Show W THE fiCTION CORNER s t BANDBOX BETTY t By MARY KEMPE CHEATHAM j TEAT shimmered from the downtown downtown downtown down down- HEAT town pavements Torrid light fell in bars through the Venetian blinds in Mr Humphreys' Humphreys private office carrying with it a coppery odor like that of ot a n penny clutched too long In a perspiring palm It was a hot da day all nIl right and the city lay panting under the noonday sun r Leave the door open Miss Barclay Barclay Bar Bar- clay called Mr Humphreys as the theair Betty returned from lunch Let air circulate Whew he added mopping his brow weve got to get some air conditioning in this hotbox Betty smiled removing her white gloves and her crisp white hat Mr Humphreys said the same thing every summer She laid Wd her gloves and white purse neatly away in tha the bottom desk drawer and sat down at the typewriter With her blonde I r hair sleek and smooth and her palo pale green dress miraculously unwrinkled unwrinkled kled she looked as cool and fresh tresh j as an Iced limeade How do you OU do It Miss Barclay marveled Mr Humphreys entering I the cubicle of an outer office where she S sat lt as secretary and receptionist f. f You cant can't be as cool as you look Anyhow lets let's put this fan out here somewhere to stir up a little breeze He looked around vaguely pulled out a chair a few feet from rom Betty Bettys desk set the fan tan on It plugged inthe in inthe inthe the cord and returned to his own t. t 1 door large e desk through the open marked Private Bet Betty gazed doubtfully at the fan t v i whirring away on the chair before fi v r her She anchored the fluttering pa papers pat pa- pa t pens pers on her desk with paperweights and with a little frown of ot annoyance annoyance annoyance annoy annoy- ance smoothed back the tendrils of ot oft to blow j t hair which were beginning loose from the bun at the nape of her neck She caught Mr Humphreys Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hum- looking at her and smiled It After all Mr Humphreys was the boss If U he wanted to go around putting electric fans on chairs it was no business of hers Anyway r Mr Humphreys was nice Nice and quite quite happily married They were all quite happily marred married mar mar- ried red thought Betty with a sigh as she began on her transcription AUthe AU All the really nice members of ot the of office office of- of fice flee force in the other departments all nil the nicest sales salesmen en That business business business busi busi- ness of romance in an office was just something you read about in ind iI d is magazines Is Mr Humphreys in c. c She looked up as a tall broad- broad 1 shouldered red-haired red young oung man maD f her desk and thrust t f.- f. a business card into her hand Before Before Before Be Be- fore sho she knew what was happening he had pulled up his trouser legs di t slightly to preserve their meticulous crease and had begun to assume a the whirring sitting position over i fan tan Dont sit down Betty shrieked simultaneously with Mr Humphreys' Humphreys shout hout The young youn man catapulted away R from the chair as though a bomb suddenly had sprang sprung from the fan tan blades Backed against Bettys Betty's desk he stared then grinned Mr 1 t t Humphreys flown to the rescue was mopping his brow again ain but not from heat That he said shakily was a narrow escape He disconnected the J fan tan and stood bewilderedly holding W 4 it Her composure regained now th that t catastrophe had been averted Betty t H became once more all cool efficiency She glanced at the card She Cr chuckled She could not help it Would you she asked have bave had coverage for THAT The card read John J J. J Thomas Thomaa Insurance The young man chuckled too I 1 I came cune here he remarked to talk tally to Mr Humphreys about accident Insurance Sure sure murmured Mr Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hwn- still shaken Come right in Have one of at the boys put that thing on a bracket for you he said to Betty indicating the fan When they emerged from Mr Humphreys' Humphreys sanctum John Thomas had a pleased expression on his face and no doubt a policy polley in the bag bagIt It was really her fault you know ho remarked to Mr Humphreys Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hum- i loitering at the door She looked so cool I didn't even see that chair Miss fiss Barclay always looks cool coolIn coolin coolin In summer said Mr Humphreys proudly and neat all the year round misplaced commas Mr Humphreys was happy John seemed happy and Betty was almost happy Only Only that that was all that ever happened Never once had John attern attempted ted to kiss her or even hold her hand He was WilS she concluded finally a confirmed bachelor Just as qs s I I. I she thought poking savagely at the typewriter keys am ama a confirmed old maid rna d. It was a Saturday almost noon quitting time John had not called and the future suddenly became a whole series of ot weary calendar pages neatly torn oft off day by day and deposited In the wastebasket As she walked from the building there was Johns John's convertible parked at the entrance Get in he called were go going ins inson on a picnic It was amazing how his Ws red hair could brighten up the day chy Betty was happily In the car before she oven even noticed his female compan compan- ion lon Oh she gasped For there huddled between John and a bulging bulgIng bulging ing picnic basket was vas a startling apparition apparition-a a little girl with freckles wide blue eyes and the same red hair Relax smiled John Muggsy l ie i.