Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02

town. and to be in his office has been
a whole education to me, I'm free TO
admit. Yes. my boss has lot Of good
points. But. on the other hand
Miss Card paused impressively
Lucy raised her clenched fists and
pressed them against her breast. she
| could hardly breathe.
| On the other hand personally
| I'd rate him about One-half OF l per
cent. He's got awful manners. Some
! times he doesn't answer me when L
speak 10 him. and l don't know whether
| he's heard me or not. He's pulling
the great. distracted. brilliant brain
stuff then. I don't speak to him at all
now when I can help it. make
written memo and put it before MN.
And when he barks l answer nm eX-
actly as if he'd spoken IN a human
manner"
II was true. it was truel Abel was
given to sudden, sharp response and TO
fits of silence Lucy had always re-
garded these with reVerence-evldences
of the workings of his marvellous nina.
She felt a painful indignation that this
girl should dare to rate them at any
thing less. But Miss Card was going
on: as,
"Of course, if he wants to act Ike
this it doesn't make any difference 10
me. only it seems to me essentially
small and rather ridiculous. announcer
thing-contradiction and criticism
make him froth at the mouth. That's
pretty. too. A really lerge-minded man
can always stand them. But my boss
is always right-always.
Il wondered at first what sort OF a
man he was at home, and l concluded
that he was probably awfully bosSy, ana
one dav his wife came in. and L was
sure of it. She is really darling, and
| liked her the minute l laid eyes on
her. But she's the sort who'd thlnK
her husband was the grandest man IN
the world. and that every word he
SMOKE was law and gospel. 1 wish she
could see him in the office as l 90
no. maybe l don't either, for 1t would
be death to her ideal.
Now. don't misunderstood me--hes
a very brilliant man and very aoie
one. But he'll rush in and fling himself
down at his desk and grab a piece OF
work as if led Just had great m
spiration-and a lot Of times It's just
bluff. like his retiring into the silence
t< commune with his genius and YOU
mustn't disturb his massive BRAIN
Pose, 1t makes me want to laugh.
Oh, the heresy-oh, the u.sloyalIy!
~
We've been having an awful time
in our office because of the loss OF some
business that there didn't seem TO De
any real reason for our losing. 1 Chlnk
it's the first real setback my boss has
had. He couldn't put his ringer on
what was wrong and set it right again.
He's been worrying himself nearly mao.
So this was why he had been so an
stracted, so unlike himself! Lucy ached
with the vivid relief OF this knowledge.
And he had spared her his trouble!
IT'S all cleared up now-just TINS
morning, too. or | would not De mere
this afternoon And the Joke OF II Is
that when We did find out what was the
matter. it was something he'd done him.
self in one of his great, inspiring mo-
ments. But did he admit it?-not at
all. Nc. nothing is ever the bossS fault.
4 suppose Tn still little sore about
that ar / wouldn't talk Of him so sharp
IT, He's really a pretty good boSS-l We
had many a worse one. / can tell you,
and, ms / said he's so clever and bril-
liant nut I'D with his temper and per-
sonal idiosyucrasieS on account Of what
learn by contact with him.
I UCY didn't wait to hear any more.
Il She FASTENED out. fearful lest Miss
Card should see her though that was
not the motive Of her haste. Oh. she
must find Abel. she must see him, she
must assure him that whatever hap
pened his wife loved him, loved his
faults. loved his failjngs. loved his
idi0syncraSieS. She sought Tor hard
words to caStigate Miss Catrd-ano yet
tnaccountably. she found herself liking
her in spite If what she had so a6om-
2t4ta al col a
Certainly by no furthest stretch OF the
imagination could girl capable OF say
Ing such things and saying them Win
sneh sincere feeling be accused OF being
in love with the man she said them
about.
No, Miss Card wasn't in love with
Abel. And Abel II he were as rude ana
as hateful rs she said he was. COULDN'T
De thought in love with Miss Card, n
peaceful tranquility began 10 over
spread LuCy'S soul,
THE great, old-faShioned mirror re-
ce.yed her reflection as sire opened the
door such a reflection as IL had not
given her for mary dayS-a young,
radiant Lucy q Lucy treasured, shining
With happiuesS And there from the
Urawjng-r1om came Abel himself
where have ven been}" he demand
cd IN an aggricFed Voice, Here / clean
ed up something that's been worrying
me for weeks aud | was So relieved
gave Miss Card the afternoon off and a.,
skipped out myself. and when I got
home YOU weren't here and nobody knew
where YOU were. / wanted 90 SO out
and have a little rpktum 70 celebrate,
Lucy put her arms around him, hit
ing him back mentally TO that pedestal
from which Miss Card had SO abruptly
thrust him WHY. you old darling,
sire said III I'd only known! Never
Nina C2ar let's tear out 90 dinner at
some nice, say place and do little
dancing ana maybe 20 to show. feel
like celebrating, toe.
He followed her upstairs, Modified.
Where We're You all afternoon he
asked again Il thought You'd never
come home"
She pazed at him Speculatiyely; no,
she could never tell him what she had
heard. what she had experienced today.
II did not matter tie was her own
again. unmarried perfect as before Vet
she tslt Infinitely wiser. lie was UNI
douhtedly perfect, but~-wtth difference
not unpleasine,
Il was over at Amy Cummock'S club
with her site replied truthfully listen
ing 20 talk by business Woman
about business"
''SoSh--~that must have been deadlyl'
said Abel Redding tou women think
mp the funniest things TO do Now,
what are you laughing att"
I'm laughing, said Lucy Reddlng
at some Of the funny things women
do, But. on the ether hand" she
remembered one OF Miss Cards
ON the other hand, don't
know that they do much funnier things
~ ' ,r...,...,.s. ts,s