The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-05-17

door That particular knock had Z
peculiar magic of its own. for in
stantly the two people within the
private Office we're transformed
Happiness, which had glOWed il
Mans eyes like twin candles on al
altar, was snuffed out, leaving hel
round childish face pale and taut
In that instant she became the
model secretary, or, rather, the
model secretary as that part of the
world unfamiliar with the com
raderie of the Office pictures her
She became Miss Carroll little
prim. very impeTsOnal, subservient
remote Her back stiffened and
automatically she poised her pencil
above her notebook in the respect
ful attitude Of a secretary awaiting
dictatiOn.
And in that instant John Curtis
Morgan, attorney at-laW. disap-
peared. It was the eager voice OF
a lover husband who called out joy
ouslv, Welcomingly: Come in" II
was an ardent boy, in spite OF sc
years and a silver-foX pelt. who
sprang to his feet forgetting Nan
Carroll. forgetting Grace Cox, for
getting his fatigue, thinking only OF
the woman. who had knocked i'm
periously upon his door.
Come in, darling! Oh, hello
Sonny Boy! Out shopping with
mother? It's great to see you both
Mans enormous brown eyes. APP
par ltlv as unseeing and blank as
circles of brown velvet, took in every
detail of the family scene that was
being enacted as if she we're not
present. She saw Morgan kiss his
wife. flinched a little as she noted
Iris Morgan's casual, arrogant &C
ceptance of that mark of her nus
bands alteration. felt a throb of
pity for her employer as she saw
the 6-vear-Old boy refuse petulantly
to be kissed. Then she braced herself
for Iris Morgan's greeting.
How do you do, Nan? Gorgeous
dav. isn't it? I'm simply mad for
new clothes. Be prepared to pay
out every penny Jack has IN the
bank when this months bills come
in And. oh, by the way. draw me
a check for a hundred, won't you?
she added in a tone she might have
used to a servant. Il hate to be
limited to the shops where l have
accounts when I'm on a buying
orgy. as I am today. Some of the
cunningest shoes at Martins, Jack,
she turned explanatory to her hus-
band. And bags at the Petite Paris
Shoppe!"
Nan. forced to listen as she obedi-
entity wrote the check which Iris
Morgan demanded, heard her en-
ployer answer eagerly, like a boy
f1attered at being noticed and anX-
ious to please:
That so. sweetheart? I hope you
find lust what you want I wish
I had time to go with you. but Id
be so busy looking at you that I'd
not be a very good judge Of shoes
or bags"
silly Jack!' Iris Morgan shrugged
and moved away so that his hand,
which was stretching out to close
upon hers. was defeated and quiv-
cred q little.
Nan saw the culver, and her own
hand. busy with the check, trem-
Died with anger and sympathy. Not
that John Curtis Morgan was angry
OF. conscious of need for her SYM
pathv. she told herself fiercely. He
was conscious now of nothing in the
world but his wife's breathtaking
beauty. And, as always, it hurt Nan
intolerably to see him humble and
eager and abiect before that beauty
as if he could never quite believe
that he was its legal possessor.
IRIS MORGAN let her tall, grace
1 full body sink languidly into the
chair which her husband had hast
ened to draw up to the desk for her
And Nan was not too busy filling in
the stub of Morgan's checkbook tc
see that Iris disposed of her body
as if she we're sitting for an artist
the picture to be entitled, "Por-
trait of Lady of Quality"
Long white throat arched as the
head. freed of its close-fitting hat
rested in profile against the high
back of the chair; glittering tendrilS
Of red-gold hair curling against the
polished walnut; the one eye which
the profile pose revealed surveying
her husband with lazy indifference
but not without challenge that he
appreciate the picture she made.
Three years had not been long
cough to accustom Nan Carroll tc
the amazing beauty of Iris Morgan'S
eyes. Strange eyes, that had color
all their own; the vivid blue-greer
that poets ascribe to tropical seas
IF only she would be nice to hin,
I wouldn't hate her sol" Nan tolo
herself fiercely as she laid the check
before Morgan to sign. Silly Jack!'
she quoted in silent fury. Imagine
calling him jack She makes him
silly. makes him small-and he's big
bigl She doesn't dreamer carei-
how big he is! Oh. 1 wish he
wouldn't look at her like that" AnC
she could have cried out with pair
at the spectacle of the man she be-
lieved to be great gazing with hum
BILE, pleading, love-sick eyes upon the
woman who wore his name non
chalantly and inSolently as she wore
the clothes he paid for.
. =
A S Iris Morgan rested pictures
"a quely in the high-backed chair
her 6-year-old son leaned, just a:
picturesquely. against her knee. a.
if he we're subconsciouSly obeyine
his mothers command to fit int<
the picture.
Nan thought. with fiery contempt
that Iris Morgan would never bother