The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-16
CHAPTER 5S7 Copyright. 1920, King Features syndi-

1 cate, Inc.
 1 Hello, Mir. Hoadley, when did you get back" I asked, striving to make | the bana1 question do away with the I suggestion of uneasiness his greeting g 1 had caused me.
 1 Few hours ago. he replied. swing | ingg across the floor and helping him. self to 8 chadr, which he pulled close | to mine. ''I found a message at my l office from your Miss May, sayin g l you'd been trying to reach me for a 1 directors meeting and would I com nlundcate With your office at once?'' l And here you are-promptly," stated without any stress. "But I 1 think it's too late to reach MT. Booth | and call the directors meeting" l '"Two constitute a quorum" chuc- 1 kled MT. HoadIey, if this were particularly amusing. 50 we can 1 go right ahead and finish up the bus 1 mess started with Miss May
 You started ?"iI gasped.
 Sure thingl Came right over when I found you needed me. Didn't you know I would? Think I'd wait until l7 in the evening to remember that | we're friends?''
 "Oh, you came overt" I repeated | stupid1y. And then w1lat?'' l Your little secretary's very de | voted-very easy to see through. She l was f1ustered to death because she I couldn't reach you-had just received 1 a m essage that yau wouldn't be back 1 today-and on top of it reminder from the Star that-you oweed 'en | money, and they wouldn't run some | copy you were counting on unless fl 1 was paid"
 '"The Star account is paid" I an. | nounced cCld1y, a sense of loyalty to Carl preventing me from explaining that it was the Derringforbh Shoe Co l and not I that was reIniss.
 Yeah" drawied MT. Hoadley il his thick voice. 1T know the Stal to take care of it, and Lacy told m, that you'd just been in and straight 1 ened matters out.'
 "He told you that"-I began, bu Max Hoadley broke in:
 l f'He told me that and added tha | you were taking care of some client who were behind on aid account which you'd assumed for them. That just like you, you sweet, impractica little thing
 ''Mr. HoadIey!" I interrupted firm 1y. You presumed when-out of tn goodness of your heart-you rushe, down to the Star to handle the situa ton for me. Please don't presum again. For can manage to-tak care of my own affairs much in tn same way you found me doing whe you got to the Star and discoyere I'd been there before you. And n matter how kindly it's meant-I don like presumption"
 You're presuminng now" asserte, the man, ulis little. eyes narrowin to sltts as he smiled at me "Pre surn1ng did this for you and put my self out more than you like to talk l from your friends. But I didn't do for you-I did 1t for myself. To 1e myself know I was on the job of pil l ot1ng a brave little lady like vo ] through the breakers. There ain another woman like you in the whoI world. Game-square-a fighter, fo all she don't look like anything bu just a hose bud of a girl. I can't bea to think that you had all this trot1bl and worry when if I'd been in tow I'd have taken every bit of it off you sh ou1dsrs.''
 You couldn't" laughed with con l sciaus effort to achieve that ghos of nirth. I'm one of those person who have to unravel their own skein 1 and unite their own knotts"
 ''Yes, you are!' sniffed Max Hoad