The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-04-02
Playing
Birthday
Detective
BY JANE OSBORN
GO. 1924. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.

door just enough to permit her to sticl
her broad face within, looked about
the room and made kissing sound tC
attract the attention of the young
woman at the switchboard who was
also acting as reception clerk.
rs Mr. Blain out?" she whispered
eyes, he's just gone to luncheon,
said the girl. I'm sorry"
I'm not. I'm glad" said rotund
Mrs. Kellogg who had now come
bravely into the office and seemed ia
be a little out of breath from her re-
cent maneuvers. I'm his aunt and
want to talk privately-with his pri-
vate secretary"
81 guess I'm as much his private
secretary as any one is" said the girl.
I'm Nancy Howe and I take all his
dictation. Just now the telephone OPP
orator has gone to luncheon so I'm sit
ting out here Could you talk to me
here by the board?"
"Why, yes" said Mrs. Kellogg, IF
you're quite sure that nephew Of mine
won't come in. If he's only just gone
to luncheon then I'm pretty safe TO
stay here little While. I might have
telephoned it but I was afraid some
one else in the office would overhear
and besides hate to talk with people
I can't see. And this is a difficult mat
| ter"
"If can do anything for you or
Mr. Blain I'm sure I'd like to- said
Nancy Howe, devoutly wishing that
the fussily dressed fat woman would
come to the point of her story.
"Well, it's this way. I'm his aunt
Luella Kellogg. You may have heard
him speak of me. No? That's fun
n.y."
"Mr. Blain has never spoken to me
except of business matters"
Hasn't" snapped the aunt "Well,
that's funny. I'd an idea young men
rather took their private secretaries
into their condolences and all that sort
of thing But never mind-as I was
saying, I'm his Aunt Luella and as you
may have heard I have quite little
money which I intend to give to him
some fine day. He's my only heir and
to give him his share. But that's
little beside the point. What I wanted
you to understand is that take ire
mendous interest in the boy. He may
be almost thirty but he seems like
boy to me. His birthday is the fif-
teenth Of March and tomorrow is the
first. I want to give him a really nice
v,racn,t b,,t boran,t NJ, iIoo Of ho
he'd like. I'm leaving that for you to
discover. You'd better tell me by the
tenth, so I'll have a few days to pick
1t out. I'd ask him only want it
to come as a surprise"
"But how can I find out?" asked
Nancy, really troubled
'I shouldn't think that would be
difficult If I was pretty young
stenographer I don't think it would
be hard for me to find out what my
employer would like for a birthday
present. Just get to talking some
time about hobbies and preferences
and get him to tell you about the
sort of books he likes. and whether
he really wants books. Maybe he'd |
like n new car. or maybe there's some |
club he'd like to Join but can't afford |
the Initiation fee or perhaps he'd like |
saddle hOrse-How am I to know? |
If began to pump him he'd be on his |
guard because he'd know why I was |
asking. I tell YOU. my dear, if you'll |
do this little piece of detective work |
I'll reward you well. There are surely |
little things a pretty girl like you
would like and I'll give you fifteen |
dollars to spend on some little gee-gaw
or other"
But it will be very difficult" said
Nancy Howe. really alarmed at the
idea of having to accept the commits
sion and yet somehow not liking to
disappoint the genial and outspoken
fat woman you see, we're very bust
nesslike in this office. I would have
no occasion to discuss books or hob
bles with Mr. Blain. He thinks of me
only as more or less efficient ma
chine"
"Bosh." said the good-natured aunt
with an air Of finality. pretty girls
like you are never looked upon as
mere machines by their employers. Go
along, do what say, find out what
the boy wants and let me know the
next time come in. and the fifteen
dollars will be yours"
81 won't accept the money" insist
ed Nancy Howe. But If I possibly
can I'll find out what Mr.. Blain would
like. 1t does seem shame for you
not to know. It would be so unfor-
tunate to spend lot Of money on
he didn't like"
And so the matter was settled. The
more Nancy Howe thought about 1t
the more interested in the problem she
had to solve did she become. AS she
sat taking Mr. Blain's dictation that
afternoon she found herself wonder
ing what sort of things he really liked
to possess. She liked to imagine her.
self something of student of faces
wasn't there something in Mr Blain's
face that would indicate his prefer
ences? She was studying him intently.