The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-09-09
THE WORLD R~VHesS
WITH A FENCEH8H
a Nev Novel By Msrias Sims

/ The secretary said: Good morn
ing!" aud smiled. "Mr. Thornton
wants to see you right away. Miss
Torrance"
Blake Thornton rose quickly as
she entered. and his smile was al
most warm. - ts..= rel .4...se
Right on the dotl / thought you
were going to telephone" 81
There was no reason to, bother
you. Thanks to Harry and Marge ]
got settled before l left town."
Comfortably"
VERY. I'm at the Sherwood, on
Avondale. Externally it's as cosy as
the Grand Central Station. but my
apartments just what was looking
for"
That's fine: He eyed her criti-
cally. You look better than you did
menth ago. Rested"
Il ought t3Hrve done nothing but
eat and sleep. And studyI"
She couldn't say the same for
Blake. He was thinner. she thought.
and the lines beside his mouth were
more deeply carved than she had
remembered. He was Immediately
dressed in a gray snit of some sum-
mer material. but the suit hung
loosely from his thin wide shoulders.
She said casually:
What about you? Have you had
a vacation YETI"
"Not yet. lrma's been in the
mountains for two weeks. but l won't
go up except for an occasional week.
end. Can't afford It"
Florida in the winter, the noun
tains in the summer. Irma.' then.
must be the reason why Blake
couldn't take more than an occa-
sional weekend. He said. smiling:
well. how do you feel about It
now? Karin 10 go?"
yes" She confessed suddenly:
"And scared stiff"
He laughed. Take it easy. don't
expect you % learn It all at once"
He got up. "I1l show you your
desk. -!
HER desk was In a corner of the
Il big Office. Gus Holmes. who did
the art work. was next: then there
were several girls-bUokkeepers, fl
ing clerks and stenographers. Blake
introduced her to the staff, then
stopped beside her desk.
"Pm going to start you on a series
for children's shops. Here's the one
we've been using. It's for a fairly
exclusive trade. naturally. but use
as much imagination as you like.
Here's the series we're discarding:
look over It, but don't follow It. II
you have a new idea. try It out" His
smile fiashei briefly. But take your
time: you've got all summer"
She nodded. Thanks. But hope
1t won't take that long"
1t was rather surprising that a
man as impersonal and businesslike
as Blake Thornton should guess so
accurately the state Of her feelings
and the depths Of her uneasiness.
And very decent of him to reassure
her. She felt better already. and
surer than ever that she was going
to like working for him. She sat
down and began to look through the
material.
He moved away. "If you want to
see any other stuff. or to ask any
questions. see Miss Heath here. Or
come to me-"
She went through the material
slowly. then closed her eyes in con-
centration. Children's shops. That
ought to be easy: every woman was
interested in her children. in the
things that interested her children.
A normal womar's sales resistance
was lowest where they were con-
cerned.
Her mind turned the subject over
and over, and one phrase intruded:
things that interested her chill
dren." Why couldn't you sell the
children too? Pictures. stories,
rhymes: what was apt to engage q
child's INTEREST,"
She forgot about time until Laura
Heath stopped beside her desk,
smiling.
You've got lunch hour. you
know"
$50 have. When. wonder?"
YOU'D better find out. Mines
twelve-thirty 10 one-thirty. l don't
think it matters when you take II"
Blake Thornton confirmed Laura's
opinion. It didn't matter when she
took it. She said: els one to two
convenient" and he nodded.
Lunch done she raced to the
Public Library and began her hunt
for children's stories that we're
short and unusual. She was twenty
minutes late. but the library trip
was part OF her business. so she re-
fused to worry about It
She lost herself in the children's
books: lost all count OF time until
Laura Heath stopped again. smiling.
Il never saw such a glutton for
work. This Office closes at i've, in
case you hadn't heard"
She looked up and blinked In an
attempt to re-focus her intent eyes.