| Show r- r 1 Md r KATH LE EN No ENNo ft Ri S COPYRIGHT KATHLEEN NORRIS SERVICE SYNOPSIS attractive Antoinette Tatt Tart twenty three three at- at at and ambitious but unable to Francisco hold a Job lives Ilves In a drab San Fran ran cisco flat fiat with her slater sister Brenda and brother Cliff who are arc older her soy sov year old enteen year old brother Druce Bruce and their Aunt Meff-In Meff her Job lob hunting rounds she Inter lews Interviews Lawrence Del Del- Bel Bellamy lamy Jamy Commerce editor of ot the Journal ot of o Corn Com Com merce but fora tora finds ands he has no place for tor a woman writer She likes him very Diffident Dif much us as ft she tells Brenda later Dif Dif- Barney Darney Kerr drops In asking CHIT Is Barney has s his eye on Tony but sh she despises him Tony gets Greenwood a 1 telephone call from Mr Green Green- wood city editor ot of the Call offering her a R Job Joh as society reporter Cliff returning Just then accompanies Tony to the newspaper office Tony finds ands the men In the office friendly and and helpful The Tho first night she goes with ClIfT and Joe Burke of ot the sports department to a restaurant p and sees Bellamy She thrills when he nods to her She Is thoroughly happy In the tho hustle and bustle of ot r the newspaper v P office omee She manages n to solve the problem O I of getting ng pho- pho g f e CHAPTER Continued V-Continued V Continued 4 Gathered about the supper table that was spread In now y loitering over o the figs and grapes Cliff and Brenda Hrenda Aunt and Ton Tony andTon agreed that this was the hap hap- happiest happiest the most serene time the they had e ever er r known We had six hellish years said Tony Thc re over o 1 Oli Olt they thuy weren't hellish dar dar- darling dar ling Brenda Irenda protested It t was only that after Dad died we floun floun- floundered noun dered for a n while getting our bear bear- bearings bearings ings and that of course being In mourning for him and Mother Iother we couldn't hate haic much fun Gosh what a pull puHI Clifford muttered smiling reminiscently over his Ills pipe Do the they all make love to you down at the the office Brenda once asked d her Tony laughed just what they dont don't They borrow barrow quarters and the they tell me rue their whole histories and they telephone other girls rl right ht at my de desk k but somehow the atmos atmosphere atmosphere ph phere ere of the city room Is an anything but romantic she h L explained so much rush and and- and confusion confusion sion slon were we're always under such a strain strain-no no Joe and Van Yon and Spike they're IlIan they're darlings But they the Ilont make passes at me 1 A Aunt Sally Hally Is always costin casting out dark lark suspicions of these eve evenings at nt the A Aunt Sally She thinks President President President dent Harrison Is still In office Tony could arr afford to laugh at Aunt Sally As fir for her lier dear Influential friend Augusta Terry she told the appreciative the dinner table one night she Is a stuffed shirt 1 I Antoinette said Miss Bruce mildly You remember she was going to help hell me with social notes and ask all her friends to send me In stuff Well WeH Tony Pony said Ive I tel tel- telephoned tel telephoned her when I got ot Into a tight place two or three times and noth noth- nothIng noth- noth nothing ing lag doing So Sn yesterday I went up to see her and und said how kind it t Would he be of ot her all her all that you know And she stiffened up like an old macaw and said she person person- personally personally ally had the greatest abhorrence of newspaper notoriety and thought It must most extraordinary that any girl of a nice family y would ever er have her name In the paper And then thuu on the other hand band Touy presently resumed when Aunt Sallys Sally's Influential friend had haJ received due nt from the group roup on the other hand Greeny Grecny told m me to call up Linda Flood Flood- Flood that's Mrs Paulding the flood Flood the theother other dl day I was stuck and lie he wanted me to go out on this milk Investigation In story and of course I 1 wanted to because Its It's wonderful for tor him to give ghe me tuc any of the straight and stories stories and he said Call Callup up Linda Flood shell she'll give gl up n a alot alot lot of dope And you ou dont don't know tier ncr her Ler she's been Ive I never nc seen nt at Tahoe all summer So I l sort of heartedly hair telephoned her find and said who 1 I was and und I heard this c 4 darling voice Why girl dear I 1 dont don't know much but Ill I'll give you what 1 I ha e I Got a pencil And she I began an to just pour It out what everyone c was doing and end tips ou on two en engagements and ond every thaing And she said Now you Ou Just cull me II up whenever fr you get short short-I short used to do that that social column myself m my- my self 1 Oh people are lovely lovdy when they're kind Brenda said her eyes n Id love lo her I Ill II tell 1111 you rOll Tony send Mrs Flood som sonic some lowers at I wild I love being able to tn todo do like that Tony said IIII 11 ii tulle money does docs help your yur ser t I Sly lly I old smart Tony I I always knew W ahe d mt k us proud of tier her I Miss Bruce murmured contented contented- contentedly I ly reaching for Cor her lier solitaire cards Tony and