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

CHAPTER 5
Linda had not been to preoccupied
arriving at the building that morn
ing, to look under the "B's" on the
huge register near the entrance and
she had found it there.
BLAINE" it read, civilian
MEREDITH, M. D., 1902-12."
Before coming to the roof during
her lunch hour, she had taken brief
sortie down to the nineteenth floor,
O sort of furtive scouting trip. It
was risky thing to do-suppose HE
had come out of the office door while
she stood there like dummy! How
could she explain her curiosity; how
could she assume nonchalant pose
under the circumstances?
There was no need for nervousness,
however. The doors of the suite of
six offices neither opened nor closed
during her brief reconnaissance.
Linda had memorized the legend
on the glass door of 1902-the one
which was topped by the capital
word: "ENTER."
Mentally, she reviewed the sequence
Of the names:
Franc Carter Vance, M. d.
General Surgery
William M. Blaine, M. d.
Leonard Renquist, M. d.
$50 that was the 'sRennie'' to whom
Bill Blaine had generously given the
credit yesterday for the success of
the amputation on the trapped work
man.. DIR. Renquist was the sc0wling,
tired-lOoking young man who assisted
in the precariOus operation. ........
Suddenly Linda realized that she
was hungry, that she had not eaten
lunch before coming to the roof. She
opened her eyes, and, the first thing
she saw was the lower portion of the
empty deck chair on the other side of
the palm.
The chair was no longer empty.
Stretched from the part she saw were
pair of legs. The legs wore neat
ly pressed brown trousers.
Linda sat upright and peered thru
the foliage of the palm, blinking a.
gainst the sun, to see the rest of
the chairs occupant. Right under the
palms fans was the face of a young
man. It was not DIR. Blaine. Linda
sat back in her chair.
81 beg your PARDON" the strange
man said, "but is this chair taken?"
Linda didn't answer for a long
moment. She noticed that the young
man had pleasant boyish grin, wide
spaced cheekbones and long-lashed
frank gray eyes which seemed ten
years older than his grin. She no.
ticed that the face was surmounted
by dark hair which looked as though
it wouldn't take orders from even
military brushes, unless each was a
full general. And, under the forepeak
of the hair was brow that had tried
to tan, but succeeded better in some
spots than others. Linda noticed, al.
SO, that the stranger had nose. II
wasn't aquiline or fine or strong. II
was just nose.
It definitely wasn't pretty face
Linda decided, and nothing to make g
girls heart go pitty-pat but it was g
nice face. It didn't look as though
II could be rented out Hallowe'ens
to scare little children.
Just little fresh around the edges
Linda concluded old approach
calling for trite courteous retort.
eyes," she answered his question
without smiling, "You seem to have
taken it,"
"My apologies" the chair-taker saiG
but the grin didn't fade. ct didn't
know this was private beach. You
should post signs to keep out the riff.
raft"
It may have been the sun or it may
have been the constant, friendly grin
Linda's quickly frozen reserve az