Show M Sill SHE LOVED A aM a SPY 4 I Ii I L i mu SYLVIA TAYLOR u TUG TILE STORY SO 50 FAR FARt Joan JoaD Leland LUnd pretty secretary to Arthur San lu Importer It Is and angry when he be unexpectedly discharges berwith her bar with two weeks week salary and aDd refutes refuses to Sloe lire any explanation for the act The Th bewildered girl Irl arrives at al the he studio apartment shared with her ber sister liter Sybil feeling thankful that one of 01 them snit lun has hu a position ouI only to be told b by her ber sister lister that the tee beauty salon where she Ibe 1 Is II employed Is It closing up the want ads adl that evening Joan decides to answer one calling for tor a secretary will Ing to put In tn some lome night hours bourl Over the protests protest of Sybil she abt toes ron to the address given and finds ands It to be a new night nightclub club dub The handsome proprietor Karl Miller Stiller engages her ber at once onte at fifty dollars a week considering the unusual unusual un usual hours Now continue with the story 1 TIm II Just a minute Miss Leland Ill I'll give you two weeks' weeks salary in ad vance I Joan colored Did Mr Miller think I the she needed money It wont won't be f necessary I lie He laughed You will find that I do business in my own way It ItI ItIs Itis I is quite customary for me to pay my employees In advance t t tI She felt embarrassed and rebuffed rebutted as a. he wrote out a check and handed I it to her but she said quietly Thank you very much Mr Miller I He opened the door for her and andI their hands touched on the knob I Blue eyes eye gazed into green He was very close to herIn her Ill In expect you tomorrow then She felt a personal significance in each of these unimportant words Good night Mr Miller Good night Miss Leland Again the she noticed the soft thick accent the trick of speaking without moving moving moving ing the lips He was still sun smiling miling as she closed the door It was almost eleven when Joan arrived home You said ald you'd telephone Sybil reminded her What happened I Without removing hat or coat Joan sank lank down before the fire I got the job all an right Syb Its It's Its a night club A man named Karl Miller You dont don't seem leem very excited I Sybil commented Hes the most interesting man Ive I've ever seen Joan said softly What goes on Sybil exploded Have you lost your mind I Joan rose and laughed shakily Sorry Syb Sybl I Anyway I have a Job starting tomorrow and the salary is fifty dollars a week Fifty dollars a week Sybil frowned Theres something wrong With this this p picture t rel That's too good a a salary for a Job without a reference I dont don't like it Joan What's What this Karl Miller like Joan yawned and went into the bedroom Take it easy darling I INo No doubt he is all right Come on onto onto onto to bed Syb Lets Let's not argue about it tonight Sybil opened the windows to the screaming wail wall of foghorns What are your hours I dont don't have to be there until two and I work until around midnight midnight mid mid- night Joan Im I'm not going to let you take that Job Theres There's something phoney about it it Joan pulled the covers up over her herch ch chin r Her hair spilled like liquid Jet over the white pillow case It will wUl be fun tun working at a night club Im I'm almost glad that Mr Mulford Mulford Mulford Mul Mul- ford fired me Sybil wound the last golden curlon curl curlon curlon on a bobby pin and tied a net over her hair Youre getting into something I have a feeling At least I w wont won't nt be bored You know Syb Ive I've always wanted to have something exciting happen to me Something like Karl Miller Sybil questioned shrewdly Perhaps I Sybil snapped off the light Dont be foolish Joan You couldn't possibly possibly bly be in love with a man youve you've met only once Joan smiled in the darkness Why not Because that isn't love lovel If It you'd ever really been in love you'd know the difference Maybe I already know the difference difference dif dif- ference Joan thought remembering remember remember- ing lag a pair of shrewd blue eyes Infatuation and love are two different different dif dif- ferent things Sybil Sybil's voice cut through the darkness But Joan was hearing another voice a voice that put intimacy into the most commonplace words asit as asit asit it said Ill expect you tomorrow But Sybil lay awake shivering in spite of the warm covers wondering wondering wonder wonder- ing Log almost afraid of a tomorrow that might be fraught with sinister significance a significance she felt and mistrusted Joans Joan's first day as Karl Millers Miller's secretary was uneventful The Club Elite was in the hands handl of painters and decorators who made so 10 much noise and confusion that it penetrated ed even to the inner office From two to five due Joan worked harder than ever before in her life Karl was particular He lie watched every move she he made He scrutinized each letter letter Jetter let Jet ter she typed with a quick sweep weep of his bis blue eyes Ills His very presence made shade Joan nervous I 1 want you to memorize every name in this thI book he told her bee in in- indiCAting indicating a small leather volume I speak peak to 0 no one in person or over the telephone unless the name Dame is 1 here You understand c i Wl W I i s Youre working for the tho boss lie he reminded her smiling Ill see sec that were we're through early He took a red carnation from the vase on the desk broke the stem and inserted the flower in his but but- But Dut his eyes did not miss the flicker tUcker of expression that crossed Joans Joan's face when she opened the book x ok and came to the name of Arthur Arthur Arthur Ar Ar- thur Mulford I told you I have been in the importing business I knew your our former lormer boss Yes Mr Miller Joan was too good a n secretary to question his word She turned back to her type type- writer It was almost six o'clock before before before be be- fore Karl said All right Joan you may go now You dont don't have to be beback beback beback back until eight The unexpected use of her first name sent a thrill of ot anticipation through the girl She paused a ano moment moment mo mo- ment before she opened the door hoping that tha t he would say something else but Karl turned and began I talking over the telephone I must be crazy Joan told herself herself her her- self as she hurried down the long corridor He lie hasn't any more interest interest in in- terest in me than if I were part of the furniture She had dinner at a small restaurant restaurant rant sipping hot coffee gratefully She remembered with a wry smile that Sybil was worried about her salary She could understand now why Karl thought the Job was worth fifty dollars