Show I i I WAN I I Rob 0 By f J Ji J J BEGIN HERE TODAY Fran Carey stenographer lor tor an insurance insurance in firm is concerned to find that a tall taU blond man is following her tier unobtrusively While she is dancing dancing ing with David Lewis one night she sees the mysterious stranger again A few minutes later she receives a note signed A Friend warning her herto herto herto to guard the old fashioned cameo locket she is wearing Later Fran learns that while she has been dancing her apartment has been ransacked Since nothing has been taken she concludes that the burglar was after the locket Alarmed she rents a safety deposit box and puts the locket in safe keep keep- ing The stranger stops following her A day or two later Fran bumps into Ward Quentin who has just opened a real estate office on the same floor loor where she works She is pleased by his casual friendly interest in her NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY Chapter 6 The reception room in Ward Quentin's Quentin's Quentin's Quen- Quen tins tin's office was small but tastefully furnished A dark walnut desk in one corner orner a typewriter occupying half halt of i it a comfortable armchair behind the desk A plain carpet car pet pct on the floor and thrown over the carpet a good oriental rug Opposite Opposite site the desk were several other armchairs armchairs arm arm- chairs and a low smoking table On the table were two serviceable well shined brass ash trays On the walls were some etchings of the waterfront waterfront wa wa- good ones a big map of the city and another of the county The furniture was not new anc and neither were the rugs They had that tha valuable asset of decent use that tha Quentin Quenlin considered important and the oriental was dressy It gave th the reception room some tone lone which was wa what he wanted The walnut desk was unoccupied at present but if it the outer door should open a bell was arranged that would ring in Quentin's private office so his stenographer would be warned She would come into the reception reception re re- reception room from the private office a notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other ready to ask clients what wha they w wanted The clients would no not hear the slight buzz of the bell Quentin Quentin Quen I tin had tested it and found it perfect for what he wanted Since the office had opened Thursday Thursday Thursday Thurs Thurs- day morning several clients had come in building tenants mostly who wanted to see what the new firm was doing If they had compared notes they would have found that the same thing happened to all aU of them Always Empty The reception room was always i emp empty y but no sooner were they In when the door of the private office opened and a girl stepped out and I i asked them what they wanted Mr Quentin was busy with a client at present but bu if they would make an appointment or wait he would be befree befree befree free in a little while Sometimes they sat down and waited and then after about 15 minutes minutes min min- utes saw Mr Quentin who seemed a good business man Sometimes they didn't wait and then they didn't see sec Mr Quentin Monday morning Lael Hubbell who was Quentin's stenographer and Quentin himself were sitting in his private office It was comfortably tastefully furnished too Old real estate estate es eg es- es tate men would have thought it a little lit tle tie too comfortable A big walnut alnut desk in front of ot the window which was draped in maroon maroon ma ma- roon velvet Orderly papers on the desk A workmanlike basket filled with papers and letters an onyx inkstand inkstand ink ink- stand with an upright pen a big desk blotter free of ink stains a small brown leather clock a copper paper cutter and a b bin big plain pair of shears The same plain biege carpeting and oriental rugs thrown over the carpet because this office was more than twice the size of the reception room Three plain armchairs one overstuffed overstuffed over over- stuffed chair and an overstuffed couch Three smoking stands On the walls more maps of the city county county coun coun- ty and state and more etchings well chosen Indeed a cozy office yet the girl who was sitting in the overstuffed chair smoking a was frown frown- ing On the right arm of ot the chair was the notebook that she could pick pickup pickup pickup up when the bell rang on the left arm arma a novel opened and face down Quentin was stretched out on the couch reading the morning paper The Bell Rings 1 The bell rang buzzed rather and Lael Hubbell hastily tossed her cig cie aret into an ash tray picked up her herl notebook and was as gone Quentin rose quickly from the couch picked up the crimson stained and put it in a waste basket Then he took the open book closed it swiftly put it in the side le lefthand drawer of his desk and sat down himself back backof of