The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-30


his name. Any other innovation-not
that
For the first time in our acquaint-
ance I felt I was hearing the voice of
the real Howard Rockhill-eager,
quivering, almost anxious. as if
there were someone to whom he had
to concede a great deal-someone he
had to placate. AS he spoke, the
vague resemblance to Max Hoadley.
occurred to me again-not unpleasant
ly this time. but as if I were seeing a
super Max Hoadley.,
Somehow in the fleeing moment
while the snobbish and exclusive
young man was suggesting the
bounder, I felt as If I were catching
a glimpse of the older man as he
might have been. Brushing my
fancies away almost as fast as they
came, 1 rose and made it my bust
ness to conclude the interview before
there was any sign of my outwearing
| my welcome.
/ ''The zelda name stands" I agreed.
''Iu find a few other methods of be-
| ing original. Thank you for your
| open-mind edness, Mr.. Rockhill. Now
will you permit parting question? ''
Two, he said as if he'd grin if he
| dared
| Zones plenty. Why were you 60
! ing-to fire me-?
To my establishment he replied i'm
mediate1y without a sign of hesitancy:
"One of our organization-Im not
| saying whtch-thought we'd make
go if it ,without-any temperamental
| women. I'm not saying who it was
who objected to you. May have been
| me. But I tell you now, so you'll
| realize how a brisk, efficient manner
and a grasp of the subject count and
outweight-pcrsonal prejudices."
| Thank you," I said. I'll try not
to accumulate any more prejudices
as we go along. And now good day"
! Hold a minute cried Mr..
| Rockhin almost briskly There's
no reason why you should be working
| in the dark. 1 said I'd allow you two
questions. I thought you might like
to know who our backer-our largest
stockho1der is. He can't have any
objection to your knowing now that
I've got your practically under con-
tract. You'd find out anyway at the
| first directors meeting you attend
| I felt almost as if the snobbish Mr..
| Rockhin were unbending-were Of
fering me something between an ,ex-
PLANTATION and an apology
| I'm grateful to you for knowing
that you can trust me-" I answered,
| wondering if more was expected of
me in response to the signal favor of
| being given a confidence by this rath-
/ er SNUG but unexpectedly friendly
young man
This time he really did smile.
| You're one of us now. It's up to
you to keep our secrets. Yelda-is
A-D-L-E-Y when you read it back
| ward. Add the first two letters, H-O
and you have our hackers name
'tHoad1ey," gasped almost under
my breath.
Correct" Mr.. Rockhil1 smiled.
left the zelda office IN a mood
| which had a line of cleavage right
down the middle. I was fairly Eek
a1ted' over my success in getting so
many concessions from the president
of the company. I was overwhelmed
at the news that Max Hoadley was the
\ chief stockhoIder in the zelda COM
pany.
| 1 was committed to continued bus
| mess associations with him. With
great satisfaction I contemplated my
decision of the night before to con-
tfnue handling theHoadley account.
I would be driven to this now--unless
I wished to- lose the zelda business
as well. There was good deal more
joy in going on with the Hoadley's
Hats advertising of my own free will
for Jim - than like dumb driven
cattle" merely because L had no
choice
For moment an ugly suspicion
popped into a dim corner of my mind. .
But I pushed it reso1utely back again
again without acknowledging even to
myself such an unpleasant theory
about my near-1oss of the zelda bus
mess. But now 1 had retrieved that
loss. So 1t would be absurd as well as
petty to dwell on it.
up the avenue for yours, Anne
| Harrison, "I advised myself sternly.
"You march its full shopping district
| length and study the window displays
of undertakings, to see what's on the
market. Also you'd better do some
inqutring for the zelda brand. You
never can tell where you're going to
find inspiration. And you've got to
breathe chiffon and crepe-de-chine,
and silk and hand embroidered batiste
from now on. You've about four
hours before your appointment with
Tony and the bank official So use
'em for zelda and victory"
Having made up my mind about my
days schedule of work" I telephon-
| ed Miss May to ask If there was any
thing at my office requiring immedf-
ate attention and interfering with my
plans for the day.
miss Storrs telephoned," announc-
ed Miss May. 'She said if should
ask you to come over and have lunch
with her. She said there would be
some gentleman along she'd like you
to meet didn't get the name"
That doesn't matter" I replied
will you save time for me by te1e-
phoning Miss Storrs that I'm on the
avenue working on an important cen-
mission and that 1 can't make Mr..
Harrison's Office in time for lunch. But
have to go over in that neighborfood
for a $3.50 appointments, SO I'll stop in
after lunch. Say at $3.50 or 8. If she
can arrange to bring the man she
wants me to meet back. from lunch
with her she'll have an opportunity to
introduce us then"
II wonder If I shhould have done
that ?" asked myself after we had
exchanged farewel1s and I'd left the
telephone booth from which I was
talking. It's the first time I haven't
dropped everything to run at Mabers
bidding
hauled myself up short, aston |