Show I I CHAPTER CH 8 89 A Directors Director's Meeting At breakfast the next mornIng Tom remarked We Ve have a directors director's meeting today Something have to lie be done about the responsibilities which have been Crandell's lIe was a a. hustler nut But he always seemed to be able to get away when he wanted to I Isaid saidI said I dIdn't say he dId the work That's what he hires me and the rest of the force for nut But he knew what had tobe to tobe be done every ev ry mInute of the time and If we didn't do our share we heard from him all right lie Ire has great executive executive ex- ex ability I have heard father say that executive executive I tive ability had to be born in people Peggy broke in I Hes dead right Tom answered I 1 wIsh I had half of Crandell's force I when dealing with people nut But you ou have never had a chance i iI to know what you could do in that I I line I interrupted loath to have Tom I disparage himself While I grumbled because he dIdn't make more money I I blamed conditions his employers not him They didn't appreciate what a I smart man my husband was I thought when dIsgruntled because he did not earn earn as much as others I Well Nell Im I'm off Tom exclaimed I 1 expect well we'll have a very busy day down town I want to stop and see Crandell too Do you think you OU can see him I asked ed Probably not but I shall go just the same Dont you think we should send him some flowers or something He has been very ver nice to tIsOU is you OU know I saId I Yes later Just now he will not want flowers or anything else When he gets better you can take him something something some some- thing nIce to eat occasionally hell he'll appreciate appreciate ap- ap that more than he will flowers flowers flow flow- ers Tom returned lIe He was somewhat t t of a gourmet and judged other me men menwer n I I were also Ill be glad to fix up anything h hcan he e can eat I 1 returned I 1 felt feIt as ii I should do all I could to compensate e 11 hIm for the long time he would have hav e I to remain in the hospital He fie ha had d been hurt giving US a good time Ha Hait Had Hadit d I I it not been for us he probably would woul d I have had his own chauffeur until h t. t I Iwas was ready to go home and not a hire hired d L taxi and an irresponsible drIver I should always feel a little to blame I When he had proposed we stay ou out t longer and Tom had objected but I had declared I 1 would woul l love to go t to e the restaurant for supper Peggy now spoke up I cant can't c not cook not ok-not like Sue can can buI but bu butI t I can buy hIm so you must le let t me do that I was his guest too you u know i I i I I know Go as far as you like Peggy To Tom n laughed nut wait waft a day or two longer He H Is in no condition yet to know there are flowers in the room After Tom left I teased Peggy a little little lit lit- tle about Everett and was surprised when I saw that she took me seriously He Is awfully nice she said blush blush- Ing Indeed he is I answered I wish you'd marry him Peggy and add come corne to New York to live Think what nice times we could have PEGGY IS EMBARRASSED You better walt wait until he asks me Peggy answered blushing still more and acting embarrassed She was usually so hard to t tease ase always coming coming com com- ing back bacI with a quIck saucy answer that I was surprIsed Had she commenced corn com to care for Everett Candell Can delI While he had been charmIng in his attentions attentions at- at to her I was more than satisfied satis- satis fled fied that it was because she was my guest not because of her attractiveness attractive attractive- ness And Peggy was a very attractive attractive tive girl Perhaps he will when he is better I said hoping to draw Peggy out Strangely enough I had a little jealous twinge when I 1 thought of Everett marrying marrying mar mar- Peggy y although I desired it Iwonder I Iwonder wonder wh why It is that women are so anxIous for tor attention so greedy for admiration LovIng my husband as Idid I Idid did I had no possible reason to care what any other man felt for Peggy Pegg or any other woman But Bt I did And AndI I know that I was not alone in this feeling that I wanted my husbands husband's love and the innocent admiration of other men Suddenly it came to me that Toms Tom's feeling for tor Everetts Everett's stenographer might be the same that I had for Ever Ever- ett nut But some way it didn't seem the same when applied to hIm And then EdIth Coleman probably was a designing designing design design- ing creature My Tom was very handsome handsome hand hand- some very attractive and about her age No I 1 decided it was not at all the same What was sauce for the goose wasn't