The Coolidge examiner., 1938-01-20

why, mol l didn't happen to go
to the window. Did she have nice
carr"
Nice! Well, it wasn't ladylike.
It was painted white with red
stripe around it, and it was one of
those queer low kind of cars that
sporting men drive. really felt
kind of ashamed to have a woman
like that coming out Of my house
and driving away in a car like that.
Did she say she was coming
again?"
"She didn't say" said Margaret.
She asked when Mr.. Sterling was
coming back and told her didn't
know"
"Fm!" said Mrs. Harris. We'll.
I'm glad she's gone! Poor thing,
you look all beat out!"
Greg came in about four o'clock.
Margaret told him about the caller.
gave him the note, and he looked
annoyed.
He applied himself to the tele-
phone and Margaret vanished into
the other room trying to rattle her
machine so that she wouldn't hear
the conversation.
And then she heard Greg's voice
booming out clearly over her ma
chimes clatter.
That you, Alice? Too bad you
had such a long wait this morning,
and I'm sorry. but l can't make it
to your dinner tonight. I've made
other arrangements for the eve
ming. No, l can't make it tomorrow
evening. You'll have to excuse me.
I'm awfully busy these days, and
don't fit into that kind of thing any
way What's that? No, not
then either just haven't time
for social affairs. What is the trou-
BILE? Debts? Debts of honor? What
does that mean, gambling? Sorry.
but have no money to pay any
body's gambling debts"
Suddenly Margaret heard the
sharp peculiar click Of the tele-
phone. and then she heard Greg
chuckle amusedly and sit back in
his chair.
Margaret went on with her work,
an undertone of relief in her mind.
Nevertheless she wondered who was
this lady to whom he had talked so
frankly, obviously admitting a past
in which he had known her well. A
wild idea that perhaps she had once
been his wife and was divorced,
came to her. Greg had told her
his brief story, but hadn't mentioned
girls. There hadn't been any place
IN that brief autobiography he had
given her in the tea room for any
episode of this sort. Had he been
merely reassuring her? Yet he
seemed so frank. Well. it was none
of her business of course how many
wives and sweethearts he had. He
was only her employer. and as an
employer she had no fault to
find with him. What did it matter?
She would just forget it and do her
work and be happy.
But the subject would keep COM
ing back. and troubling her. 1t
wasn't just curiosity. She wanted
her Mr.. Sterling to be all that he
seemed to be.
OF course she knew that there
were men who had great many
girl friends of different kinds and
thought nothing of it But friend
like the woman who had been In
his office that day was not consist
ent with his profession OF Christi
anity, or with the unique business
he was trying to establish. Sill,
he couldn't help how old friends
turned out of course.
Well, he hadn't gone 70 her din
ner anyway! He had told her plainly
that he didn't like her crowd, and
wouldn't drink! What more did she,
a mere secretary, want to reassure
her?
So she tried to put the subject
away from her mind.
Mrs. Harris tapped at the door
just as dusk was coming down 10
bring a special delivery letter that
had just arrived, and Greg looked
up from his book to thank her.
ITO BE CONTINUED