Show ahr chivalry FICTION complex P by C GAET GARRET 4 SMITH J ill ill 1 L DY Y NOON forlorn hoper hopers in the Bem aj employment manager managers s ante room at cromby co boiled down to jimmy wheeler and the plucked chicken they had simmered since nine waiting to be hired or to hear we 11 file your application and let you know if anything turns up jimmy put the first of these chances at less than hundred to toone one shots odds had reversed on him since that independence day two weeks ago when his ex boss had spoken over warmly and jimmy s tree free soul chased jimmy off the payroll As for the plucked chicken jim my considered the old run around formula a sure thing he t given her a second look tor for tear fear he d feel sorry for her no name to put to a maid in distress the formerly chivalrous jimmy admitted guiltily but he d seen too many such late lately ly he d soured on the sex anyhow since his boss s secretary lied her self out of a jam and him into one after he d stood up for her that chivalry complex of yours is a nui mu sancel the boss bad had roared old fletcher pletcher needa t worry jimmy agreed with him now the assistant manager gave jim my a blank to fill and turned to the plucked chicken elizabeth bond was her name actually So someone s private secretary once would grab a typist job now we have a long waiting list I 1 in afraid it isn t worth while calling again was all she drew not even the old run around jimmy handed in his blank thanks said the assistant we U 11 file your application and let me know if anything turns up jimmy finished he won dered how many such days his hun dred buck reserve would stand as be he followed miss bond s wake the girl was waiting for the ele vator a fragile arm braced against the wall the dim light here softened the cheekbone cheek bone hid worry lines and ash grey bleakness why she was class a beauty once be fore she began starving to death the elevator came and she swayed toward it would have fallen if jimmy hadn haan t caught her thank you I 1 in clumsy 1 her face lit and jimmy looked into deep violet eyes then face and eyes went dead again shed she d keel over on the street he worried no breakfast probably he must do something quick at the street door jimmy clutched the germ of an idea pardon me aren t you miss bond m cromby s just now they said you might do a letter or so for me ine I 1 in james wheeler publicity man with the fletcher bureau once cromby had another good cyp 1st on their list but couldn coulden t reach her leaves me in a jam her eyes widened warily then turned eager yes I 1 in free this afternoon got a date then jimmy im provided pro have to dictate at lunch mind going to mike s place around the corner he hoped she wouldn t cave in and have to be carried but she made it and dropped in a chair with a sigh that sounded contented jim my mumbled something about phon ing and hunted up mike himself jimmy knew the answers for too much food and drink but how did they treat a gal all out of practice and not let her know it he told mike all you start her easy mr wheeler leave it to me jimmy returned to their table as mike brought cups of golden bomi ion won t you try our new special on the house mike invited shall I 1 fix up a nice little lunch a as s usual mr wheeler jimmy deferred to miss bond she was already sipping her bobil ion blissfully L A 40 49 0 iw N she swayed and would have fallen if jimmy haan hadn t caught her I 1 ve a feeling anything here U be good she agreed and set down her empty cup I 1 in a algi pig just couldn t help it she added fully with a blush jimmy grinned won wont t have ste nog raphers who arent aren t good teed feed ers she laughed jimmy heard silver bells her bouillon worked fast vio let eyes stayed alive now jimmy would like to spend a week feeding this girl he had learned she was called betty jimmy thought betty was his favorite name by the time mike brought second aid he had her talking he liked it no whining she was alone and on her own like himself flotsam and jet sam from small towns jimmy told job hunting yams too made them light set them in a remo tish past she loved the one about the boss s secretary who balled up her letters which jimmy corrected until a prize bull slipped by and the boss got wise and I 1 was the one the boss bawled out jimmy added called it my fault tor for coddling the girl and spoiling her that was while they sipped demi deml basses aren arent t bumps fui u I 1 u bd k on she laughed she could laugh at bumps only one meal and a couple of bucks awall she d walk out of his life and begin starving again jimmy al mightily t want wint her to starve jimmy almightily didn dian t want her to walk out of his life how could he help it the query bogus letters to theoretical publicity pros pacts as betty pot hooked them like a streak on paper mike furnished she had to tinker his sentences suddenly a thought popped up like an unexpected check why not really mail those letters he might land free lance work and keep on using betty bettyl look here he said how about a regular job if we re satisfied after swapping references my office is under my hat yet but I 1 U find a cubby hole betty s former employer told him over the phone she was as good as jimmy thought lost her job only be cause the company failed jimmy persuaded her to take expense money and a week s salary in advance by pretending he d be away on business most of the week betty had a feeling this was all the reference she needed from him jimmy t argue old fletcher might say something sour if jimmy referred her to his ex boss but at parting qualms began to wriggle around in jimmy look here he said if you get a chance at a better job take iti I 1 ve a feeling you may back out if I 1 don t run said betty A FTER betty ran everything went greyish grayish the impossible t seem as possible it seemed plain impossible later after long hours of hammering at his best pros pacts the only spark he struck wa was come and see us after bu business sines picks up by five jimmy hit lut hot torn tom he started home deciding he d just tear up those letters betty had agreed to send over by messenger but the letters t there the hall man reported jimmy thought that over feeling as it if somebody had kicked him stung again neat lit tie tle gamel that reference he called up a plant of course he ought to have seen she came out of her dumps a little too fasti he was a fine judge of women jimmy a phone was ringing as he stumbled into his apartment mr wheeler a remote voice said this is mr A B fletcher s secre tary could you see mr fletcher here tomorrow morning he didn dian t tell me to call you but he spoke about you today said he d hoped you d be over your grouch and back on your old job before this I 1 in just tipping you off jimmy exploded uh say you re not miss moseley mr fletcher s old secretary no she s left him I 1 got a feeling from things I 1 heard at luncheon today there might be a vacancy where you said you used to work and I 1 got a feeling you d be relieved if I 1 found another job I 1 bought bar gain clothes and tried it the voice trailed off in silver bells that could not be disguised jimmy was beyond speech please dont don t be mad mr wheeler you saved my life I 1 R pay back your money the devil with the moneal money 1 jim my suddenly felt au all right I 1 II 11 be around if you think fletcher will have the fatted calf ready and you U 11 have luncheon with me maybe we U 11 have mike cook the fatted calf said betty |