Evening star., 1941-10-19
~ Vireinid bowes

manner that seemed TO suggest that
he didn't care whether she stayed
or not.
Clare stood up, lighting her ciga-
rette. She drew deeply on 1t and
blew the smoke down on the glass
topped desk. where it swlried around
and gradually rose to make a thin
cloud between them. Through the
cloud she could see his face harden
and she enjoyed having made the
rude gesture. "I'll look over your
place and be ready at l." she said.
Il suppose you'd like to be paid for
your work in advance"
Clay Hanley didn't answer imme-
diatelv. He sat back in his chair
and looked hard at the girl. and
finally a crooked smile touched the
corner of his hard, good looking
mouth. Il suppose I would" he
said.
Clay Recalls Face.
Glare reached into her bag again
and took out small, leather-bound
checkbook. She reached over and
lifted fountain pen from the desk
set in front of Hanley, then quickly
wrote the check. She tore the slip
from the book and dropped it in
front of him Very well, Mr.. Ham
ley. and thank you so much" She
smiled at him quickly. briefly, and
turned toward the door.
You're welcome, and thank you,"
Hanley said. Then when she had
her hand on the doorknob. he stood
up. BY the way, Miss-uh-," he
began.
The name is on the check you're
holding" Glare said, waiting
"Oh, certainly" He glanced brief
ly at the signature. Miss Calridge.
that's right. I was going to say. we
don't have speed limit in the park
ing lot but for the safety of pedes-
trians it might be we'll to keep under
SO. I'm sure you will cooperate"
Clare smiled thinly $50 long as
you are so sure, won't disappoint
you," she said. I'll keep under So"
She went out closing the door softly
behind her.
Clay Hanley stood there at his
desk for several minutes, staring
at the check in his hand. There
was faint, lingering air of mild
perfume in the room but 1t wasn't
that that kept his mind on Clare
Calridge. There was something else.
something that went much deeper
than that. Something extremely
feminine and at the same time ex-
tremely antagonizing. Maybe it was
the upward slant of her wide,
green tinted eyes-maybe it was the
soft red oval that her mouth became
just before she spoke" Whatever it
was. he moved without conscious
thought to the wide, steel-framed
window overlooking the flying field
and watched the girl until she dis
appeared into the huge gray hangar
some so yards down the field.
And as he stood there, his mind
wandering unguided from one
thought to another, he suddenly re-
membered where he had seen that
same girls face before, lovely and
intimate and beautiful, smiling up
at Roger Caswell from the picture
frame on Rogers dresser. Roger
had never talked about the girl, but
then there hadn't been much time.
Clay Hanley had bunked with him
only two days-then Roger found
one of the weaknesses in the new
bomber he and Clay had been hired
to test, found it at the foot of a
10,000-foot power dive. Clay had
sent the picture, along with most
of the kids other personal things, to
Mrs. Caswell. He could even re-
member the graceful signature,
Glare" under the words with all
myIove."
tCopyright, 1e41, Chicago Daily News, 1nc.)
Continued tomorrow
Clare meets Hanley'A mechanic.