Evening star., 1937-07-11

4 work for a woman for anything.
how did she ever stand it and wasn't woman
as boss much more pernckety than man?
But Lefty Marshall said she didn't mind. And
she didn't. She really liked Marta Gray. OF
course Miss Gray had her peculiarities but then.
who hasn't?
When Miss Gray first engaged Lefty as her
secretary and general assistant. she said, Il
want someone who is quiet and attends to busi-
ness and isn't always thinking of men and
parties. Also, someone who is used to nice
things and has some background"
Inwardly Lefty smiled at that for she didn't
think it advisable to let Miss Gray see the
smile. All Lefty had left was background For
generations and generations the Marshalls and
the Lancasters were the two families that had
furnished the main background of Somerset in
Massachusetts, where backgrounds, somehow,
seemed just little more important than any
where else Why, Lettys grandfather had been
intimate with Emerson and Longfellow and
goodness knows whom else. But that was all
past now.
And Lefty Marshall did not tell Marta Gray
any of this All she said was, Il am quiet, Miss
Gray; perhaps little too quiet, not - not
aggressive enough"
Miss Gray laughed. "I1l provide all the ag
gressiveness we need" she said. and then asked
sharply: What about men,"
Lefty flushed painfully And she thought of
Somerset again and of Bob Lancaster who had
let her 70 to New York without word. Well,
anyway, without the sort of word she had ex-
pected. He had driven her to the train and
given her box of chocolates to eat on the trip
and a cluster of gardenias - imported from
Boston - to pin on her coat But not one word
of regret that she was going, not one word of
pain at the parting. Even though they'd been
brought up next door to each other in the two
huge old pillared houses even though they'd
gone through all sorts of ups and downs to-
gether For the Lancaster family, like the Mar
shall family, had fallen upon barren days.
II don't think I'm the type that attracts
men, Miss Gray" Lefty finally admitted, her
cheeks still crimson.
'Nonsense!' said Miss Gray. You're very
pretty in Quakery way"
1t was from that moment Lefty began to like
Miss Gray. LAS to the business part, she said
boldly, "if you'll give me the chance shall GER
tainly attend to it"
Miss Gray was entirely won over by now.
you're quaint child" she said. Il think
we'll enjoy working together"
And they had. Lefty liked the shop Miss
Gray was an interior decorator. She liked the
neighborhood - the shop was located in the
very swankiest part of Madison Avenue. And
she took quiet but intense interest in the busi-
ness and its customers
Everything would have been perfectly fine if
it had not been for Mr. Pendexter. Lefty could
not help feeling sorry for Mr.. Pendexter. And
she realized - oh. decidedly! - that Mr.. Pen
dexter was none of her business. On the con-
trary, and most decidedly, he was Marta Grays
business
Marta Gray and Miles Pendexter we're en-
gagged and they had been engaged, Lefty under
stood, for years. That was the trouble Miss
Gray was, or she thought she was, too busy to
get married, And it's all wrong" thought
Lefty. "She has no right to keep that nice man
dangling. And besides, they're both getting
old" For Miss Gray must be all of thirty-fve
ard Miles Pendexter at least forty, although
he didn't look it. "Soon she'll look older than
he does" Lefty reflected. "and where will she
be them"
One reason Miss Gray often looked little