Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-09-22
CHAPTER IL


sunlit Saturday-from the bridge a.
cress which she was speeding with Bill
Blaine in his powerful topless road
ster. island-bound- Titan Tower look
ed beautiful indeed, rising in it's place
of prominence on the skyline.
Linda commented on it's beauty.
"Sure," laughed Bill. "Looks bet
ter the further away we get. Boy!
I'm not sorry to leave it. I'm ready
for a rest"
It was a lovely building, Linda
thought. Glistening and beautiful IN
the sun No longer pile OF cold
sotne, inanimate, menacing, for-wrap-
ped. Funny, but in way she hated
to leave it.
Wonder what the folks are doing
on the sun-deck, she unused, up there
on the roof where she first met Bill!
Wonder how all the slaves in the hun
dreds of offices feel? Wonderland
her thoughts turned from the build
ing to something dearer, but no near
er-wonder how Mickey is; how he'll
get along while I'm gone?
While Linda's thoughts skipped
from the people at work in Titan
Towers offices to Mickey at home
with Mrs. Blauer, DR.. Blaine's thoughts
strangely following part of the same
pattern-were also back in the build
ing. He was thinking of the office ne
had Just left; and of DR.. Leonard
Renquist, his young colleague.
And, at that precise moment, Rem
quist was thinking of Bill Blaine-and
his thoughts were not pleasant
ones.
In the tiny white cubicle which serv-
ed as his private laboratory amid the
vast suite of offices shared with DIR.
Vance and Bill Blaine, DR.. Renquist
puttered about with some test tubes
and a centrifuge. He snorted once,
audibly.
"Nuts!" he exploded. Gwen At
las got fed up with job like this!"
He was conscious that he was alone
and he spoke aloud. But it wouldn't
have mattered if the tiny room were
packed with people. DR.. Renquist
was ready to speak his piece.
"I'm through carrying that guy a.
round on my shoulders!" Rennie con-
tinued. "Good old Rennie, he can take
it. Let him be the fall guy for all
your mistakes. The brilliant fair
haired boy simply doesn't make mis-
takes, does he? Nuts again!
eyes, DR.. Vance! no, DR.. Vance. I'm
sure Blaine wouldn't have made an
error like that. No, sir. 1t must
have been my fault :. Sure, it's my
fault that the guy is still permitted
to practice. If good old Rennie hadn't
taken the fall for him every time Bill
Blaine pulled a boner, Billy boy
wouldn't be ballyhooed as brilliant
young surgeon, no less.
>. what does man have to do to
get ahead in this game-be born with
a big name and lot of pull? If
Bill Blaine came from the other side
. of the tracks and I were Pop Blaine's
son and heir, I bet old man Vance
would play favorites off the other ell
bow :"
Whatever other thoughts Rennie
might have expressed of DR.. Franc
Garter Vance were stilled by the open
ing of the laboratory door. Through
it DIR. Vance, himself, entered.
Important patient of Blaine's," DIR.
Vance said. 81 have Mrs. Chase and
will be with her some time-can yuo
see him."
Certainly, DR.. Vance," Rennie said
obediently.
When he entered his own office, DR..
Renquist learned that the patient was
AL Lawson, the political man-about-
town, whose whisper-in the right
persons ear-could mean a job or
judgeship.
Nothing Serious" Lawson smiled
when Rennie informed him that Blaine
was away on vacation. Gust came in
for a checkup on some of that fancy
embroidery he did on me after the
last overhauling."
While Rennie was in the midst of
the examination, his telephone rang.
Ordinarily, DIR. Renquist was e.
nough of diplomat to keep his person
al feelings hidden in the presence of
a patient, but today was not an or
binary day.
cit does?" Lawson heard Rennie
exclaim into the mouthpiece. "Well,
how much will it cost me?'