Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-08-04


and Linda noted for the first time that
his voice, low and well modulated,
had laughter in it like his face. "This
is my first trip to Palm Beach and ]
guess the altitude sort of got me. The
name is Steve Hubbard; I'm from the
other side of the tracks, way down
in the foundations of this here up
right city"
Forgiven" Linda smiled. "The
name is Linda Morton. Uppercrust
Linda of the twenty-fifth floor"
Steve had dragged his chair out
from behind the palm, and Linda had
seen then that the neat brown suit
was covered by white smock of some
kind.
"Nurse?" Steven asked.
"Sort Of" Linda nodded. "Doctor?'
Steve's grin broadened at that one
"Well, yes and no." he answered
"You might say I'm sort of specialist
I guess 1 have the biggest practice
in Titan Tower-and the biggest pa
tients. Variety of complaints from
bad pumps to leaking valves"
"Oh," Linda said, understanding
ly, Heart"
Funny" said Steve, "you took the
thought right out of my mind. I was
beginning to feel the symptoms"
HE IS fresh, Linda thought, and
felt the color rush to her face. But
fresh in a way that it was difficult
to resent. She looked at her watch
and said, cts lovely here, but my
hours up. If I don't get back to my
job, may not have any,"
AS she walked toward the stairs
Steve fell into step beside her. She
felt that he was tall, not like Bill
Blaine, but tall enough.
"Goodby,' Steve said. "Do you get
down to- should say up to'-Palm
Beach often?"
"Quite often," Linda smiled, If you
count just once. This is my first
trip-no pleasure"
Maybe" said Steve, well meet
again."
Whether they did or not was not
in Linda's mind as she went back
to DR.. Thorpe's Office. Steve was for
gotten before she had taken ten steps
down the stairs. In his place were
two feelings of emptiness. She had
not eaten, and-more important-she
had not seen DR.. Blaine.
Linda was literally up to her ell
bows in bills she was getting out for
DR.. Thorpe several hours later. She
was tired and frowning and felt she
must have looked at her very worst
when the door opened and she glanced
up to see the outline of a tall man
entering.
"Will you be seated just moment.
please?" she asked, meaning to finish
difficult total before talking to the
patient.
Standing in front of her desk and
smiling down at her, with an amused
twinkle in his eyes, was Bill Blaine.
"Hello, there" he said. Just that
"Oh," said Linda, "hello."
Why, she moaned inwardly couldn't
she command more than a stupid stage
whisper?
"Well," said DR.. Blaine, "this is a
pleasant surprise, Miss Morton-it is
Miss Morton, isn't it,"
eyes," Linda said, letting a half
truth do for the whole. Well, the
Morton" part was right, anyway.
81 just dropped in to see DR.. Thorpe
on a professional matter" DR.. Blaine
explained, as though an explanation
were needed. "You know, I wouldn't
have known your name, after all your
fine work up there yesterday, if it
hadn't appeared in the papers. You're
quite the leading lady Of Titan Tow
er today"
"Thank you DR.. Blaine" Linaa said,
COLL tell DR.. Thorpe you're here"
'No, don't BOTHER" Blaine said
quickly. cts not vitality important.
I'll. just walk in on him later-that
is, if you're not too busy to be poster
ed for few minutes :"
"Pestered?" Linda's eyebrows arch
ed, in a pattern Bill Blaine decided
was plenty effective.
"Well," he went on, 81 haven't had
chance to thank you adequately for
everything you did to help DR.. Rem
quist and me up there yesterday. And
it seems that this chance visit has Civ
en- me just the right opportunity. ]
know our poor friend of the accident
would want me to thank you, too.
"That's very generous of you, doc
tor" Linda said. "I'm afraid you're
over-emphasizing my part. I just
did a nl1rSe's ioh that's oil