The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-15

him please MT ne WY Vu>N
right now with client. but Will
you lunch with him -
No Mary yelled furiously, L
don't lunch That Is. I'm busy
Then can YOU come 20 his Of
fees 80 she answered calmly. III
save you an appointment Mss
Vrenn"
Mary swore she'd never 90.
Then the statements won out
Over three hundred dollars worth
4 of-nonsense. II made her posi-
lively i'll.
Tip kept her waiting fifteen
minutes and then ysnked the door
open and strobe toward her. hold
ing out both hands. Why should
she let him grab both her hands.
when what she wanted to do was
slap him, kick him. bite him into
some kind Of subdued reason?
"Portia." Tip yelled excitedly,
does the old mountain toddle or
does it toddle9 Gosh. but you're
A sight for sore eyes, And darling.
where are my flowers Did that
wretched florist forget to send you
my white violets :"
Mary closed the door firmly on
Miss Sylvester's straining ears and
elared at him. She held out last
months florist bill for eighty-nine
dollars, but he merely grinned,
lacing lean. long fingers through
his shock of tawny. crisp hair.
What's ninety bucks" he said.
when I give that bird a thousand
year business Please wear my
violets, honey it makes me
happy
You kept me waiting ages
Mary stormed, "and court opens in
fifteen minutes. Tip Patten, I
have to appear in that Turner
case"
Your idea, my working" Tip
reminded her. grinning hugely.
1T wasn't my idea to bluff q
fake job she retorted tartly.
But I'm not taking" he pro-
tested. Eve a client. You'd be
surprised, Portia!"
My name"-she began furi-
ously.
rs Portia," he finished inno-
Gently the little girl who obeys
the letter of the law and hangs
the spirit to tall tree? Run
along, my sweet, and powder your
lovely nose. Judge Freed is
tough old geezer And I'll be wait
ing at TOMS with T-bone steaks
/ for us both, at one"
] Mary fled, vowing she wouldn't
go,
She made two bad slips in her
court work that day and was glad
when lunch intermission came.
Her clients case rested, and she
wondered who John Turner had
retained for defense. She had
pretty solid case against him, she
thought
She passed TOMS. saw Tip, and
only then remembered she had in
tended ignoring his luncheon in
Vltation. He stood up. helping her
with her furs, and she felt resent
ment slipping away as his hands
touched her shoulders. The waiter
brought hot, thick. Russian broth
and tiny golden croutons.
Tip pinned bunch of purple vio-
lets to her lapel when they were
through luncheon. and said, so
long, honey-see you in COURT"
and Mary forgot she had intended
making him sec reason on those
accounts.
Then John Turner's case re-
opened, and she looked up, and
there was Tip striding toward
Judge Freeds bench. his face
quiet and grave, his brown eyes
steady. She was too astonished to
realize what had happened until
the jury filed back again. Then
she stood up, shakily, to congratu-
late Tip on winning the case.
And you weren't taking your
client, she told Tip soberly gath
ering up the papers to her lost
case. He stuffed them into her
briefcase, smiling soberly down at
her, his brown eyes tender and
yearning.
NO, Mary he said gently, II
wasn't taking those accounts.
either My fee for this case il
three hundred, and I sold the fur
coat for two, and leased the ponies
tor five hundred to Bill CRANE
She stared up at him. He had
called her Mary-not Portia. She
felt the lump growing in her throat
and tried to wink back the burr
ing tears. She managed to say
shakily. SO now you'll get along
all right without me. Tip"
Not much" Tip said tenderly,
not on your legal life, honey. III
need you more than ever now.
Mary. Don't you see? You're the
reason why l went to work. So I
could convince you there's no brief
for Portia. There's just-love. Love
IN my heart, and a ring, and shar.