- Just my niece Every year ear about UiL time I take her on a picnic Oh said Betty again uncertain ly Muggsy gave her a broad grin e a d' d 9 r 4 0 I t tI I 0 t. t a Q 0 N Muggsy gave her a broad grin the more effective for three missIng miss- miss ing teeth Youre pretty sIte alic said I uI like you Like she's just stepped out of a bandbox John continued Betty flushed She had had the expression applied to her before Since her first days with the company company com com- pany she knew she had been fa familiarly familiarly fa- fa referred to by the other employees as Bandbox Betty but It was disconcerting to be discussed in this thi fashion The least she can do he teased is 13 give me a dinner date fair enough echoed Mr Humphreys Humphres if its it's all right with Miss Barclay Well conceded Betty but I warn you I have all the insurance I need Dinner with John Thomas lS was distinctly pleasant It was cool In ID Inthe inthe the Orchid room and the table appointments appointments appointments ap ap- ap- ap were perfect The floor floorshow floorshow floorshow show was good the food even better From cocktail to parfait the courses were faultless John himself met every requirement as an escort Betty began to be glad Mr Humphreys Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hum- had put the fan tan on a chair Not a hair out of place John commented They drill it into you countered Betty at secretarial school White collars tidy fingernails all nIl that ILL BET John said suddenly eyes twinkling YOU WOULDN'T EVEN GET MUSSED AT A PICNIC PIC PIC- NICI NIC She had a number of dates with John their tempo always smooth and pleasant Her work suffered no the more effective for three missing teeth Youre pretty she said I like Uke you She climbed into Bettys Betty's lap and settled herself with a comfortable comfortable com com- sigh Youve got a pretty dress she added stroking it with witha a hand which was just a trifle grimy Betty looked down at her wrinkled skirt but under the childs child's weight it could not be straightened John busy with getting the convertible out of the Saturday traffic appeared not to notice He looked different in wash trousers and sports shirt Muggsy too wore a washable print dress Betty ruefully considered her office apparel but made no comment As they drove the wind whipped at Bettys Betty's hair She had no net and andall andall andall all she could do was keep pinning the strands back in place When they reached the picnic spot Muggsy jumped up and down in delight delight de de- de- de light Cn I wade Uncle John cn I wade she sha called casting off oU shoes and socks and stepping into the creek Im going to look for crawdads crawdad she declared peering stealthily under rocks in the shallow stream now and then letting her dress tall dribble in the water Betty was gazing into a pocket mirror trying to smooth her hair Come help me John called piling twigs in a little rock fireplace You unpack the lunch while I build a afire afire fire to make the coffee and broil the steaks The fire smoked ashes fell into the coffee the charred stick forks made smudges Betty did her best to stay neat but Muggsy was everywhere everywhere everywhere every every- where at once dribbling steak-juice steak mustard and catsup A stinging sensation sen sea crept behind Bettys Betty's eyelids as she recalled Johns John's admiring words ILL BET YOU WOULDN'T EVEN GET MUSSED AT A PIC PIC- NIC She pulled Ineffectually at ather ather ather her wrinkled frock dabbed with a handkerchief at stains wiped the dust from her shoes It was unfair of John to put her to such a test The picnic dragged mercilessly 0 on onto onto D to an amusement park where Muggsy wanted to ride a roller coaster Betty shuddered She hated bated roller coasters she hated flying turns but she found herself hurtling through space with John and Muggsy in any number of crazy fashions When they emerged her bun was quite gone the blonde hair hanging loosely about her shoulders Her shoes were full tull of shavings from the amusement park grounds she had a run in her hose and her face was smudged and devoid of makeup John stared at her and laughed aloud What he asked has become become become be be- come of Bandbox Betty Someone she thought should slap his face but before she could put the impulse into effect he had seized her hands and pulled her close To her amazement he kissed her fiercely fierce fierce- ly lYe before all the people in the amusement park with Muggsy gIggling giggling giggling gig gIg- I gling at them both Everything seemed to fade away as she kissed back like That he breathed li 11 s more it It I Z couldn't have stood It he said to have you respond with nothing but a neat little peck |