In
his once until the girls had gone. But