The Washington times., 1937-11-04

before. He would have staked that
last dollar on the certainty that
nobody knew he was broke. But
there she stood. friendly and smil'
ing, and in the brown gloom OF
the hallway back Of her, a colored
boy bearing a basket filled with
food.
"I am the City Hostess" she ex-
planned.
He repeated it vaguely. 1.-THE
City Hostess?"
There are several hundred Of us
scattering over America. But ap-
parently you've never run into one
of us before. We are fairly new
institution.
IT represent several Of the city's
best firms-dry-goods, groceries,
drugs, automobiles. My employers
wish me to extend cordial well
come to you-
Pete threw his door wide, and
she and the boy came in.
"Elijah's raven" Pete said TO
himself, and almost said it to her.
but thought better OF it, and LED
the way to the kitchenette. can
this really be happening" he said
10 himself in amusement.
LEAVES GIFTS
The boy put down his basket
and went his way.
I'm afraid I oughtn't to have
let you send him away" Pete said.
IT don't suppose I'm entitled to
these things-a man alone. I'm
not really keeping house, you
know"
But you do eat here sometimes,
don't you? And Of course you'll be
buying clothes and drugs and
things"
She took from the basket several
large white envelopes in which
cards were enclosed, and handed
him one, 1.-The Dawson-Drew Com.
pany sends you its greetings and
hopes you'll feel like opening an
account with them, and Every
hody's Drug Company and the
Monday Morning Laundry and
Dry Cleaning Company, and the
Acme Hardware Store and"
The professional smile slipped
a little, the Spring Valley
Floral Shop would all appreciate
it If you would give them trial
and"
.. Hey, wait a minute!" put In
Pete with a grin, It can't keep up
with you" And then, as he took
the handful of cards she held out
to him, How would 1t do If you
left the rest of them for me to
look over, and we just-er-talked
a little.
you see I come from a town
cut in the Rocky Mountain coun.
try where everybody knows every
body else, and this place, where I
don't know anybody, is beginning
to get my Western goat"
Their smiling eyes met.
els it as bad as that?" she said.
There was something warm and
genuine and friendly about her,
and altogether nice.
"I came on to work for John
Marquis Brokerage Company" he
told her, "but Marquis is abroad
and no one else has the authority
to take me on"
HE invited me to have dinner
with him that night at the hotel
and asked me a lot of questions
about myself, and told me he'd
have a job for me here If I ever
wanted it.
And I simply rose up one day
and came without sending him
any word. A pretty dumb thing
to do, I'm afraid"
NO PATIENCE
Patience isn't your master vir-
tue them" She smiled, and set
tied comfortably into the big chair
he drew forward for her. "You
don't wait well?"
v''Not under the circumstances"
He didn't tell her what they were
He didn't quite know why he
didn't unless it was because there
were so many pleasanter things
to talk about.
When she had to go at last
''We're going to be friends, aren't
We?" he begged. you'll let me
see you soon again?"
"Our follow-up system requires
me to make second visit. IN
drop in some day soon when I'm
passing" she said gayly.
She went with that. But she
neither came nor let him know
where he could find her. When
she hadn't come at the end of the
week, and when Marquis arrived
and gave him a better job than he
had dared hope for, Pete stopped
at the Spring Valley Floral Shop
on his way from work and asked
for her address.
"The City Hostess" the clerk
said. "She's right here now. In
the office, talking to the manager
III tell her some one is asking for
her" And he tapped on the man
ayers door.
It opened to a stout. pleasant,
faced, middle-aged woman he had
never seen. She had no assistants
she said. He made what explana
ton he could and went away, com
pletely puzzled and thrown back
on himself.
Ten days later running up his
Blinds earlier than usual in thu
morning he was amazed to set
Mary Mcintyre just turning away
from a window in the apartment
house just back Of his-a window
the Nuhnla ~