The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-11-20
TIL 4 LADY is
RECKLESS
BY ROB EDEN
CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY
It was nearly one o'clock when
Jill, dressed in the suit she had
worn when she got her job al the
Fenwiek home, walked the several
blocks from her hotel TO the build
ing In which Brooks office was
located.
II was a tall building. 20 stories
high, and she was whisked to his
office on the sixteenth floor in an
express elevator.
She had little trouble finding the
office which was at the end of
corridor, and got bit of a thrill
when she saw his name neatly
lettered in gold on the opaque
glass of the door. Brock Lands, In
vestments.
Below this was the word, EN-
trance" and she presumed he must
have another office, also, which
would be private.
IL was a HtdNs bLcAh1So"hht oA
rangement she noted as she walk
ed in the door.
Steel Desk
A secretary, a middle-aged wom-
an who wore spectacles. was seat
ed behind a modern steel desk.
There were two rows of filing cabi-
nets beside her desk. and a small
railing cut off her part of the room
from the entrance.
There Jill saw several comfort
able chairs.
Mr.. Landis," she said. Miss
Talbot calling"
will you have a chair, Miss
Talbot, please? He's engaged at
the moment. Shouldn't be very
long"
Jill thanked the girl and selected
one of the more comfortable chairs.
Care to read?" the secretary
asked. Here's the morning pa
per ?"
Thanks" Jill accepted the pa
per and glanced idly at the head
lines on the front page.
Are you a friend of Mr.. Lam
dis ?" the secretary inquired, her
eyes twinkling behind her spec
tacles.
well, err, yes"
Society Page
Then you might find some-
thing interesting about him on the
society page" the woman went on,
eagerly.
Jill glanced at the secretary in
surprise and dismissed the matter
as merely an effort to make con-
versation. She turned the pages
slowly, and finally reached the So
ciety section.
Il don't see anything about Mr..
Landis," she said, finally. As she
looked up she saw the secretary's
eyes on her.
It's quite personal, but very.
very interesting" the woman said.
IT'S in the first column. about the
Fenwick party, l mean
The girl found the item and read
that large party was planned
at the Fenwick home on Terrace
Road for that evening.
IT don't see anything so interest
ing about that ?" she said.
"Ah, but look in the gossip col
umn, now, near the bottom of the
page. The Molly Wiltshire column,
and you'll see what / mean"
Jill Reads
Jill glanced down the column,
and read: 1T is rumored that Nina
Fenwick will have an important
announcement to make at her
party tonight concerning a certain
young investment broker"
Get it?" the secretary inquired,
eagerly.
Il read it, but I don't under
stand"
"She means Mr.. Lands. OF
course. You know he and Miss
Fenwick are very friendly-have
been for some time. My guess is
that she means Miss Fenwick in
tends to announce her engage
ment."
ITO Mr.. Lands ?"
"Of course. Who else ?"
Coming as it did, it was a shock
to Jill and she found herself STAR
ing into space, the paper clutched
tightly in her hands. That Brock
could be in love with Nina Fem
wick-she'd heard Mary gossip
about them when she was working
at the Fenwick home, but had dis
missed it as just that servants
gossip. But now, to see it rather
openly limited at in a newspaper.
II can see the news rather sur
prises you, doesn't it?" the secre-
tary inquired.
What? Oh, yes, it does
And it did, Jill realized. More
than surprise her. 1t somehow
gave her a definite wrench.
Hollow Feeling
A rather hollow feeling inside
her as though she had lost some
thing very important out of her
life.
Then the color surged into her
face as she realized the basis for
her feeling.
She remembered the real happi-
ness she had had last night in
Brooks company. how she had
hated to say good night to him,
how she had lain awake for hours,
her mind busy with the thoughts
OF the man whom she had met
accidentally on a train.