Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-11-12
Kisses and Adding
Machines
g
By FRANCES M. SMALL
g Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate,
WNU Service.

~AS SJS, NuS uIluSTHeaLn volcano
of curbed unrest and seething bit
terness worked so necessarily that
sometimes the smooth veneer al
most cracked. And on those DAYS
OF imminent eruption Elsinore was
conscious of a large area of ,oold-
ness in the vicinity of her presence.
No one finds it enjoyable to. be in
close proximity to volcano on the
verge of erupting.
On certain young, soft day in
spring, she was in a particularly
vicious mood, and characteristic
ally, never more efficient in her own
work and exacting of those about
her. Her wrath was particularly
centered on ridiculous pair of
youngsters III the Office who thought
they were in love- To Elsinore it
was disgusting the way the boy
mooned at his beloved, and the girl
displayed the very small diamond
on the approved finger OF the left
hand in way that was nothing less
than vulgar.
AS though she had captured the
universe and was inviting the rest
OF US to be jealous" ragged Elsinore
to herself.
Elsinore held a very small opin-
ion of love in general and lovers in
particular.
tits all applesauce - love. The
diversion of light minds. It's funny
how people who might be worth
something in the world can make
themselves ridiculous in the eyes of
sensible people and never realize
what fools they are. That young
man shows promise. His work is
good and if he'd only attend to bust
ness he'd get somewhere. Now he's
ruined. He'll never do anything.
That silly girls got him riding the
roller coasters. And how does he
think he's ever going to support her
on $40 week." OH
Outwardly Elsinore was calmly
sorting her chiefs mail, pre-
paratory to disposal when she
should later be called into his pres
ence.
The chief was another thorn in
her side. Why in the world should a
man of his brains and obvious
ability belittle his dignity by taking
every important thing in the office
so lightly.
Frequently, when Elsinore came
to him with reluctant reports that
so-and-so's work was falling off, and
didn't he think he ought to be lacked
Up little, Mr.. Corbet merely
looked at her with a quizzical
pucker at the corner of his eyes and
made some perfectly irrelevant re-
mark, such as, Really, Miss Elsie,
It's a lovely day.
why don't you take the afternoon
off and get a manicure or a per
manent or sometMng?" a
He was maddening. AS though her
softly waving blonde head had ever
been desecrated by a permanent,
and If he didn't like her Hands he
could get another secretary.
AS she gathered up the sorted
mail and started for the office
marked Private" Elsinore was
conscious of slight comnetien be-
hind the tallest filing cabinet.
Moving slightly out of her course,
she obtained a fair view of the
young sweethearts apparently inno-
Gently engaged in trivial CONVERSE
ton, but the girls hair was not its
usual neat row of finger waves, and
the boys face was painfully flushed.
Elsinore's first impulse was to re-
prove them and send the girl to her
desk in tears. In fact, she even
wavered in her tracks, then con-
tnued on her way. What in the
world was the use? They'd only
keep it up behind her back. No
body paid any attention to what
she said anyway. Common sense
and efficiency-brains and intelli.
gence-were never recognized ir
this world. What was the use?
She pushed the door marked "Pri
vate" open and stepped into the
Chiefs office. Mr.. Corbet was &
pleasant appearing man, rather
young, thought Elsinore, to be such
an important parsonage as branch
manager of the Wide World Insur
ance company. But there he was
and apparently making a good jot
of it. She placed the papers neatly
on his desk, took her place at hi:
right elbow and opened her note
book.
Silence reigned. She rustled the
pages Of her book as signal tina
she was ready and the work ough
not to be delayed. Silence continued
to reign. Anroyedly she glanced up
Was Mr.. Corbet ill-or something
But the expression of Jim Cor
bets eyes indicated anything bu
illness. In fact, they vaguely dis
concerted Elsinore, and to hel
chagrin her own eyes, gray anC
fearless, that had never wavereC
before any mans gaze, fell befor,
his. Her amazed ears becam,
aware that he was speaking, anS
not In the cut-and-dried voice o
business dictation.
"Elsie, I've spent considerabl,
valuable time thinking about you
You've got some kind of a com
v>lo., tbo4 roc4orc tho life Ot,f ~ ~