The Press., 1922-03-30
The Office Boy InterfereS
By FRANK Fl. WILLIAMS.

astonishment. When she had left for the noon lunch period the sketch had been just as she had made 1t in an idle mOment-a very rough layout for the ground-fioor plan of the sort or B home she hoped to have some da y. There had been & big kitchen, loVeiy veranda, a living room with a big nre- place and 6 dining room that was all her heart could desire.
 That was the way the sketch had looked when she left 1t there on the desk before going to lunch with some of the other girls in the ofHee. But now the sketch looked entirely diner ent. Someone had been tsmpering with it in her absence. In place of the living room being labeled living room" as she had left it, this room now bore the label billiard room and den." And in place of the Kitchen being big and fine the way she had sketched it, the kitchen had now been divided in half, with One-half of the room labeled home brew depart ment."
 At first Edna's bright eyes spar kled sngrily at this desecrstton or her work. Then the humOr of the sir- uatiOn appealed to her and she smiled. Whoever the individual was who bad done things to her drawing. he was. at least, a humOrist and she felt that be would be a man worth knowing.
 Edna gaEed around the office covert ly. Certainly the man was not the bald-headed bookkeeper. who had wife and i've children and who was never known to smile. And certainly 1t wasn't Royal Menefee, her immedi- ate chief. Royal hardly was clever. enough to think up anything Of this: sort. But If 1t was neither of these rwO-whO was il?
 Rather puzzled over the situation, Edna called little Red" Brown, the Of1ce boy, to her.
 Red" she said. -whO was at my desk this noOn?"
 Edna saw Red look at her and then grin slyly. She saw a look of mis- chief come Into his eyes,
 "Why the big boss was in here he said.
 The biK boss! That was young Harry SchIatter. handsome. unmar- ried and wealthy. Yes, thought Edna. 1t would be just like him 10 do an impulSive. humorous thing like alter ing her sketch which she had lsbeled sPlan Of My Future Home" She thought of the twinkle in his eyes and his generally happy disposition. A thrill came to her. Why. any girl | might feel fattered at such attention l being paid to anything she had done.
 He was in here and did something on your desk. I saw him just before I went out" continued Red.
 Thanks, Red," said Edna. trying vainly to keep the thrill out of her voice. "Of course. anything that Mir. Sehlatter does is perfectly all rlSbtl"
 ''Of course!'' mimicked Red. and. then hurried away before Edna could say anything further.
 Several times during the afternoon: Edna gazed at the altered plan of the house She wanted TO do sOme- thing about 1t and yet she was half afraid to attempt anything. ,
 Edna determined to do something 70 show Mir Schlatter that she knew he was the guilty" party and to get back at him for the thing he had done.
 But how could she do thiaf What could she do7
 During the early part Of the after noon she would go ro Mir Schlstter's office to present him with 8 report from her department. That would be her opportunity. What rOuld she dOy
 Al last after puzzling over the mat fer for a considerable length Of time an inspirs tiOn came tO Edna. She drew the sketch to her and rapidly made some alterations on il In pencil. When she had finished. there was a riny little cubby-hOIe of the living room labeled "den;" the home brew department and the billiard room had been partly erased. although The words were still partly visible. and 8 big addition had been made to the plan, this addition containing 8 number or rooms and being labeled Rooms in which to entertain my mother and her family"
 Then with sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks Edna placed this sketch be- meath the report for Mir Schlstrer and marched into his ofiCe.
 The big s0png chief turned ID his. chair at her approach and smiled rsth-; CT ahstraetedly at her. Then Edna, saw his eyes focus on her face and saw look of interest come into them. Again she felt thrilled.
 Why, Miss Fairchild," he ex- clOImed. whats the excitementP You: look much agitsted about something;
 Fl am excited" exclaimed Edna, almost at A loss what to say. "I-"
 For a moment she thought of refer ring to the sketch. Then she thought better of it and, laying the report and the sketch on Schlatter's desk. she turned and hurried from the room.
 Back at her own desk, Edna won dered anxiOusly If she hsd been roo bold. One moment she decided that she had and she felt like leaving the Ot1Ce at once. never TO return. The next Instant she decided that the thing she had done was nOT at all out Of rhe way. But which ever way she felt about It, her excitement grew. She EEAs tOAu SAS was utterly foolish, ss though some thing tremendous was going to hap pen.
 And 1t was then, toward the end of the afternoon, that something did hap pen. But it was not at all the sort of thing that Edna expected. =.
 The way 1t happened was like this:
 Edna, busy at her work, felt hand on her shoulder. She turned to ind Red grinnlng at her.
 "Say," said Red, q saw how ex- cited you were when said the big boss changed the plans of your house. Well, he didn't. I did. This nOonp
 And with a shout of glee, Red scur. lried from the room.
 Edna gazed after him for a moment in dismay. Then as tho full meaning