Evening star., 1927-02-04

NH her elbows on her desk and
V leaned her head against
4 4 open palms. the tips of hel
fingers half losing them
selves in the soft. gray hair that
framed her face For 10 years she
had known the meeting scheduled
for O'Clock in the presidents office
was inevitable. 1t was now 10 min
utes to the hour by the little clock
on her desk
Lettie May. her stenogra pher
swung around in her swivel chair
and crossed one silken-clad ankle
over the other.
Sick, Miss sterling?" she asked.
mo, Lettie. Just tired. Getting
old, you know she finished with a
smile.
You don't look it. Miss Sterling.
Gray hair doesn't make q lady old.
My aunt dyed hers and she looks a
lot older than YOU do
Thanks, Lettie. that is very nice.
If you have finished those letters l
gave you this morning and your
filing, you may run along / won't
need you any more this afternoon" p"
She did not want to meet Lettie's
eyes after that conference in Mr..
BuzZell's office.
Lettie closed her desk and over
the top of her vanity case, as she
industriously powdered her nose, she
asked:
Say. Miss Sterling, is it true that
Mr.. Conway-is through?"
Mollie Sterling toyed with her
pencil. She had expected this since
she had seen several bobbed haired
young employees of the BuzZell Manu-
featuring Co. grouped about Lettie
In the rest room at the noon hour.
Il think ii would be better if you
girls tried discussing things of which
YOU know something. Lettie," she
said kindly. Run along now and
don't worry your head about such
things"
Z-z-z-z-z, rasped the signal from
the presidents office. 1t was 8
O'Clock Mollie Sterling's step
dragged.
Mr.. Buzzell, a white haired patri-
arch, nodded at her across the great
eXpanse of mahogany and motioned
her to a seat beside him. At one
end of the table sat Mr.. Risce. vice
president, arms folded across his
chest, and at the other sat Mr.. Wag
ner, treasurer, busy with sheaf of
papers. Directly across from the
president, low in a big leather chair.
head bowed, long fingers clasping
and unclasping nervously, sat Frank
Conway, secretary and sales mana
ger. to whom she was assistant.
Frank Conway, SON. law of the
president of the BuZzell Manufac-
turing Co; Frank Conway. who had
1S years before broken his engage
ment to her that he might marry
Marian Buzzell: that he might climb.
prosper and make a mark in the
world.
Eighteen years. Hair touched with
gray at the temples. red trimmed
eyes, nervous hands; a wife in Paris
obtaining a long talked divorce.
Unhappiness and resultant dissipa-
tion had left their mark since that
night he had told her he wanted to
be free that he might marry the
"old mans daughter; told her their
engagement had been mistake
just a boy -and-girl affair that had
ripened, through years of association
at school and in the same office after
graduation, into mistaken idea of
love. She had told him to go to
Marian BuZZell and had tried to smile
until the gate clicked behind him.
Eighteen years She had seen him
soar to the coveted position of sales
manager and officer of the firm,
through merit of ambition and ability.
Then-the turning point. and he had
gone down, down. Marian's depar-
ture for France six months before
had marked the end.
Mr.. Bruzzell was speaking Mollie
Sterling came back into the present
with a start.
Il will be very frank. We have
all been together for 20 years-we
Observation-Disclosures Things are
not going right. There must be