The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-26
DRESSING UP TO DANIEL.
By Anna NJ. CrOnin.
Copyright, 1922, by Wheeler
Syndicate Inc

SynQlcate, Incl
o. Henry, bless him, once spent
a bit of time to prove that Romance
is migratory bird, and lights here
there and everywhere. Lucille had
never heard of o. Henry, but she
might have been the heroine of the
Etale, for to her, mouse-eyed, drab-
clad, nimble of fingers and mentally
alert to the interests of the Walden
company, Romance appeared and
would not be shooed away.
, At II o'clock a terrific blast OF
the whistle had loosened Temporal
lilly the grip of business on 30-odd
Z: girls. They were dubbed billers
checkers, clerical and stenog-
raphers. They were otherwise right
up to the minute from hairpins to
dove-colored spats Floss Gay
who led the procession toward the
time clock, being always first to
givo dull care the go-by, and flick
the papers on her desk upside
down, did a few steps of the fox
trot. She flung loving arm around
the waist of her chum and pulled
her along.
They collided with a young man
coming up one of the broad ais1es-
none other than Daniel Martin, who
travels for the Handy Handle peo-
pie. He had made a great impress
sion on the young women at Wal
den's because his socks always
matched his ties. That spelled tenn
permanent, and with sufficient OF
that stuff in the system, almost
anything may happen. 1t happen
ed right at that moment, amid the
burr of buzzers, tinkle of telephone,
! click of many machines calculated
to save time, labor and incidentally
money.
/ Floss was tall, slim, blonde and
wise to opportunity. She wore cal
rings, among other things, and II
happened that one of the gilded cir
cles caught maliciously in Dams
tie, as he held her for a moment
against a possible fall. Floss made
the most of the moment with a very
good pair of eyes, while Dan ex-
tricated himself from his moor
ings.
Il might suggest that there are
other and pleasanter places q
Sounds like good dope to me-
agreed Floss. See you later
phone at Sis"
/ She was fiighty young person
with fiippant ideas about everything
in the world except matters OF
dress-which she took seriously,
Dan guessed as much, having seen
fashionplates on magazine covers
and in much good advertising. Now,
if it had been the other girl who
worked for Johnson. Dan never
| would dare to be fresh with her
| even if he wanted to, and Lucille
did not affect him that way in the
least. Instead, he always wanted
Ito be at his best, and seemed al.
ways to be making a fool of himself
while that gray eyed, quiet, neat
little thing watched him with spec l.
| lation in the dreamy gaze.
Finally he found courage to ask
when he might make an appoint
ment with Mr.. Johnson, and Lucille
in her plain dark blue gown, with
a distantly business-like air, III
formed him that he must wait abort
half an hour. Then she departed
for her noon walk, returning before
Mr.. Johnson appeared on the scene,
casting little friendly glances now
| and then at Dan, even smiling de-
murely, as she tapped away at the
typewriter keys. Dan felt sudden
ly as if he walked on air, She did
like him, after all. Perhaps-but
he stopped there and sold fine bill
| OF goods to Mr.. Johnson, P. A, leav.
ing Walden's without a chance 10
say anything more to Lucille.