Show fiCTION s 's N THE THEDY BIG CHANCE NCE DY By FREDERICK E RI LAI LAINO NO Gur Cornet reC WASN'T the kind to pick a HE secretary by the color of her hair Not Bill Hargrave Hargrove Both Doth Paula and Nancy bad had been smart mart enough nough to know that And for some sometime time fine every one In the office bad had known that one ene of them Paula or Nancy was wai going to get the Job In fact tact the decision probably would tome come through this afternoon liar liar- grave crave rave was wat leaving town and wanted to b get It settled The two girls girl could ice lEe him from their heir desks desk outside his bli office Marbe May Mar Maybe be It was only a ft sat t of ot proofs forthe lor for lorhe the he campaign that he h. was 1111 looking at with tool cool keen eyes Dut But lor tor a moment his hll finger seemed to pause paUle above those two efficient UtIle Uttie Ut lit Ue tie push If It ha he pressed tha the left on one It would be ba Paulas Paula's pulse pulu that hat would go Into high lUgh speed Paula couldn't keep her eyes off on that hat light on her desk disk She kept making mistakes mistake In to her typing and ripping the sheets beets out to start fresh again She leaned across her ker typewriter sad end said IBid to Nancy The bow boss Is I. aU all dolled up today todar Must be going on ona oni i a special trip with the new president president preal- preal dent den t of She was Just talking to relieve her nervousness Nancy took her time Urne about answering She wasn't used to having Paula talk to her in such an Intimate tone toile Not since they'd learned a month ago that they were both In line Ua for a promotion promotion pro pro- promotion motion for the tha Important Job ob as asBill Dill Bill Hargrave's Hargraves secretary He the does look nice she Ibe said IBid finally was wal young and outBid out out- Bide Bid of office hours boors he was wa said ald to be human Rut Out that wain want wasn't t why hed he'd gotten to io be ba one of the key men at Advertising Inc 1110 lie Ue was quiet and some e of the boys boy In the office badt badat 4 how fast he was wal traveling until they the somehow happened to get Id in his way The two girls saw law him get up from tram his hs desk and walk to tho the doorway of his office oHIce He Re stood there with one hand in is a pocket of his double breasted blue flannel suit uit There was a small white flower In his hll 1 buttonhole and the usual keen unrevealing smile on his fa face ceo Did you l send nd for the tickets he he asked NancyI Nancy I got the tickets aU all right she ahe answered but but I and sh she tried to smile mUe in the tile same hard bard way the boss did She Cha looked as 81 as at a white kitten But Dut there thare Just arent aren't any staterooms to be had she ahe told him Not for love or money money The boss baSI was waa certainly pointed Anybody c could uld see lee that Suppose I 1 try I it Paula sug- sug tested ested quickly And for the next 10 minutes minute I halt half the office tore for could hear Paula telling the ticket agent where to to get cu Listen eke alie aal said I dont don't care eare whose reservations you have haye to cancel Well the Job was worth g going I I after atter There was waa th the salary forone for forone forone one thing And there they was wal th the pros pres tige The Th boss boss' secretary knew a alot alot lot of answers And tier there were th the Interesting people she Ibe got to talk to The big ble shots And the boxes of perfume flowers flower and candy the they I often otten left on en her desk And th there re was Bill DW Hargrav tor for tora fora a bo boss Young and clever and at at- That was a factor too Because in th the advertising business you called the boss bo Bill DIU and he called his hll secretary Nanc Nancy or Paula and end took her to dinner on the expense account on nights when the work was waa late It was all strictly business but it teemed seemed Intimate and informal Both Doth Paula and Nancy knew about those thole dinners DIU Bill had tried to be fair He lie would ask Paula to stay one night and then it would be Nancys Nancy's turn the next But Dut Paula had been smart mart Shed She'd soon learned how Impersonal bill Hargrave could be even at those intimate dinners About as 81 personal She handed hIm the envelope It contained the two sets lets e or of tickets your stateroom number on the outside ahe she said laid crisply She had on a double breasted blue flannel suit something like Uke Bills Bill's and it was clear he thought she looked pretty smart mart in it Dont forget target the time she added added add add- ed d eight fifteen Hargrave grinned So there them were no staterooms for tor love or money eh He lie looked again at the number of his hll stateroom and he put the tho t J r x i mC yae Lr ter c f ayr j r W 3 r 9 r t r fT i 9 4 t F f L And for the tho next ned 10 minutes minute a half halt the office force could hear Paula Pauls snappily telling the ticket agent where to get ret off ott as al an ad that says This means you And she saw how much harder barder to plea please so he be was during the tho overtime hours houri more irritable more apt to get that edge of complaint complaint complaint com com- plaint in his hll voice So when Nancy had said laid I dont don't mind staying nights really I 1 know Paula usually has a date She's popular with the men well Paula had been glad to let it go goat goat goat at that I Shed She'd been quick to see lee that neither of ot them was going to get the job mainly on sex ex appeal and she was right Paula didn't need any lessons when it came to office politics She was w. the one who was always busy when some copy cub wanted his tuft stuff typed Sorry but it its it's Impossible impossible sible Mac Mae Why not ask Nancy And they did It left Paula freeto free freeto freeto to do Bill BUI Hargraves Hargrave's work in a hurry Never too busy for tor Mr BilL BUL When Hargrav Hargrave finally pressed one of ot those buttons button it was at Paulas Paula's desk that the light flick tuck ered She started to make a grab for her note not book but she Ibe whipped out her ber mirror first Then ah she ahe grabbed up her note book and an envelope that was Wal on the desk As AI for Nancy what else could she shedo shedo do but sit alt there with her pretty prett blonde head bead bent over her typo typo- writer Nancy was waa a natural blonde bloode and that seemed the best way to describe her ber She Just didn't seem leem to know any tricks The moment Paula got inside Hargrave Har liar graves grave office ottice he asked about that stateroom Any luck Paula No Paula hadn't been dumb It wa was the little things that would add with Mr Bill BIU Orchestra seats when the client wa was in town and the show wa was sold out Or a stateroom stateroom state state- room when there were no staterooms staterooms state state- rooms to be had for love or money envelope carefully in his Inside pocket Then he told her She had a new Job He mentioned the salary too He lIe didn't neglect to mention the salary She took it just right Just enough of gratitude And then the old sportsmanship How sorry she felt about Nancy She Sho didn't look sorry sam And neither dIt dM did Bill He Re told her ber herit berIt it was okay that Nancy wasn't made for the Job ob anyway and that tha they were leaving on their honeymoon honeymoon honey honey- moon tonight Tonight at eight fifteen |