Evening star., 1922-01-22
BY Royal Brown

"Of course it's preposterous to ex.
pect her TO suggest anything" he ~.
sured himself. But she is clever.a
This discovery was almost eclipsed
by another, as he stood there. smiling
down at her.
"Why!" he thought, she's posi-.
lively pretty"
She thought it was the frock 1e
| was looking at.
IL was Just trying this on" she
| managed.
rs this the reward for that adver-
quickly.
Marie nodded. IF you'll Just wait
a minute or two. I'll change"
"Oh, please don't! like It Inn
mensely I had no idea anything half
| so lovely was to be found in Lyons.
Besides ! can only stop a minute"
He paused, conscious that her at
tention had wandered. As her eyes
came back to him she blushed violent
| ly-though that was not the word
that occurred to him.
Excuse me-" she begged. 'I-won't
you come into the living room?
This he did not understand. But
Lefty did.
"You knew" she charged, an hour
later. shat was simply perlshing
with curiosity and you deliberately
dragged him into the living room.
What did he talk about anyway
Hes having trouble getting extra
help for. the Christmas rush. Ley.
lands has gobbled everybody up"
rs that all he talked about?" asked
Lefty slyly.
NO." admitted Marie. HE talk
ed"
"And simply stared. I'll bet he did.
You look like q changed girl@
It'll be one before Aunt Jane gets
home." commented Marie. Il was
petrified all the time he was here for
fear she'd march in and tell me to
go upstairs and gst-dressedI Shed
be capable Of it,"
Nevertheless. after Lefty had gone
she drew all her curtains and switchs
again to her mirror.
Its the gown-not mer" she as
sured herself, severely.
But when the next day she forced
herself to his Office, she was in blue
serge again; yet there was, In his
eyes. that same quickened something
that comes only when a man begins
to see girl he had only looked at
before.
A-ahout extra help for Christ.
mas" she began.
You've an idear' he exclaimed,
eagerly.
| ITthe Women's Club IL having q
drive for clubhouse Of their own.
They're doing all kinds of things to
get money. 1 thought that perhaps,
If you'd give them a percentage on
their sales. some Of the members
would be glad to work here during
the rush season and turn the money
over to the fund"
| He rose to his feet. his eyes alight
They'll jump at it. Why that per-
centage idea in itself is q stroke of
genius. They'll draw all the trade
they can to help swell the amount.
Miss Morse. you're a wonder!"
HNIERCY. child. what's come over
| you," demanded Aunt Jane after
| supper. You've been standing there
wiping that one dish for five min
utes-"
The doorben pealed an Interrupt
| ton.
! Il can guess"' commented Aunt
Jane" Give me that dish towel and
run along"
"I telephoned the women's Club"
announced Richard. And they
jumped at the chance. thought
you'd be Interested"
"Oh, 1 ami she exclaimed. Then:
"won't-won't you step in?"
| Richard did, and-well. there IL no
denying that at the next current
events meeting of the Women's Club
the topic for the day was of second
4 ary interest. For that night saw the
| start of something that carried Rich
| ard fast and far. But then, as Allison
Hurd declared. he merely followed
precedent
| His father married a cash girl,
he's marrying a stenographer. Up
holding family traditions, you see"
| Richard, however. put it differently.
But I don't see why" began
Marje-a glorified. rosy, yet still in
credulous Marje-"why YOU"
II do" he assured her. You are
so clever that 1 need you in the busi-
ness and so adorably pretty that IL 1
don't gobble you up some other
| man."
| "Pretty?" echoed Marie. with
widened eyes. why. I'm not. Not
the least bit. My mouth"-she
blushed-'is simply miles too
TOO far away" he interjected
promptly. Come back here"
But Aunt Jane! She"
Her turn comes later. Please!"
l And she pleased.
Copyright. 1922, by Sewell FordJ
tAu rights reserved)