The Coolidge examiner., 1932-06-17
CHAPTER VI-Continued
IA

his gaze frankly curious. Seems TO
me-" he said, that you're a pretty
live wire, sister, to be working in
a dump like this. Give me the low
down on it. What's the answer"
A phrase of her fathers turned
up, providentially, in her mind. "A
turnip's bigger than an apple seed, y
she said. but it won't grow into a
tree"
Look here" he said, "that's
pretty good! You ought TO write
advertising copy for real business.
If you ever want a new boss, give
me q look In. How about the old
man? Any chance that he'll come
back tonight?"
IF you'll wait a minute" she said,
"I'll see" She pulled up the tele-
phone and called the number of Mr..
Willard's office, and there was quite
a lot of red tape about Ii. In order
10 keep her voice from shaking she
had to freeze it as hard as ice.
rs this the Willard Manufactur-
Ing company" she asked. 'Td like
TO speak to Mr.. Wizards secre-
tary. Miss Baldwin? e.
This is Edith Patterson" She wasn't
looking at Jake German, but she
was pleasurably aware that he sud-
denly sat up a little. 'Tm trying
to find my father" she went on
smoothly. "He spoke Of going In
to see Mr.. Willard this afternoon.
He isn't there now, Is heT"
He wasn't there, Miss Baldwin
said, but he'd telephoned. Mr.. VIII
lard wasn't there now, either. He'd
just gone out. But she believed
that they'd arranged to dine togeth-
er at the club.
THAT would be the Union League,
wouldn't it," Edith asked, and the
secretary said she thought 1t would
"All right" Edith said. That's all
I need to know. Thanks very much" T"
Without taking her hand from the
telephone or letting so much as a
glance stray away from it, she
called the club and asked II her
father was there. He wasn't.
She'd hardly hoped he would be.
but she left message that he was
to call his office when he came in.
She was still without plan for
holding Jake captive until he could
be delivered into dads hands. But
she felt 1t must, somehow, be done.
AS she looked rather helplessly
around at him, he spoke.
THAT certainly was one on me,
Miss Patterson" He was looking
very flushed and uncomfortable, try
ing TO apologize, and not quite
knowing how.
She beamed at him. 'But l don't
mind a bit" she said. I'm glad
you thought / was a live wire, and
I'm glad you thought / was a regu-
lar stenographer. That's what try
TO be-"
The assurance didn't make him
look any more comfortable. She'd
spoiled everything by letting him
know who she was. She wished as
hard as she'd ever wished anything
in her life that she knew how to
vamp people.
II suppose" he said, ''if your IA
ther is way down In the Loop and
on the way to his club. 1t isn't much
good my waiting for him out here"
WELL" she observed demurely,
that depends"
Why couldn't she be brazen and
flip Would it do any good if she
let her hand hang over his side of
the desk? Probably not.
what does it depend on?" he
asked.
''Why, on how much of a hurry
you're in-for one thing" she said.
well, I'm not in a hurry.
haven't a thing to do"
He said 1t doubtfully. though. as
If he couldn't make up his mind
about something. She wasn't get
ting away with it.
81 haven't either" she said des-
perately. Il was just sitting around
TO see If anything happened"
She'd tried to make it sound in
viting, an audacious hint at posi-
bilities. but she couldn't blame him
for not taking it that way.
The shop door opened and Charlie
Franklin came in.
Were just closing up, Miss Pat.
terson," he said. Il just thought
I'd see if you wanted me to stay fol
anything"
That finished everything, OF
course. He'd never survive any.
like that. She could have slain
Charlie where he stood!
Not a thing" she told him with
her friendliest smile. 'I'm going
myself, pretty soon."
1t was exactly then that the idea
came to her. I'm going downtown
TO have dinner with father at the
club"
That satisfied Charlie. he SAID
good night and left.
1t worked. There was an awful