The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-12-08

/ The klndIF presidents store policy
Of service . the people VIII con-
I tinue knowing that unscrupuious
I MF HsFFlek. assistant manager. has
other ideas They cable playbny
son AndJ Dearborn. Yachting with
SLEEK Linda Julian. % return a.
once.
CHAPTER II
The employees Of the store stood
in little knots after the announce
ment Of Mr.. Dearborn's death.
They talked in hushed whispers
or Just stood staring Some of the
older ones cried. quietly. tears
streaking THEN tired faces. Like
little Miss Fanny had been
with Desrborns since she wore
pigtails and ran cash. She had
been hosiery buyer for twenty
years. There were those who COM
planned that fingers gnarled with
rheumatism detraeted from the
beauty Of sheer nylons. But Mr..
Dearborn said there would always
be a place for her and he had kept
his word.
The Christmas extras for the
most part looked embarrassed. One
of them, Mary Todd of cosmetics,
said. Il thought Mr.. Herrick ran
the store" A dozen were quick to
deny il.
Among them all. both old and
new. the question was. What viii
young Andy do" Uppermost in
their minds. unspoken, each Won
dered. Can l keep my job? What
will this do to me7"
Even Nleky Moore, the newsboy
on the corner. was worried.
"Jiminy-gee," his freekled face
wrinkled with concern. HE was a
good guy" Ashamedly he brushed
back tear. He arays helped me.
'Spose the new fella ) i'll be like
that, Miss Carroll"
Don't worry" Carol consoled
him. Mr.. Andy's all right. He'll
be here any day now
But he wasn't there. After two
DAYS the cable office reported they
had failed to contact the Dearborn
yacht.
/ So the store closed for an after
noon in spite of Mr.. Herrick's re-
Iluctance to lose the business and
the funeral of Andrew Dearborn
was held without the presence of
his son.
The following day Carol received
wire from Andy saying he was
back and would arrive at once.
She took the message to Mr..
Herrick
TOO late for the funeral" he
growled. But he'd better hurry
anyway. They won't read the will
until he comes"
Carol was silent
Il suppose you know who holds
the will ?" he persisted.
She thought quickly, decided
there was no harm in admitting
she knew a will existed. The con-
tents were what Mr.. Dearborn
asked her to keep secret.
NO" she replied, Il don't know
who holds it. Mr.. Benson helped
him draw 1t up, then died few
weeks later. i Should think his
office would know
You're sure there is one ?"
Eyes. Bill and the doctor wit
messed it,"
"All go TO the SOM" his small
eyes bored into hers When she
failed to answer promptly, he con-
tinued, HE can't know much about
stores He certainly hasn't spent
any time around here"
Carol rose to Andy's defense.
Why should he When ne wanted
to come into the store in earnest,
his father wouldn't lct him. Later"
she spread her hands in futility.
he had other interests
1T may be break" he check
ed himself, said gruffly, I'm bet
he turns out to be a weak sister
Anger flushed Carols cheeks No
one but Mr.. Herrick would dare
voice that accusation. Yet it was,
more or less, the way all the en-
ployes felt. They resented young
Andy, resented MS dark good
looks, his indifference to the store.
Most of all, they resented Linda
Julian and the long parade of
others like her who combined to
take his attention from business.
To them. Linda was the embodi-
ment of his idleness.
But to Carol she was only the
cloak of gaiety in which Andy
wrapped his disappointment. He
had grown up in the store, run
ming errands. watching the clerks
sell, studying the cash register as
they rang up change. He loved il
with the fervor of teen-age boy
for his life occupation
She was working in the store on
Saturdays then A freshman in
high school. Andy We a sopho-
more and wore the halo Of the
boss's son. She admired him from
respectful distance. She didn't
know herself when that sdmira-
ton began to be something more.
Il was when be came back from
military school she felt the first
sweet shock Of IL She was Mr..
Dearborn's secretary by then.
Seated at her typewriter one day
she looked up to see Andy beside
her. Andy. man. Broad-shoul-
dered. tan. with the clean line Of
his fathers jaw and the same well
Continued on Page Eleven)
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