The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-03
When 4 Girl
 Marries
By ANN ILSIIE
CHAPTER 477

CHAPTER ATT
 You bet your sweet life will"
 replied Max Hoadley, making
 friendly grimace as he spoke. And
 if ever I start to cancel, I'll advise old
 Haldane to send you along to sell me
 all over again.
 I nodded understandinsly befor.
 called Carl Booth. giving him briefly
 to understand that his O. K was needed to an agreement which I hop ed would be satisfactory. Carl listen
 ed with alert attention to my account of the adjustment we'd made Then he took the note I had hastily drawn up, laid it on my desk and set his sig nature under Max Hoadley's sprawIy
 one.
 Our assistant is a pretty clever
 business woman!' he said in a tone
 which seemed to clinch everything.
 As he spoke he looked up chalieng- 1ngly at Max Hoadley. intercepted
 the glance the two men exchanged Strangely enough. it was almost hos tile.
 '%The job got you, didn't t?" asked 1 tarl' eyeing me Sagely as I stood
 strengthening up the old desk I'd
 adopted for mine again about the same moment that Max HoadIey cat | apulted into the editorial office at Haldene's
 Something like that" I confessed, 1 laylng my pencils in a straight row in the big front compartment of the
 big fattop drawer of the desk. 1 ''Everything's settled then except the figures" said Carl. Suppose we say 50 per cent. advance over your old salary. Will that meet the high cost of living and other modern con ditions-including your idea of what is due Mrs. J. H. Harrison?'' l strengthened up and faced Carl severely.
 "Your offers very generous. Your tone isn't"
 i Forgive me, Barbara Anne!" he cried contritely. T was trying to be funny. and like most folks who try I-I was succeedingly merely in be- ing 'smarty. I felt a little awk- ward about telling you how wonder full I think you've just been. You l handled that advertising account l like a trump. Your loyalty to the old 1 shop is heartening thing to see And the editorial chair, which seemed sev l eral sizes too large and upholstered | with tacks to boot, looks more comfy l to me now. Your help has pulled us out of hole already. By Heck! It was good day for the old sheet when you decided to come back and run 1t l-darned If 1t wasn't" Carl held outt his hand, and I took 1 It in a friendly grip. l When will you be on the job reg ularly?' he asked in his old tone of l boyish eagerness. Eve several matters to clear up"- Can you make it the first of the week? Or do you want more time to get ready? Now l know you're coming. alarmed If don't think l can do the work of three for a time editor. advertising man and conf1den- | tial secretary to both" mi finn hi -hr-Df he, son!" I laughed, freeing my hand 1 from his paralyzing grip. l heard you turning down that fat 1 frog when he asked you to lunch. Does that mean you're going to 1 honor me, Barbara Anne?' 1 That wouldn't do. I can't mix business with business mems lunches.' I said, hoping Carl would I sense my feeling of reticence and my determination that Jim's wife should l keep her business relations entirely l business.
 1 CarFs reply astonished me. | Whats that fat old duffer to you anyway? Where did you meet him2 | He's all right as an advertising ac- count, but he's an almighty bounder and-I can't have you knowing him." he exclaimed.
 I felt myself color. If this had 1 been any other man but Carl
 
 there was no reason for me to rem der an account of my comings, go- 1ngS. acQualntances or preferences in regard to company for lunch or other occasions. But Carl is such an old pal that I understand his protective feeling. and knew that if I were a man IT share his prejudices in re- gard to one Max Hoadley. of Hoad- leys Hats.
 So l explained how MT. Hoad1ey had called at Virginia's to get refer ences regarding Lyons. I went on to relate how Anthony Norreys had step ped in and engaged Lyons in a way most satisfactory to me and my inter est in my protege, but most humiliat- | ing and maddening to Max Hoadley, | who'd taken it pretty we'll all things considered.
 Carl heaved a funny sigh which suggested relief.
 T might have known you'd not take any interest but helpful charitable one in the dId idiot" he said. And now, since you seem in a hurry to be away, I'm not going to start off as tyrant who interferes with your plans. You'll be in Mon day morning?"
 I agreed to do that and then hur- ried down to the street, merely stop ping for a sandwich and coffee at a drug store. and rushed across to the car line which would carry ma to Jim's office. I'd been afraid to com municate with Miss Storrs over the telephone, but I was anxious to tell her the news of the arrest of Dick Vests accomplice and to beg her again to guard all important papers with the utmost care as long as Dick Vests whereabouts were unknown. wanted, moreover. to meet her anew in the light of Jin's letter.
 Our last meeting had been friendly woman to woman one, due largely to my revelation that I had once been one of the world of workers. It seemed to me that I could count on her cordial reception of the news that I'd gone back to the world of work. wasn't sure of