The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-06-08


clutched the back of a chair for
support:
"Is that SOP" she asked, and didn't
know that she had spoken.
Dimly, as If from a long distance,
she heard Miss MacFarlane chatter
ing about Doris Kings wonderful
work in the Red Cross during the
war.
But her mind refused to take UP
any fact except that one crushing
fact-that Doris HING was the girl
who was going to marry John Man
ners. The girl who-would be his
wife.
And what would She, Mary Rose
Middleton, do? Would she go on
working for him, this man she
loved with all her soul and body?
Could she go working for him,
she wondered, knowing that all Of
the time he belonged to this girl he
called "Dorry''? Knowing that she,
herself, was nothing to him but the
girl who took his dictation, opened
his mail and kept his pencils sharp?
| w OQldlAl II NC q lllOQoctll0 tlliiCo
better to quit heb job right now, be-
fore her heart was broken alto
| gether?
Wouldn't it be far more sensible
to marry Tom Fitzroy who loved
her from the bottom of his honest
heart? And to settle down to be
the mistress of the good home that
Tom would provide, and be the moth
er of his babies?
If she couldn't have John Man
ners, was that any reason why she
couldn't find some second best hap
piness with another man?
She went on asking herself these
questions that girls have been ask
ing themselves ever since the first
business woman took job in an
office.
She shot LOOK at Miss Mac
Farlane, who had given the best
years Of her life to the Dexter
Company. ~Sallow and lifeless and
unhappy she looked. A gossipyC old
maid-dear, without ever having
known what it was to be alive!
Dead on her feeti
| Oh, anything, anything, would be
better than turning into a Miss
| MacFarlane, Mary Rose decided
like a flash and ran downstairs to
telephone Tom at Mercy Hospital.
whats the good word?" he
asked, stammering a little as he
often did when he talked to her.
"Well, I'v changed my mind
I'm going out to dinner with you,
after ell, Tom" she answered him.
when do we start, oldtimer?"
ANY time you say, Rose!" The
eagerness in his voice warmed the
very cookies of her heart. Good
old Toni
well, then, make it six o'clock.
You stop here for me-" she said,
her eyes on the clock between the
windows 1t was five thirty, and
she needed a half hour to make
herself clean and fresh for Toms
eyes.
And besides, she wanted to stay
to see if Manners left the office
with Doris Hinigl
What would F1ossie do If she
were in love with John Manners
she wondered.
Most likely 'vamp' him away
from Doris HING by some hook or
crook" Mary Rose told e:self
For Flossie belonged to the New
School-the School of Flapperdom.
Her creed was that anything she
wanted she must have-whether it
was a cigaret, gold vanity. case,
'or another girls Best Beau. If
the other girl couldn't hold him,
that was her own lookout!
And Mary Rose was well aware
that any time Flossie should make
up her mind that she wanted Tom
Fitzrcy for her Boy Friend she
would do her level best to get him.
Just as she took Mary Roses hats
to wear, or her silk underwear, or
her beads, whenever she wanted
them. In her own small way. Flos-
sic was a pirate!
Everybody for herself!' was her
motto And she took care Of her
self first, last, and all the time
and it was distinctly up to the rest
of the women to do the same, so
4 far as she was concerned!
Mary Rose was still brooding over
her typewriter when the door of
John Manners office opened and he
spoke to her.
"Any letters for me to sign be-
fore I go, Miss Middleton"
Eyes, there are three or four,
Mr.. Manners" she answered and
rose with them in her hands.
She followed him into his office
and stood beside his desk while he
looked over the letters she had
typed and signed them. Once she
caught Miss Kings eye, and they
smiled at each other.
II suppose she's really lovely
girl" thought Mary Rose, and
sighed inwardly. She would have
liked to hate Doris HING.
She actually did hate her a
moment later when she came out Of
Manners office with him, her hands
clasper around his arm, her laugh
ing face raised to his.
Hes even forgotten I'm here"
she thought bitterly as they walked
past her desk. Hes so wrapped
up in herr
But he had not forgotten her.
For at the door he turned suddenly
and said, Goodnight, Miss MIDI
dleton. See you in the morning"
She tried to smile at him. After
ward she couldn't remember whether
she had answered him or not.
what woS If the Rih1e said