sauce for the gander in my thoughts It mIght be rIght and safe for me to accept attentions from Toms Tom's frIends but it was neIther safe nor rIght for Tom to do the same thing That was the way I reasoned in my youth and inexperience CH CHAPTER 90 I It Is an III Wind That Blows No One Good The moment Tom came In that nIght r saw that something had happened and a look at hIs face showed that it w was s something good I could scarcely walt wait until he went into the bathroom to wash I followed him in and closed the door It might be something he would not care to discuss before Peggy t What is it Tom I asked What has happened How do you know anything has happened he asked smiling at me Dont tease me dear I 1 know you have something to tell me Yes I Z have ha Sue the directors held andYes andYes and and- their meeting today Yes I interrupted as he stopped to wipe hIs face And they made me general manager manager man man- ager of the New York office office- Poor Crandell's accident has given me the tho that position is sooner Hooner than I could have hoped for Jt It otherwIse And the pay do they gIve you more money Yes you ou greedy thing they give me 50 more a month Oh Tom wont won't that be nice We can get et along fInely on a month We ought to Its It's more than most mo t young people have to live on I can tell you Not more than your friends I told I him Wh Why Vivian Morton Mr Brown that Mr Collins and both I f Carol and Everett i everyone every one ona ot of them has more than that You mustn't compare our income with that of wealthy people like those You have mentioned They are all older or have inherited money PLANNING TO INCREASE EXPENSES I know I shouldn't and I wont won't I returned but Tom we can do a lot of thIngs now that we couldn't do before Why that is twice as much as you earned when we were first married mar mar- ried ried- You must have a new suIt right away I 1 noticed your coat was getting shiney and little Tom must have some rompers and a lot of things and I want wanta a new tailor suit I hope now you wont won't object to my goIng to Helens Helen's tailor or to the one Vivian Morton recommended recommended rec- rec and and- Hold on there Tom saId but lie he laughed hapPily as he spoke spoke You have spent the first years year's raise al- al ready Is dinner ready Im I'm as hungry as a wolf Just then Norah called us to dInner dinner dIn dIn- ner and we told Peggy the good news news I am delighted for you Tom she said and I know y you u wouldn't have been given the position had you not deserved it Its It's 8 a wonderful salary for so young a man I wonder Sue what the boys out home would thInk if they could earn half as much dIe of heart failure If It were offered them I replied Then I asked for Everett feeling guilty that in my delight I had forgotten him lIes doing as well as could be expected expected ex- ex they told me at the hospItal Tom replied nut But I couldn't see him It will wIIl be a week yet before he is able to see me I shant shan't see hIm before I go then Peggy remarked rather sadly I thought r I had a letter from father today orderIng me home lIe said Bala I would outstay my welcome that you never would ask ash me to come again then finIshed up that he was lonely and that I was to come home i UNWELCOME UNWELCOME NEWS We Ve shall mIss you ou Tom and I said In unison Thank you both Peggy laughed it seems at least to be unanimous I Ishall Ishall shall hate hat to go though I want to see dad When must you go I asked Day after tomorrow Well Vell take Mr Crandell some flowers flow flow- ers tomorrow and you can leave a 8 little little lit lit- tle note for him I told Peggy who I brightened at the suggestion I shall tell the foll folks s at home what a howling success Sue has married l she said to Tom all be jealous jealous jeal- jeal ous but you needn't mind It will be jealousy ot of you you I laughed at Peggy idea but waS pleased that she would would tell the home boys that my husband was so suc- suc I r I was so proud of Tom sf so anxIous that others shOuld thInk hIm just as clever as I did that I perhaps overrated his busIness capacity Yet had bad anyone hinted at such a thIng I should have been angry at once The next day we tool took the flowers to the hospital Peggy was very ex- ex ald bought wonderful roses and ferns We Ve could not see Everett but she sent them in to him with a note expressIng her regret at the accident acci- acci dent and also that she must go home without seeing him She seemed to feel better after We vie left The nurse had said she would give hIm the note as soon as the doctor allowed and the flowers at once with peggy Peggys E card Torno Tomorrow Tomorrow-Peggy's p s 's Departure |