Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-23
stared - 1t wasn't q flirtatious
stare at all. as far as he could Judge Of

aIVe OIL nlrtat10uSnesS in any OF It's
manifestations. His round shaving.
mirror reflected a concentrated single.
get face Of twenty .eight; |; a lean young
face with purpose, and that purpose
worlds away from love. Personally he
considered 1t was "a jolly good thing
he did happen TO be such forbidding.
looking bessar." lie. like most Of his
sex. had n peculiar gift for mot seeing"
tance.' A whole Encyclopedia Britain.
MICA might be compiled Of things Car.
michael didn't see. Not the slightest
idea had he that any one could con.
slider his personal appearance In the
least attractive.
Nevertheless it was typicnlly that Of
a soldier and n sportsman; than which
one can ask for nothing better. Slim
of figure, both he and his shabby clothes
were admirably built. He'd fair hair,
relehtlessly flnttened back out Of its
kinks and streaked by premature gray;
light-blue eyes with black points look.
ing very straight at whatsoever Il was
that he did not really see small gildel
mustache over lips rs firmly fitting as
tight shut door; chin held high on
womanishly smooth throat. EXPIRES.
sion; the usual public school mask,
plus something Some people might
coll II 'vision." For the things Car.
michael didn't see were always con.
crete things only.
That morning he breakfnsted on cOf.
Fec. toast and kippcr exccrably pre-.
pared by the charwoman. who was wife
to a neighboring chauffeur and who
"did' for Carmichael; he'd another
telephone talk. with the Air Ministry
man this time. that led to nothing. in
particular he wrote letters. that would
also probably lead to nothing much.
Then he took the tube, the bus. and
during the whole journey he wondered
why on earth he'd told the girl he
coul Id come. Hadn't he troubles enough
on his hands! Hadn't he his own spe.
cial engrOssing and permanent trouble
with the
Bank, Bank" rasped the conductor.
Carmichael stepped off the bus.
He was "for it" now.
Morning was at twelve and all was
wrong with his world. Also. that Jan.
uary. the city was witnessing revival
of the real old d.fashioncd London fog.
Through its dusky .orange. .hued mirk
and its pervading SCOT soufpc flavor,
Carmichael made his way. past groups
of other gropers. to the pavement.
10 the turning that led to the frowninig
block of Offices of which he'd jotted
down the telephoned address.
| Wondering over it more and more az
the interview drew near, he took the
lift to the top floor. and found himself
opposite ground glass lcttcred panes /:
"ELPHINSTONE BROTHERS,.
IMPORTERS AND MERCHANTS"
Elphins;one? Her own name? Prob.
ably she was the young daughter to one
of the firm.
| lie turned to Enquiries" but a
middle aged man with u pointed beard
confidential clerk or manager from
his appearnnce--was at his elbow.
! "1s it Major Carmichael? Yes: will
you be SO good as to come this way,
please?"
He was shown into large and lux.
uriOus private Office with q generous
fire that had already cleared the room
of fog. Carpet. thick and scarlet
hearthrug black. mahogany mantel.
piece seven foot high. with small
silver. .cased travelling clock in the mid. Z.
die of it. Everything about the place
was solid. expensive and conventional ;
and. at an Immense table desk. clear Of
everything but black satin hand sack. .
a pair Of white gloves and tightly
compressed sixpenny market bunch OF
violets put beside the gloves. sat this
girl who had gazed at him so intcntly
the night before.
"YOu Wonder Why ] Asked
You to Gomez"
Carmichael's light. blue eyes took in
| little of her except that she was differ
emily dressed. Of course. For one thing,
she had hat on.
a woman might have observed that
this hat of black velvet was faultess
of Its kind and had cost anything be.
tween ten and fifteen guineas: that the
rest Of the girls attire was restrain.
cdly French walking dress Of fine blue
serge with touches of black satin and
creamy waistcOat; that her stockings
were Of black silk cl0ckcd a Jour, her
shoes of black crocodile leather. and
that her sable stole, tossed down over
the chair behind her, backed her like a
shrubbery. 4 man. most men, would
have passed her dress as "simplc and
quiet" and appreciated the undeniable
looks of the girl. But not Harry Car
michael. lie did not dwell upon her
slim. harmonious figure, a sort of visual
half echo of the arms and shoulders.
barred and exquisite, that he had almost
noticed last night. The little of her
hair that showed was dark. but her
cOlorins was fair as that of her name-
sake. II white clover. blossom with its
tingc Of pink, and her face was a pure
oval.
She lifted her chin rs he was an.
nounced. looking up at him, not in the
least rs she had looked the night before.
She scrutinized him, precisely as though
he had been some lad bringing refer.
ences for the post of OffiCcb0y.
"Good morning" she said. A
pret,ily modulated voice; entireS im.
personal.
Good morning"
"WOn't you sit DOWN.
"Thank you." lie did 50.
Her cloud.gray eyes turned from
him to the desk. She picked up those
violets tmiscrably cold and crushed.
their long stalks swaddlcd In rafiia up
to the heads, which were surrounded
with Toby. .frill of green leaves, after
the hidcous fashion of market. bunches)
and her least movement was graceful.
carmirhael's mind nearly always
worked just little below the surface.
Therefore, though the girls move
ments, her hat, and the milky gleam
of throat below it were quite wasted
on him, other things struck him.
FIRST OF all, he was conscious that
here was something that looked very
feminine sitting at desk that looked
particularly masculine. Then. he took
in that she seemed ''at hoine' there |;
not as it she had Just perched herself
L. -