the d desk sk The door opened and Lael Lad stepped in closing the door behind her It n was Marley the building superintend superintend- ent Wanted to know how you were getting on Says hes he's sending a client who wants to buy some acreage at 3 this afternoon I Quentin swore softly and the girl I sat down again Her mouth drooped petulantly It was a lovel lovely mouth small and well shaped Her face was lovely too her heri features softly inexpressive except when she frowned as 15 she was doing now Then they hardened a J little and anda a brittle quality came into her deep blue eyes Her hair was golden blond arranged simply and pinned in a loose knot at the back of her neck I said I was getting sick of ot this she repeated for Quentin was burled in his newspaper Early In Game Gamer r I heard you but it isn't time to get fed led up so early in the game She sighed deeply and went to his I desk for another How much longer do you ou think it will take How do I know I told you OU I had to have plenty of time to do the thing right Maybe a month I dont don't know A month Yes giving myself that leeway anyway Made good progress this morning Waited half halt an hour for her herbus herbus herbus bus to come along on Tanner and then slid into the line of traffic and caught her as she got off oU Nice work if I do dosay dosay dosay say it as I wont won't see sec her again today but tomorrow Ill I'll drive by her when she's leaving the office oUke and take her home Ill I'll do that for a week before I ask sk her out He smiled confidently to himself Seems like a waste of time to beso bo be boso boso so careful careful- My dear Lael theres there's entirely too much at t stake slake on this job to be hutY The Job has to be done right and nd In ln doing it right Did you jou ever ever hear theold theold the thi old adage haste makes waste That Thata my motto now very pretty Ward I sa saher saw sou her yesterday Prettier than j I thought You said she was wu quite plain plain tl Im not noticing her face and yon yo 1 0 dont don't need to be jealous so forget he her herand herand and do your our job the way I w want yoi yoi to Lael was silent for a while then alle interrupted him again You promise you wont won't fall In love with h her r He laughed and came over and ria rm his fingers over her bright hair j turned up her chin and kissed her ier lips Darling theres there's no chance of of- my falling in love with her In hi In the thi first place she's not my type Coul CouI t tf fall fan in love with her if I wanted wante to ta io the second I cant can't Too dangerous So you see Im I'm blocked both iJ besides being in love with ith you P PYou You are arc in love with me you she asked passionately sh l ling ing mg for his hand and hugging hug it t to her bosom V t Of course Would I be asking 3 to do this thus job for me j if u I weren't Th The others dont don't want you they you they uth i against having you And after weve we've pulled it Lael Lae luxury for the rut rent of ot 1 l lour our lives Swimming through Europe Europa Monte Carlo the Riviera Biarritz j Deauville ille Le Touquet Touquet- i The names didn't mean anything 1 to Lael because she had never beta bet abroad She only nodded half ut antis antis' tied fied and kept kepl staring at al Ward when eyes were on the ceiling narrow narrowed dreaming He was smiling for he loved the Riviera Rivien You feel then that she definitelY likes you already Lael questioned question e again Sure Im I'm not dumb Im I'm no no with women Ive I've handled them U- U fore I know the ropes and Ive I've bat harder problems to crack than she e i uReal il u Real problems Lael found herself nodding slowly Ward could do anything he wanted with women He had done what bt he wanted with her She worshipped him she Lael Hubbell who ba hai had a mind of her own a will wm of b her bei own It was as if it he had taken her mind awa away and her will and left the j husk of her being madly in love oe with wItal him him 3 At first she had fought 1 him m struggled strut against him but then hen she had bad seen it was no use Other wo women she supposed had done the same thing with him but in the end end It would be the same with this girl ShY wouldn't be able to help herself until it was wac too late She would fall faU under under Wards Ward's spell ell if it was a l spell as ail U 1 1 women did whom he chose to o- o Yes it was wu hypnotism It couldn't be anything else J Lael Ive I've told you before I 1 do don want you to use so much ma makeup eup i ithe the office otrice Soft pedal the rouge an ao anthe the lipstick Make yourself plaints plainer somehow I dont don't know know bow you ou e edo do it but you do She might think I Inot not so serious serio when she s sees you she's bound to meet you ou and know sooner or later She was Fran Carey To be Continued Copyright Register and T Trib bU Syndicate I |