The Coolidge examiner., 1933-11-03
THE BIRTHDAY
DETECTIVE
g
By Jane Osborn
g. 1898. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

lVl into the outer office OF
Blain and Jones as stealth
lily as fat woman could.
She opened the door just enough
TO permit her to stick her broad
face within, looked about the room
and made kissing sound to attract
the attention of the young woman
at the switchboard who was also
acting as reception clerk.
us Mr.. Blain outT she whis-
pered.
"Yes, he's just gone to luncheon"
said the girl. I'm sorry"
I'm not, I'm glad" said rOtund
Mrs. kellogg, who had now come
brayely into the office and seemed
to be a little out of breath from
her recent maneuverS.
I'm his aunt, and l want to talk
privately-very privately-with his
private secretary.
Il guess I'm as much his private
secretary as anyone is" said the
girl.
I'm Nancy Howe and l take all
his dictation. Just now the tele-
phone operator has gone to lunch
con, so I'm sitting out here Could
you talk to me here by the board? q
"Why, yes" said Mrs. Kellogg.
"If you're quite sure that nephew
of mine won't come in. If he's only
just gone to luncheon then I'm
pretty safe to stay here a little
while. l might have telephoned it
but l was afraid some one else
in the office would overhear and be-
sides / hate to talk with people l
can't see. And this is a difficult
matter"
IF can do anything for you or
Mr.. Blain, I'm sure I'd like to-" said
Nancy Howe.
She devotedly wished that the
fussily dressed fat woman would
come to the point of her story.
well, it's this way. I'm his
aunt, Luella Kellogg. You may
have heard him speak Of me. No?
That's funny
"Mr. Blain has never spoken to
me except of business matters"
Hasn't" snapped the aunt.
"Well that's funny. I'd an idea
young men rather took their pri-
vate secretaries into their conf
dences and all that sort of thing.
"But never mind, as l was saying
I'm his Aunt Luella and as you may
have heard l have quite a little
money which / intend to give him
some fine day. He's my only heir
and l don't intend to wait until I'm
dead to give him his share. But
that's a little beside the point.
What l wanted you to under
stand is that / take a tremendous
interest in the boy. He may be al
most thirty, but he seems like a
boy to me.
"His birthday is the fifteenth of
March, and tomorrow is the first. /
want to give him a really nice pres
ent. but / haven't an idea of what
he'd like I'm leaving that for you
to discover. You'd better tell me
by the tenth, so III have a few
days to pick it out. I'd ask him
only | want it to come as a sur
prise"
But how can | find out?" asked
Nancy, really troubled.
Il shouldn't think that would be
difficult.
IF l was a pretty young stenog-
rapher / don't think it would be
hard for me to find out what my en-
ployer would like for birthday
present.
Just get to talking some time
about hobbies and preferences and
get him to tell you about the sort
of books he likes, and whether he
really wants books.
Maybe he'd like a new car, or
maybe there's some club he'd like
to join but can't afford the initia-
ton fee or perhaps he'd like a sad
die horse. How am | to know?
'If l began to pump him he'd be
on his guard, because he'd know
why / was asking.
81 tell you, my dear, if you'll do
this little piece of detective work,
I'll reward you well. There are
surely little things a pretty girl like
you would like and I'll give you
S15 to spend on some little gee
gaw or other"
But it will be very difficult" !"
said Nancy Howe, really alarmed
at the idea of having to accept the
commission and yet somehow not
liking to disappoint the genial and
outspoken fat woman.
"You see, we're very business-like
in this office. l would have no oc-
casion to discuss books or hobbies
with Mr.. Blain. He thinks of me
only as a more or less efficient ma
chine"
"Bosh,' said the good-natured
aunt with an air of finality.
Pretty girls like you are never
looked upon as mere machines by
their employers.
"Go along, do what say, find
ont mint tho hnu NrantS and LET me