The Washington times., 1932-12-22
CHAPTER XII

JOIAlOIIOW, ES tOlQ QST at lue
end of the afternoon. Il can
get around pretty we'll now
with a cane; and I'd like to be
on the job just now at the
close of the year."
Mary Faith shook her head.
"Oh, I think you ought to
wait for a few days before you
try it, Mr.. Nesbit. The stairs
in the building are so steep
and the floors are so slippery"
But the next morning when
she got down to the office
there was a light burning be-
hind the frosted glass pane in
his door.
Great Galusha's back on
the job this morning, Miss Fen
ton" Stanley Odeskalki told
her. looking up from the type
writer that he was oiling.
Gee, if 1 was my. own boss,
the way he is, 1 bet I wouldn't
come down to work on a cane!
I'd stay home for another
month"
At half past nine exactly
the buzzer on Mary Faiths
desk sounded. She got up and
carried the morning mail into
Mark Nesbit's office, just as
she had carried it in to him
at half past nine every morn
ing for years.
1t was on the tip Oh her
tongue to say to him: well,
you made it, see! EnS you
know you ought to nave stayed
at home"
All she did say, however, was
"Good morning, Mr.. NeSbit,"
just as she had always said it
in a polite office-voice.
Good morning., Mary
Faith" He smiled at her
gravely as he picked up one
of the envelopes that she laid
before him on the desk. will
you please ask Bassett to come
up here in about 10 minutes"
Just Like Magic
Everything was just as 1t
always had been. Like magic
both of them clicked back into
the well-oiled office machinery
of the Nesbit Mercantile Com
pany
End yet there was a differ
ence. That noon he came
limuing into her office and
stood beside her desk. He had
on his overcoat and his hat
and brief-case were in his
hand.
"Good-by, Mary Faith" he
said. Don't work late. Re
member it's Saturday 1.
I'm going to miss you at lunch
today. We've had some pretty
good talks the last couple of
weeks, haven't we?"
Haven't wei" Mary Faiths
face flushed with pleasure.
These two weeks have been
a holiday for me; but they
couldn't have been so very
grand for you, shut up in one
room most of the time"
She pushed back her chair
and got up as he turned to go.
I'm going to go down to
your car with you, if you don't
mind" she said. First thing
you know your cane will slip
on this floor and you'll be back
in the wheel chair for another
two weeks"
Side by side they crossed the
office and got into the eleva-
tor. Down in the street the big,
plum-colored limousine waited.
AS Mark Nesbit paused beside
it, with his foot on the step,
he half turned and held one
of Mary Faiths hands tightly
In his for a second.
You mother me, don't
you, Mary Faith?" he asked,
his head bent over hers. And,
do you know, I like it! I do.
/ think it's fine"
Great hulligan, but you and
the boss are getting to be
clubby!" Jean Bartlett remarked
when she walked into the Of
flee two or three minutes after.
ward. IF this keeps up you'll
soon be forgetting Handsome's
nailed-down hair and built-up
shoulders!"
Late that afternoon when
Mary Faith got home there
was long florists box for her
lying on the table in the hall.
Roses and Narcissus
"A colored chauffeur-in
livery, if you please-brought
1t here about one o'clock" Mrs.
Pickett told her, coming out
of the parlor. There's roses
and narcissus in it, by the
smell 1 never have been
able to abide the smell of mar
cissus since Mr.. P.'s funeral"
But she stood close by,
watching. while Mary Faith
opened the box and lifted out
the pink roses and starry white
narciSsuS that lay in it.
There's a card with them,
Mary Faith!" she said. THE
car was a dark purplish-red
one-kind of a plum color. I
told Mr.. aMcClintock and Mr..
Vining that I bet it was your
Mr.. Nesbit'S car"
Mary Faith knew that the
flowers were from Mark Nesbit
before she drew his card out
of the envelope that had been
tucked among them Who else
would be sending flowers to
her,