The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-05-20
SHORT SHORT
Story
Complete in This Issue

offing to knock them down! Anne
held her small head high as she
passed in through the outer Office,
and knocked at the sanctum door,
her glove muffling the rap.
A moment later she stood inside
the sunny, quiet room with the mes
sage on her lips. The man slouched
in his chair, gazing over his desk
at her with eyes that burned.
so you're back" he said coolly.
L promised to give you that con-
tidential and important message!"
she flashed.
Driver sneered.
Don't try to pull the wool over
my eyes," he said. 1.-THE game ap-
peals to me, Anne! like the way
you play i'll"
Anne tried to explain and found
herself stammering brokenly over
the words.
"You go on like an old soldier,
my GIRL he concluded, those bold
eyes burning upon her. you've put
Paul Brewster in his place, too, and
were going to get on famously,
you and l. I've got that boy now
where l can make ducks and brakes
of his little mike invention. Gee,
but he's sore!"
Anne gasped. Paul had not told
her that! She knew that he had
been greatly troubled about the well
fare of his promising invention, but
he had objected to her contact with
Driver on purely personal grounds.
"Unclean," Paul called him. Anne
hesitated now.
$50 you're back" concluded
Driver. He rose to his feet with
laugh that made Anne shudder, so
evil was the sound of it in this
quiet, sunny room. Come around
here, my girl"
Il told you I was through" re-
turned Anne, bitterly, turning
toward the door. But when she
looked the man stood with his back
against it, intercepting her, that
threatening leer upon his face. Anne
shrank.
The man did not move. Anne
quailed, panic-stricken. The wide,
plate glass window was IL high
stories above the narrow street. She
was trapped. Driver sneered.
Snap out of it," he said. "a
kiss'll do for now"
Anne stiffened.
'Ill jump through the window be-
IL.
cried.
There's no one holding a blanket
down below, and the pavement's
hard"
Paul will know why. He will
understand what happened up here,
and come and pound you to jelly"
Her threat was desperate.
Drivers cruel eyes narrowed, the
leer of them glinting with shrewd
comprehension.
No more fooling, kid. I'll smash
Paul Brewster's invention to powder
if you don't come across"
Then the girl fought for time. She
wasn't going to jump until she had
to. Something might happen if she
could hold Driver off long enough.
And he played his part with the GER
tainty of long practice at the game.
He muttered an oath when a strong
hand shook the door knob. But he
composed himself and flung it open.
"Tm looking for Miss Crawford
around these diggings," said a
strange voice; and Anne saw an ut
terly strange young man standing
there. She welcomed him with a
gasp of relief. Somehow they got
into the corridor of the office build
ing.
Paul Brewster sent me-" ex-
planned the strange young man. Il
have an Office in this building, and
got wild phone message from him
about two minutes ago. There, my
phones ringing like so, now. Yeh,
I've got her, boyl Yeh, she's all
right! You heard something when
you connected up the mike that
Driver keeps in his office? Oh,
explain to her yourself, old scout,
I'm Dumb"
"But l don't think you're a bit
dumb" said Anne.