a week She was as tired already as if she had put in ina a full day She lingered over her dessert and walked slowly back to work pausing pausing pausing paus paus- ing on the way to look in the shop windows But she could not fill up two hours and a half halt and it was only a few minutes before eight when she pushed open the door of the Club Elite An orchestra was rehearsing inthe in inthe inthe the dimly lit salon Karl Miller sat on one of the gilt chairs listening His keen eyes spotted Joan instant instant- ly Sit down he directed What do you think of the band It sounds grand She felt theold the theold theold old sensation of self consciousness What was this peculiar excitement that seized her whenever he smiled at her Is anything wrong Joan He was so 10 sure ure of himself so 10 smooth It made her feel like a schoolgirl She felt positive that he knew the emotions that were racing rac rae ing my through her heart Positive that he knew the attraction he had for her Nothing I Why should hould there be He lIe laughed then throwing back his head But the laughter made her angry Id better get back to work she said Theres a lot to do He caught her hand as she rose How would you like to go dancing with me Friday night Ills His proposal took her by complete surprise Why Mr Miller Id I'd love to lie He released her ber hand I would prefer that you call me Karl All right Karl But what about working Friday night Youre working for the boss he her r reminded minded her smiling Ill see that were we're through early Joan did not tell Sybil about her date until the time came Her lIer sister sister sis sis sis- ter did not approve Going out with the boss bOES never works Sybil insisted stubbornly Honestly Joan I dont don't know what's come over you Youre You're not using your head at all aU Theres There's something funny about this whole business business and and this man Lets Let not riot go over it again Joan said happily When you see Karl Miller you'll understand why Im I'm so crazy about him Sybil sat down on the bed and watched her sister apply make up If U hes he's opening the e club tomorrow why is he be running around tonight Why isn't he in the office once taking care of things That his business isn't It Look Syb will you ou light the fire tire in the living room I want everything every thing to look nice Nice and cozy sniffed Sybil SyblL Okay But dont don't think Im I'm going to be the retiring sister Ister and stay in the bedroom Im I'm going to be right fight there to meet him bim Joan Upped sUpped into the new black velvet dinner dress drell she he had purchased purchased pur chased before she knew Karl Mill Miller Mil MU l ter ler r. r She had been saving laving it for tor an occasion like this The square neck was provocatively cut the sleeves sleeve long and tight She had dm drawn mi her J I I smooth black hair over her ears can and coiled it in a low knot at the I nape of ot her white neck I Look Syb Joan begged May MayI I use a little of ot your perfume Sybil thrust the bottle at her ungraciously un un- I graciously That dress makes you look ten years older Joan I Joan was not to be ruined After Atter all darling you cant can't expect me meo meto meto to o run around in pink tulle all my life ife And Karl must be all of thirty thirty- five she added thoughtfully All Allot of forty snapped Sybil You have no business running around with a man twice your age Skip It Please Sybil Karl Miller put an end to the argument argument ar ar- ar- ar argument by pressing his finger on the doorbell Joan flew to meet him She was proud of him His Ili charming manners His IUs impeccable ble evening clothes Ills His smooth indifferent chatter as he talked pleasantly to Sybil while Joan got gother gother gottier her tier wrap But she knew from her sisters sister's cold good night that she was not favorably impressed Karl knew it too I dont don't think your sister likes me he said as ashe ashe ashe he helped Joan into his car Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per haps she thinks I am too old for you Ills His uncanny accuracy embarrassed embarrassed embarrassed embar embar- Joan been married and divorced She's Shea not ing when it comes to men And you Joan Do you trust men Some men Joan replied hop hop- hoping hoping ing lag that she sounded careless They went to a night club I could use a few pointers Karl told her since Im I'm new to this kind of business A Hawaiian orchestra played un un- under under der soft rosy lights Karl was a superb dancer surprisingly light on his feet for such a heavily built manlIes manlies man lIes Hes like tempered steel teel Joan thought Everything about him Voice expression strength He lie held her lightly but Joan felt that she could not have broken away from him had she tried I I have news for you rou he said suddenly Your former employer Mr Mulford has gone out of busi busi- ness No doubt that is why he let you go But that's impossible Joan cried in surprise When I called theoffice the theoffice theoffice office three days ago he had hired a new secretary Why would he do that if he were closing the office Karl Miller did not smile You are quite a little detective Joan laughed Id like to be one Im I'm Im I'm afraid Irn Imn an adventuresome soul in spite of the unexciting life lite Ive I've led Perhaps your life will become more exciting as it goes on I hope it does Joan said ald recklessly reck reek lessly I am quite sure Karl Miller said tonelessly that it will What was it about him that drew and held her interest Hi Ili face which showed her a thousand men in one Varied moods hardness coldness irritation and amusement He lIe was obviously a man of the world a world that Joan had never known Dont think too much Joan Karl advised her gently I have found that it seldom pays It was a strange evening gay yet restrained by the undercurrents that baffled and disturbed Joan Afterward looking back on this evening eve ning she could understand many things but at the time being with Karl was all that mattered Feeling Feel Feel- tag ing the touch of ot his arms arm as they danced looking into his eyes as al he raised his glass glau hearing bearing his charming charm tog ing voice blending into the wall of Hawaiian music guitars gentle bass soft drums the quartette from Honolulu that droned chants into their ears He lie paid her many compliments compliment I 1 like your you hair that way he re reo marked It makes you look quite foreign and much older My sister doesn't like it at aU all She has an idea that Im I'm It still ill a little girl His Hi eyes eye swept the figure in Its Ita black velvet sheath heath Really I am afraid that your our sister ite and I 1 would not agree airee TO BE DE CONTINUED |