| Show t hie Telegrams Telegram's Daily ry n Ii lies lis's s Gray Decorator By By JANE OSBORN it 1916 by McClure re Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper Syndicate e organ Trac Tracy of the firm of sham Co came in from lunch- lunch that si memorable spring afternoon 3 saw W the ladder propped against id d his desk Then he saw the thea a of his office boy looking d l with wide open mouth and as asIe asre re Ie vision of vision went upward he saw rl 11 was was' was slender and graceful and he himself from the first that eked 91 ed very charming on tale tie top of he ladder Still he resented ruslon ion and was only slightly mola mol- mol a af r her explanation u are Mr Tracy arent aren't you she shen n the most self confident of y Q voices I am Miss Grey h here e to do your Jour office over Do Donow Donow Donow now about about me me me I 1 am going to 1 your r office beautiful and convert 1 his ugly expressionless barn- barn fair frair into a room possessing real tl Mr nham arranged It um just studying the room and d P Perhaps you cannot there are actually en Un n an ugly place like this y would h have ve explained as first Intended to do that he con- con ll r presence an intrusion n that rice nce was quite satisfactory as It he would see Dir Mr Tilden- Tilden b bout t having her lier work d it not been that as she had to tomake make her explanation she had Capon l pen him hint eyes as blue as sap- sap iti Jfrank rank appealing self confident ung So he simply followed the thele le of the office e boy and for the Ie stood rather vacantly Ind the he operations of the girl on onI r I e sat down at his desk rang s stenographer there stenographer there were no nos Stenographers s at i i to concentrate his attention we ing the days day's mail But the thelIe thet t he ladder proved more enI en- en I lIe nd Morgan Tracy usually rv ng in his power of to abandon that task till anI anthe an- an I y of I the the he time the girl wielded a tick taking notes the while in a i ath athert ather i book that hung from a atit tit gr waist Q Quite te clearly she wing no difficulty difficult in l i au il hour her task was done and with the explanation to Mr u at she would resume her work the next m morning t Ir Tracy she said by way of ofas r as as you usually lock Jock your desk ht must ask yo you to leave the th the the cashier on your way out t s so so that when I 1 come in the morning I can hate hai-e everything moved from this desk dealt to the new one You see see I am going make to make to-make make the transformation over night When you come in at at nine I think everything will be done Morgan Trac Tracy In all hl his hid fifteen years years' office experience in the house of Til- Til denham Co had never been spoken to with such cool disregard for that tha Intangible something in his nat nature re that that tha made those who came it in contact with will him instinctively show deference to his habits and whims She was going to change the entire appearance of his of office office office of- of fice she was going to come in contact contac with the papers in his desk and she hadnot hadnot had hat hatnot not even asked his permission Morgan Tracy meant to object strongly But again he caught the sapphire sapphire sapphire sap sap- blue of her eyes and merely looked annoyed He bade her good evening evening eve eve- ning and went home Still he felt that tha he had been rude to her He recalled the picture of the girl as he first saw her at the top of the ladder the grace with which she had wielded the yard yardstick yardstick stick the bright golden-bronze golden highlights highlights highlights high high- lights on her hair as she stood before the window delightfully oblivious o of the fact that she was keeping the light Ugh from his range of vision vision and and Instead of feeling resentment at her intrusion he felt as ai If he owed her her her- hera a- a an apology p i ii So it was that when Just as Miss Grey had returned from a hasty dinner In a nearby restaurant and was busy buy directing the paperhangers in their hurried hurried hurried hur hur- ried task of redecorating the office ant and at the same time unpacking a case full ful of small office furnishings that had been sent by a special messenger from froman an uptown furniture dealers dealer's Mr Tracy appeared on the scene scene But 11 It was Mr Ir Tracy without his usual dictatorial dictatorial dictatorial dic dic- manner I I didn't like the Idea of 01 having you here alone In this deserted office ottice he said So I have come to wait watt here till you are through and if it you OU will ill permit It and have no other escort to take you to your home Miss Grey did not attempt to conceal her obvious s satisfaction at this courte courte- sy You are very good she said and then holding up some of the treasures from the case she was unpacking See Mr Tracy isn't this a better wall calendar calendar calendar cal cal- than that dreadful colored lithograph lithograph lithograph litho litho- graph of a a. fire that you had from the insurance company These brown tones I will go very well with the new paper and it is certainly businesslike and quite large enough I am sure And these new brown blotters will be a re relief relief re- re lief Het to you after those frightful pink ones I know you cant can't get them at downtown dealers but it is worth the difference to have to to order them specially sped sped- all ally And then I ordered some bronze desk fittings that will be so BO much better better better bet bet- ter than those frightful pressed glass glassand glassand glassand and cheap brass things But Trac Tracy did not he heed d very Closely what she saying he f was VIaS was only wondering and marveling at at atthe the musical musical musi musi- cal quality of her voice olce and a asking king himself whether eyes had ever er ever before belore been so blue That night when he escorted her home she insisted on being left at the corner She had not permitted him to take her home in a taxi and now she was not even even going to let him know where she lived The next morning Mr Tracy found her at 7 in his office ottice Th The change was marvelous From a dull uninteresting room devoid of character It had been transformed to toa toa toa a room of distinction not distinction not in the least less businesslike and manly because it had been molded under the trained eye and skillful hand of a woman I 1 never knew In what a wilderness I had lived before he admitted I I really do not think I have such atrocious atrocious atrocious atro atro- cious taste I always knew that my office wah uncouth I 1 disliked that fire tire insurance calendar as much as you did But I didn't know how to chan change chance it ft Its It's the same way with my apartment I have spent enough money on it and still It doesn't satisfy me Perhaps you would undertake to transform transform trans trans- form that too unless too unless you confine your skill to offices Miss Grey laughed in a a. way that was tantalizing and simply said Perhaps Perhaps Per I haps Then she got into her coat and adjusted her hat at the mirror that hung in a screened corner of the newly arranged office Just at she lets present she said go and see Mr He was ex expected expected expected ex- ex In this morning J. J I believe Together they entered the office of Tracys Tracy's chief and Tracy believed himself himself himself him him- self dreaming at first when the de- de delightful de Miss Grey greeted that stern business magnate with a bear hug and anda a kiss Hello dad she said Ive won the bet Now come and see how I have done it I 1 pretended I was an interior decorator you OU had ordered to redecorate Mr Tracys Tracy's At first he was a regular bear and I 1 thought I had lost out but gradually he softened and now he is as docile as a lamb and he he- even admits that he likes the changes I have made I You Isee see Mr Tracy she continued her her right hand was in that of her father and now she lal laid laiI her other hand handon on Mr Tracys Tracy's arm in a friendly fashion fash fashion ion as if to complete the circle you circle you see see Mr Tracy father and I Iare are great chums Youve You've no idea pow how much I know about his business and he has told me lots of things about you He said that the only fault you had was wa- that you were yes were yes Ill I'll t tell ll you Just the word he used He Ire said you were getting fussy He said you had used the same ink well and the same desk for ten years and I wagered him I could make a change And I have |
