Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-10-06
CHAPTER Ia


Steve's hand, she had two men on
her mind-Steve Hubbard and Bill
Blaine.
At the same moment, thirteen floors
below, two other girls had one man
on their minds. The girls were 10
and Janice and the man was-well,
that's what they wanted to know.
10 and Janice, returning from late
lunch hour, were unaware OF the ac-
cident to Steve and the drama going
on thirteen floors above. But they
had their own little private drama,
mostly mystery.
CT think he's haunt" 10 remarked
behind her hand to her girl friend.
LETS call him the Specter. Some
one must have hired him to haunt
the building"
"Sssh!" Janice admonished. Hell
hear you"
The object of their attention had
pioued the girls interest for the last
three days. Every day, particularly
during the noon hour, the man IN
question was to be seen, seated on
the first marble bench in the build
ing lobby, watching all passersby with
sly intentness.
He sat there, immobile, moving
only his eyes, dressed all in black
SLOUGH hat, suit and shoes-a cigar
jutting from one corner of his mouth.
He looked a little sinister.
"Who do you think he is?" Janice
asked as they rode up in the eleva-
tor. "He acts like he's watching for
somebody =. or waiting for some
thing"
"Probably a street car" 10 sup
piled. "I'll ask my boss to investi-
gate"
The drama upstairs, in the four
teenth floor operating room, of which
10 and Janice had been unaware, was
a tense one, indeed. Much more tense
than even Linda knew.
In the small operating room there
had not been space nor need for Lin
da. DR.. Blaine and DR.. Renquist had
been aided by their own nurse, Miss
Gillen, while Linda waited anxiously
outside.
Miss Gillen could have told Linda,
but didn't of how Bill Blaine had
gone just so far in the surgery upon
Steve's hand; had stopped, befuddled,
rubbed his gloved hands across his
perspiring brow and had said sickly:
'T. :. can't finish it, Ren-take
Overw
Miss Gillen could have told how DR..
Renquist had started on job badly
bungled, had Strengthened out Blaine's
mistakes, and had swiftly and expert
ly performed brilliant piece of sur
gerry g. But Miss Gillen didn't tell.
"Is :. ;. is he going to be all right ?"
Linda asked, rushing up to Blaine
as they brought Steve from the oper-
ating room.
b eyes ). 1 think so," Blaine an
swered, color returning to his blanch-
ed face. eve did the best we could"
It was then that DR.. Renquist ex-
ploded. 1t was an explosion long over
due. Behind it was all the pent-up
feeling which he had stifled month af-
ter month.
"You did what" Renquist roared.
"Why don't you tell her the truth?
Why don't you tell her it's no fault
of yours that the guy still has a
hand? Go on. DR.. Fancypants, Tell
her! You windbag :. :"
Linda had tried not to collapse
throughout the whole ordeal. But
when Bill Blaine dashed out with his
fist at Renquist, Linda was the one
who fell-that old falling, falling SEN
sation -.
And the whole room did a black
out.
"a girl" 10 Monroe was saying,
"has perfect right to faint once in
her life. It's a feminine preroga-
tive. Makes the males kid themselves
into thinking they're the stronger
sex :"
The three girls, Linda, Janice and
10, were together in the kitchen of
the two roommates' small apartment,
settling life's vital questions over the
coffee cups-even as they had done
that night when 10 gave Linda the
unasked advice to "play smart and
play SINGLE"