New Britain herald., 1928-12-10
THIS HAS HAPPENED


 orchids real name is AshtoretA -Ashtoreth Ashe. lire mother, a TO- mantle woman. named her for the moon goddess of ancient Esypt--the love goddess to whom Egyptian wo- men prayed. A rather absurd name and yet it seemed. peculiarly. to suit the girl. For she is extrordi- narily beautiful. in an unusual ana exotic sort of way.
 Hollis Hart, the famous financier, was immensely impressed the first time he saw her-and Hollis Hart was not . susceptible person. He was in fact. one of the wealthiest and most eligible bachelors in America.
 Ashtoreth went to work for Hart. Lee, Inc. when she was IS years old. Hart, at the time, must have been nearly 50-old enough to be her father. --.-.-
 Ashtoreth rather swept him off his feet the first day she entered his office. No one knew how to dress more successfully than Ash toreth. On tls she could look like rich mans daughter. She wore black exclusively. And on this par ticular day happened to be wearing . most unusual ring that attracted her employers attention. An imita- tita scarab. Hart. interested in ar cheoloky. noticed it immediately.
 When he commented upon it, Ash toreth spoke casually of Egypt ano of Cleopatra Hart, impressed by her rather unusual familiarity with the customs and manners of ancient Egypt, engaged her in conversation. He learned that her name was thar of the old moon agodd ess. Tremen- dously surprised, he shows an un- usual interest in the new stenog- rapher. And Astoreth thrilled by his attention. takes his dictation with her head in | lovely whirl.
 That night she reads about Cleo patra until dawn, because-in real ity-she had pretended a knowledge of things with which she was not at all familiar. She goes to work hoping that Mir. Hart will speak of Cleopatra again. so that she may air her new knowledge.
 To her intense surprise he sum- mons her to ask her opinion re- garding . letter he has just re- ceived. Dumfounded, she takes 1t from his hand.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER II
 It wss sn amazing letter. Inscrlb- ed on expensive stationery. Heavy with foreign scent. The girl who wrote it had used green ink and a stub pen. She wrote violently. A round. childish hand, sraring neith- CT endearments nor threats.
 Dearest Holly" she demanded.
 Why don't you phone me?
 Where were you every night
 last week? I'm just crazy
 about you. Holly. I can't read.
 can't eat. I can't sleep-oh
 God, how I suffer! You don't
 know the way | loving girl can
 suffer or you wouldn't leave
 me alone with my thoughts
 and misery. get 50 desperate
 thinking about you. and have
 you gone back on me? guess
 you think you can break my
 heart and walk all over me,
 after you made me so crazy
 about you. But I'm not one of
 the kind you can cast off like
 m old shoe. I guess you knew
 what the poet eaid about hell
 doeen't Fnow any fury like .
 woman when you get through
 with her. But you're nov
 through with me. are you.
 dearf I guess I'm sort Of
 crazy because I love you. ana
 you don't come to sec me any
 more.
 Someone told me rot .
 eood case against you with the apartment all furnished and
 everything. But God knows
 don't want to do anything like
 that.
 Maybe you think am crazy.
 favink on like this. But I
 thought you didn't get my mes.
 sage that I left on the tele-
 phone, and you would get mad if ! went to zee you like ycu told me not to. So please come back to your loving
 MAE. AAhtoreth handed the surprising back to her employ sr Aoutely uncomfortable, she stood rlgidly by his desk. T do not understand" she said l why you wished me to read your most personal correspondence"
 Because" he explained, "1 want "a to get your reaction. wanted 10 zee the effect of letter like thsv on A girl like you. A whirn. per haps, Mae de Marr worked in th,s i office once. 4 filing clerk. I be- ieve 1 wondered how many girls like her there are out there. Il thought. perhaps, you could tell me" Ashtoreth raised her head. T am afraid.' she said. that ] ! tAnnot help you. I wonder why you i FhoAeht could" T hope have not offended you" he apologised. T assure Sou there vas nothing at all personal in my Inquiry. I'm simply interested in his modern girl proposition. ! i thought maybe you could help me see the light" He came then, and stood in front | ef her.
 Please, Miss Ashe." he appealed | boyishly, tell me-what's it all about? They say modern girls are self-respecting. We hear SO much about the modern girl and her iA- It's just lot of non- sense. isn't 1t? Be q good sport. 1 A-