Evening star., 1926-11-21
Was Psychologist Miss Lance Knew the Subject Slightly
Was Very Pretty

said Mrs. Manfred "She was really
too doddering good on the so
cial side. but for my business affairs
needed another type. have a
very sweet young college girl now.
who comes every morning and puts
all the bills and telephones through
in half the time Miss Bing took. ]
must own that for invitations ana
personal letters she does a little lack
that courteous touch that Hush.
that's probably she" Mrs. Manfred
added. as knock, sharp though light.
came at the door Come in, she
! said. and her new secretary entered.
Good morning. Miss Lance. This is
Miss Lance. Raymund, my new sec
retary."
MISS LANCE had taken off her
AsA outdoor things. but there was
still snow in her mber-colored hair.
and. though she wore A neat. fawn-
eolored coat and skirt and carried a
stout fountain pen, like dagger, IN
her right hand, she looked as If she
should have been trundling a hoop
among other babies. or dancing on q
moonlit hill, with stars and white
flowers i'm her hair.
Ravmund had seen Miss Bing so to
test. but the idea of this slim, child
like creature breasting such storm
to write his mothers letters now
struck him as Notwithstanding that
it is not necessary TO go to islands in
the Caribbean to study instinct. He
said:
What a day for you to he OUT"
Miss Lance laughed gayly. Its no
treat for me to stay at home, she an
swered THE roofs been leaking so
all night that my sister slept under
an umbrella.
You should notify your landlord at
once said Mrs. Manfred. who had to
perfection the art of using any mis-
fortune with which she did not SYM
pathize as the text of a severe criti
cism of the sufferer. II must say my
sympathy is all with the landlords
tenants never notify them of these
catastrophes until just the moment
when She paused in her elo.
quent defense of an abused class. OBJ
serving that the eyes OF her son and
her secretary. which had been moving
about casually. had now met and
seemed disinclined to separate again.
'Oh. Miss Lace" she said, II left
some correspondence on my desk"
Miss Lance moved like a sleep
walker to the desk, from which the
crack and rustic of opening envelopes
was presently heard. and Mrs. Man
fred went on: Il might ask her to a
big dinner. too
.'Who7" asked her son.
Adelaide.
s"Of course-of course. Do whatever
you think best, mother. / leave it en-
tirely to YOU" He dismissed the sub
ject, and yet seemed to have lost his
sense of early morning hurry. He
stood staring at his mother. like per-
son listening for something, and then
slowly his head turned toward the
desk. and the rattling Of paper died
quietly away.
A few days before Mrs. Manfred
had seen device in motion-picture
theater which stopped the motion of
the actors in the middle OF a dive. or
jump-suspended them in midair.
There was something vaguely reminis-
cent OF this in the trance-like stiffness
OF her son and her secretary.
We'll, don't wait. dear she said.
I'll have Miss Lance telephone and let
you know. =
Raymund kissed her. bowed to Miss
Lance and left the room. q
-
"MIss LANCE Like good
~ scholar with her slate and pen
ell, Miss Lance approached the bed
with hook and pen Telephone the
Madlex Hotel and say wish to speak
to Mrs. or Miss Vaughan
Standing beside the bed, Miss Lance
did this. and when a soft Southern
voice drawled back: This Is Miss
Vaughan" she gave the instrument
to her employer, who, balancing II
upon the front of her person with
the dexterity of long practice, began
as follows: My dear. how glad / am