Evening star., 1926-03-05

Glance at herself in Il pier glass She
pat on a chain of black opals. irregu
laitN shaped and strung Oriental fash
ION on u gold cord.
The morning was windy and bitter
cold and, as she intended to walk. she
searched in her closet for furS for her
most impressive coat. While she took
/; down she smiled again, this time
showing her teeth. which We're almost
- small and even as a puppy's.
The coat was of silver fox. cift
from Hilary AT Christmas. She had
never seen another like it. and she
smiled thus unusually because It
struck her that Mr.. Abel Sieburc
would surely he ,epate; and that it Wa5
droll Mrs Hilary Fraser should wish
'oscpater him.
She stepped from the lift that car
ried her to the Sieburg offices and.
following some people who had come
mp with her. along a crooked hallway.
found herself in front of a sort of
railed-in pen. This was full of more
people. evidently waiting on the leiS-
ure of the powerful Abel. Beyond
this pen TO the left ground glass
door was ornamented with his fun
name in square black letters. Under
meath il Mere TWO more Words-"Pri-
Naie Office"
Crl!a declined to enter the pen OF
th.. patient ones, Nho looked. some of
them, as weary as if they had been
waiting there since dawn. Throwing
open her furs. for the air was intense
" hot as WeIl as close smelling. she
glanced round in her tranquil. oblique
way to see if there We're any one
to whom she could give her card
and message. The weary women III
the pen were already nudging one an
h.,. and gaping at her wondrous
coat.
~ she slid her glance slowly about
her she noticed a keen looking boy
propped nonchantly against the opp"-
site wall and also gaping at her.
She walked straight over to him.
..Would vou be so kind as to take
his in to Mr.. Abel Sieburg for me and
ask him if he will see me at
once. please %?
And she smiled at him.
'"Sure." said the youth promptly.
He fared something important.
What name?"
IRIS inside" said Celia, handing
him her card, which she had put into
a small envelope and addressed to Mr..
Abel Sieburg.
The boy took it. His red lips
stretched straight in slyly humorous
grin.
served Il guess Mr.. Abel will see
YOU. too, p. D. Q.
He strolled forward. whisked open
the office door. and whisked through,
closing it.
No one was in but the great Abe
himself. And for 90 big parsonage
he was very small. fndeed-ln more
WAYS than one. Seated at MS pat
tered desk, he was. going through
pages and pages of closely written
figures. with a stub of pencil to guide
him on his way. and az the boy en-
tered he was mutteriHS, thirty -eiSht
cents out--damn EN-" On being IN
terrupted he nbbed the pencil into the
paper before him and without looking
up said:
Get out. No one to come In till
ten past ~"
This amt no one; it's some one
with a big s" returned the boy coolly.
You know / know. Mr.. Abe"
The great man hissed like Japa-
nese. Drawing his breath.
You know too much, sonny Some
dav you'll know that, too. When l
kick You out for raw cheek. Who is
it,
Jack Graustein. in nowise discon-
certed fipped him the little. envelope.
There's the name. She wouldn't
tell "A cheap guy like me. Oh, no.
Some classy dame, she is. Wants TO
see YOU at once" He tried in pro-
nouncing these two wards to mimic
Celia's refined accent.
IA starr" inquired Abe as he broke
omen the envelope. a difficult process,
II was so small. and his fingers large
for his size. and he had no letter cut
ter.
Jake's' mouth uncurled into It's
straight grin.
More like a new moon. If you ask
me. and about the height of the Wool
worth
But the great man did not answer.
He had extracted the card and was
gazing at 1t with the lusterless look
that always veiled his black eyes
when he was startled or impressed,
or both. and didn't mean to show 1t.
Some name. hey" ventured Jake.
MIR. Abe Sieburg swept the sheets
of figures into drawer. locked it,
pocketed the key, and. still without
looking up. said:
SHOW her in."
Little Jakey right again. hey?'
chuckled the irrepressible youth as he
whisked the door open to fetch Celia
into, the presence. Like PLATE. he did
not stay for an answer. which. how
ever, reached the door just as he