The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-01-21

before she realized she was saying
it.
my dear child"
Mr.. Taussig laughed and wiped
the perspiration off his broad pal
lid forehead.
"I'm a business man, and when
] come across anyone as promising
as your husband I'm hardly likely
to miss an opportunity to talk to
him."
Sue flushed. "But he's not here
! should have told you," she said
quickly. "He had to 60 to st. Thorn
as"
She'd planned it so differently.
She'd been going to say, you'll
think I'm dreadful not letting you
know my husband isn't here. He's
frightfully sorry. You see, the Ma
vy's having water trouble and need
ed somebody really good, so Rus
sell had to fly over to st. Thomas
to give them a hand"
Mr.. Taussig's disappointment was
obvious, but his recovery was more
than gallant perhaps because
he had known all that before he
came.
''Then you and I can have COM
Portable chat" he said. He sat
down on the sofa where he could
keep his eye on the front steps.
SIN fact, I think it's probably bet
ter. Because-if you don't mind my
saying so-the trouble with your
husband, my dear girl, is that he
hides his light under bushel. He's
too modest. He needs somebody to
push him a little. He's so off the
beaten track down here that unless
he let's people know what he can
do, he'll find himself in rut. Men
not half as well equipped as he is
will be picking the plurns, merely
because they're on the spot"
81 know" Sue said eagerly.
'"That's what I've tried to tell him.
But he thinks if he does good job
the company will know it, and"
Sand keep him down here where
they won't lose him and don't have
to pay him what he's WORTH" Mr..
Taussig interrupted calmly. 81
know all about that
He took a cigarette out of his
case and lighted it thoughtfully.
''Of course I'm interested in him
particularly" he said. 81 was ire
mendously impressed by what was
said the other evening. And very
selfishly, I'd better add. You see,
we have project-a very big one
with problem not unlike the one
you have here. ! don't want this to
60 farther"
He looked appraisingly at her.
"-How discreet are you, Mrs. Por-
ter?"
81 can be very" Sue answered
quickly. She realized she'd been
holding her breath, waiting, and
that she had to be calm so he
wouldn't see how much it meant.
He tapped the ash off his ciga-
rette.
well, this is it, Mrs. Porter. I
heard about the construction down
here, though not about your hus-
band. He wasn't mentioned. I've
been looking for a man for the last
fifteen months. I'm not sure, of
course, that you'd be interested.
The living conditions won't be easy.
! ought to tell you that. That's one
of the reasons we want young
man. The salary would only be
about twenty-five thousand a year,
but the man who went would be
known throughout the civilized
world. OF course don't know ;"
Sue closed her eyes. All the things
they could do for themselves
and for the children! She held her
breath again.
'T'm not sure your problem here
can be done, Of course" Mr.. Taus-
sig went on equally. eff it can, your
husband is the man we want. I
suppose the thing to do is wait until
the jobs finished, and see if we
can wait"
''But the specifications are all
drawn up!" Sue cried. Russell says
they're absolutely perfect! Oh, why
don't you just look at them? You
could tell, couldn't your"
Mr.. Taussig shook his head skep-
tically and waited. She jumped up,
ran into the dining room and came
back. Two bright pink spots burr ed
in her cheeks, her blue eyes were
as full of hope as the dawn.
"Just look at them minute!"
She thrust the thick roll of linen
prints into his hands. He unrolled
them without haste, and studied the
top one deliberately. He could hear
her breath coming quickly and see
the pulse pounding in her throat as
she sat there beside him. After a
moment he looked up at her with a
smile.
''Mrs. Porter, I really wouldn't
be surprised if your husband isn't
exactly the man we've been hunt
ing from one end Of the world to the
other" he said simply.
"Oh, I'm so gladl" Sue whispered.
"You don't know how / want him
to get away from herel"
''Of course I'll have to 60 through
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