Brenda began bean to gather up the dessert dishes They Thes were presently talking with their own un- un unflagging un unflagging flagging ln animation over the sink Id Jd never nc mind this you ou know Ton Tony I mean our ln having to do the I dishes I just as things are arenow arenow arenow now seems richness to me Bren Bren- Brenda Brenda da said Money doesn't matter terribly Ton Tony conceded Work Is the won thing To be lie hard working at something you simply love lo and to wake wal up In the morning and think that heres here's another days day's work worl that's heaven For a while Brenda conceded nut But after all she presently added thoughtfully no matter how suc suc- successful successful a woman Is It seems to tome tome tome me slie's she's a little lopsided It if she doesn't marry You sa say so Brenda 1 l Well I 1 do But nut you you- you why you you why ou why youve you've al at- at always ways was said that as ns far as you were concerned you ou didn't need anything more than friendship such as ns you ou have with Margaret aret and ond Alison and Gay Cay Yes but that's me You mean Im I'm different I mean Brenda Insisted that there are different sorts of women I like men tremendously 1 I I think Im I'm easier with them than you sou are But when It comes to getting quite dose close to one going In for Cor nil all tho murmuring and Intimacy the and and loving part all that that It simplY doesn't register I dont don't miss anything now Tony said I am completely happy Brenda even while she smiled and shook her head knew that t It was true In finding her work ork Tony had found fount herself and quite In Innocently liked what she slie discovered She seemed to grow row taller and slim slim- slimmer slimmer slimmer mer as the months went by all the qualities that Karl made Brenda Brenlla and A Aunt tint Ie uneasy about her hr disappeared as us If Ir by hy magic malc she was groomed energetic purpose purpose- purposeful fu f ful ul I Every ver nl night ht she came home to them with tales of or her adventures When Tony told of the scene that restored the little lost Jensen boy boyto boyto boyto to his mother and father Aunt had to wipe her eyes she sketched every ery separate entity on the bl big Call staff starr for their bene benefit fit and they felt that they knew good natured common little Greeny and stern handsome Mr 11 Fitch and all the boys bos of the city room as she did dilL Laz Lazy unwashed yawning little Arch continued to occupy the desk next to Tonys Tony's and helped her generously even e when he would not do his own work Spike an came In from the sports department to ask her about the clothes the women had worn to the tennis tour tour- tournament tournament tournament Joe Burke assumed the affectionate attitude of ot an old friend promising to take her to toa toa toa a tight some nl night ht And Van an Flor Flor- Florence Florence ence told her about Ills his wi wife's res re's tu tuberculosis All AlI of or them liked her herand and she slie liked them Patty Perkins she did not like but there was a friendly rangy rany bl big woman who covered ered and who was confidential and friendly with Tony and there was kindly old Mrs Magnus 1 who tot tot- tottered tottered In to do a weekly editorial headed A ls 1 Kiss for g er Everyone's nes ne's Mother lother on Mothers Mother's Day or Bah Baby Annies Annie's Little lands Keep lell Da Daddy II 11 Safe and Sane Sine If Ir there then were any event ent local or national with witha a mother baby an nn old soldier nn an anold anold old son song anywhere involved eli Mrs Irs Magnus la l s who vho signed Betsy floss noss pounced hungrily upon neon It she often wept when she slie told Tony what she was writing sentimentally describing In lug ing herself us the lie most beloved cd and useful newspaper woman In inthe Inthe the thc world The only other woman on the staff starr was a blonde named mimed ness Bess Cutter who was WIS paid laid a hundred dollars a week weck for a column called Bessie Besse Saw It No one In the city Mas rias as supposed to know why why Gavin ln Franklin 1 I Fitch general man mann manager alter ager felt Justified In paying Miss Cutter so 50 generously for the queer tangled notes she occasionally brought In and that If Indeed n hell they were usable at ut all nil someone In the ollice always alwa's had hall to put Into shape for her lint hut er e everyone one did know that she had nn an apartment on Ine street where whre Mr Ir Fitch dined al nl almost most every night and that Mrs Irs Fitch often had to be hI hold lold when she telephoned In meekly to ask where lie hI was that tie lie had to JO go JOto goto goto to Fresno or Sarra Sacramento mento Tony and anil Bessie got on Oil well to- to to together gether and after n a while widle It became the custom fur for Tony Puny to do a great part of Bessie's Bessle's work That Mr 11 Fitch who was all all- powerful all powerful and much feared fared was aware of her kindly assistance to the Inefficient Bessie she knew when he lie stopped on nn an day dar and put a new thick book on her desk Bead that She flipped pages No I haven't ent and amt Ive I've heard n a lot about It I thought you might enjoy It Itlie lIe Ile hesitated his face Cace rather red rell It was a quiet morning hour In the city room and nobody was