Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-09-14
PICKING
THE BRIDES
BOUQUET
"a BY B. ]. walsh.I

" luleu themselves OU their MISS
i Andrews. Where could they
have found a secretary so
alert, so modern, so everything that
was efficient? Luck-that was all.
And the luck stayed with them. Other
firms might envy the treasure, with
her knowledge of deeds. transfers,
business ratings, all at her finger tips.
But hintings as to lettering herself
never seemed to penetrate Miss An
drews' pretty ears-ears just peeplng
from modest punches of curls.
And work Not above tapping out
her own letters, where others In her
position apparently forgot all they had
known of the science of wOrd-me-
chanics
And as for handling prospectsl
like magic she does It," James,
Hunt would murmur in admiration as
she landed some millionaire with a.
high-priced SNOWY place, and had the
decorators presenting their plans to
the new owner before one could say
Jack Robinson-suppOsing one men
toned such low person In the Office
of Hunt X Hunt.
II wonder II Miss Andrews was ever
glrl-1apper now, like my nieces
and these other youngsters all so
boyish in looks that they puzzle me.
Miss Andrews is smart-looking, Of
course, but-well-she never had
romance, I'll swear"
Which was unkind, for all the ele-
ments of a frst-class thriller were
tangled up in what she called to her
self the "dear past"
Romance? Miss Hunt was STEPPED
In It. But when one pays the best
tailor In town fancy prices to keep
one looking buslnessllke. and when
dark hair, a bit curly as 1t is, minds
Its mistress and stays put all day long,
It must be admitted that there Is little
color OF romantic hue in the appear.
ance.
Even in her own little apartment
as neat and trim as Miss Andrews
there wasn't even an incense burner
to dispense that weird odor which
fiction lovers imagine transports the
whole room to far-off enchanted lands.
No. Miss Andrews was more apt
to scent her apartment with good cot
fee-a cup of which she enjoyed over
her open fire of an evening.
But when the real story began to
happen II was June and a hot June,
and the coffee had been foregone for
a week or more. Miss Andrews was
restless and wished she could take
her vacation bit early.
"Can be getting old2 That surely
wasn't a white hair therel
81 wish-I wish-dear me-what do
| wish7
"Td like to have a house with q
yard Not q lawn, but an old-fash
Toned yard like we had at home in
Kingston. This apartment Is so stuffy
And hardwood floors and rugs hurt my
feet.
"Let me see-how much have I In
bonds nOwf
"NO-not enough. And | couldn't
come In to the Office II lived as far
as Kingston.
nCilt I may uo "Sii ApA 6Nt
Forgetting made her cross, perhaps,
for she showed Felix Shoe-Pollsh rude
ly away when he came purrlng after
a romp with his cntnlp mouse
eco awayl You ought to be out In
the grass, chasing field mice, with cat
nip leaves In your ears, Felix |
wonder why women must work alone
so long for q little bit of living money!
james Hunt has had enough to retire
on this five years-and I've helped him
make 1t, but | get only raise once a
year and bonus at New Years.
81 wish"
What Miss Andrews wished was for
gotten the next day when Mr. Hunt
the elder told her he wanted her to
take a look at some Kingston prop
erty. Leave right away-see what
kind Of shape It was In. A loan on II
see II II was worth another. Set a
price. and everything She knew what
to do. And here was the location
Miss Andrews gasped She hadn't
known who had bought that place
How many years II had been since
she had seen 1t Just down the road
from her old home. What roses had
grown Observation-Disclosures hundred
Ieaved ones. Pale and pink and with
a delicate perfume which had forever
spoiled Miss Andrews for heavy. heady
scents.
When she arrived at Kingston and
found her way to the cottage the roses
we're still there. Though the field of
clover Just over the fence had been
planted In prosaic corn. The roses
too, had been rudely trimmed and tied
up as II some one paid to do II had
hurried about the task.
The cottage was In good enough re-
pair, though. The furniture. shrouded
In covers, stood about In the same
places Over there by the window
Sans mother used to keep a great
stand OF ferns. Sans mother SO
there had been a Sam In Miss An.
drews' lfei
With sigh Of WEAKNESS and some.
thing else Miss Andrews sank down
on the sofa by the fireplace.
~ should have taken a taxi at the
station. The walk Is surely longer
than II was-let me see-how many
yenrs II II since we would stop here
on our way from school and Sans
mother always hnd lemonade md
cOOkiesi
ut couldn't he that there's such
thing ny ghosts - there's step In the
tiichen ns surely rs am Pauline An