within sound of their voices Everything I comfortable for you ou In here Miss lIss Taft Ct Oh Ohl wonderful 1 We want you to feel fed nt at home that anything you OU dont don't like can bl be changed he said stiffly but with what for him was rare ImI gra gra rn Tony sat fingering the book staring after him when he went away n Tills This was gratifying reassuring as ns far as the precious Job was concerned there was no noone noone noone one In the lie Greeny Grecny included who would not have given ghen n weeks week's pa pay for or so much from Mr 11 Filch But she slie saw breakers ahead Iler face flushed her eyes shining she sat lost In uncomfortable thought for n a Ion lung long time I CHAPTER VI LISTEN T ISTEN ever seen Ina ma Strawbridge Straw Straw- i bridge th the actress you know Slie's She's coming out In her herbig herbig big lIlg New v York success this summer Jever Je see her Bessie Cutter Cutler asked her a few da days s 's later Ton Tony was conscious of ot fear feIr beating like a drum deep In her heart No I 1 haven't coming next month I adore her Bessie lessle said Ev have dinner at nt Olivier's The French place on Bush street street-o 0 God get me mc out of this Tony pra prayed ed Although really Bessie said as on second thought really my Chinese boy Pete lete Leo Loo serves a 11 better dinner than they do Only Its It's a little more exciting downtown Ill I'll tell you when you when Inas Ina's here lets let's ask Joe Burke or someone and have a party What do you say Id love lo It I Tony agreed cor cor- cordIally cordially cordially But she went home rather soberly a little while later Work Working In ing like hike mad on a newspaper put put- putting tin ting thug up with slights and snubs from Crom society folk foil tired and cold k W T 11 4 I 1 X It Was a Beautiful November Night and hungry and missing ones one's story after aner all ull getting scooped getting downs downs call from all Greeny-all Greeny all all that was fair But the sickish feeling In her lier heart when she thought o of ofa ofa u a dinner dillner and the theater with handsome Mr Ir Fitch and Bessie was else again ulIn She dared Iland not ask Brenda or Aunt lly about It t she tilted asking Cliff CHIT But Hut Cliff was US U a quiet slow going person not unsophisticated aled exactly not lint I Ig nt but so su far removed ell In his own tastes from this sort of thin thing that he lie might easily be much shucked shocked at the llie mere lucre su suggestion Auy II wa vay Cliff had hall gone olle down to San an for u a stay of or SI several weeks eels when the lie crisis arose nn and 1 so Tony Tuny turned to tl Barne Barney on an occasion he lie had come corne out to tale take her to a n special movie It was a beautiful november night warm and lInd soft with stars thick over 1 the llie city and th the lights of or Berkeley and Oak Oak- Oakland Oakland land like hike or of the dirk dark dark waters of the ba bay Birney parked his un unpretentious pretentious little ear czir at the till Market street curb for the movie after after- afterward afterward ward at ut Tonys Tony's eager su suggestion they drove about for u while Bar Barney ney took her up to the splendid curves of or Twin Pr ks where they got ot out and stood staring Ing down at atthe atthe the bill brilliant llant pat below them ii Its probably the most mast interest InterestIng In lug city In iii the lie world said Bar Barney ney with San Well some day Ill I'll see E-ce 1 the he others and nil then lien Ill I'll know Tony answered 4 her elbows on the fence tail rail Bar Bal lIe ney uey slie she went ent on nn In sudden cour courne courage ne age theres something I 1 want to ask usk you Ive I've got nt to asic some some- someone someone m III e one lIue a and I there seems to be no one else Shoot hult Birney Balney said n In an nn odd 11 Ire Ills own elbow vas wis close to 10 hers on the eh lip fence hue hue- hen Iii lii head toward her lier TOil Tuny hooked up at him with ces eyes that glittered In the lie dark You Yon know Miss Cutter Cutler who does that Bessie Ilessie Saw It column I dont don't know her no I know who she Is of or course Well Nell ell she's sites a lIl big blonde biondI ver very affectionate and gushy ush and ter- ter terribly ter terribly Ilz lazy izy and I think stupid too Tony went on on She goes OIS OI'S about and gathers up these little Interest human stories andI nn and l lI I Help her get et them Into shap shape She and Mr Ir Fitch are arc great grent friends you ou know Barney looked down nt at Tony Pony her hr bright confiding e eyes es were very Cry close I heard that that he said slowly gotten otten rather dependent on me Tony resumed and she h likes me And now sloes she's begin beginning nn ning to hint about my toy going oln up to her place to dine and to the the tIe theater theater ater do you ou see se Dont you ou go Barney said firm Irm firm firm- ly Iy looking u a away You couldn't be seen with that with that woman I understand of or course about hoer her and Fitch Tony said with witha n a little bred of or his masculine sureness and arrogance It nut It may be my Job to be lie nice niceto niceto niceto to her It Isn't Well It'll be darned awkward Of course I could coull refuse this once Its It's Its It's Ina Strawbridge Tony you couldn't go to the theater with |
