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Show Thanks for the t Flovver3 ' Ey H. LOUIS RAYEOLD i : : : : : -: : -:- (Cuuyriaiit.) OII.l., back on hii Job at Kingston - and l;lake's, alter three weuks illness with inlluenza, whistled cheerfully cheer-fully as be hung up his coat and hat. There was no sign of the boss being in, so be was free to take a turn down to the shipping department and thank Kalhie for the sweet peas which had reached him the day he was sickest. Cunning little thing to remember la i in I Why, he had never spoken more than a dozen words to her! ilie had j existed for him merely us the "oilier girl" in that department who wasn't' Claire. Claire had sent Eill no (lowers and only one brief note in answer to the several long letters with which he had whiled away convalescence, but a girl as pretty as Claire did not have to exert herself to hold any man's devotion. devo-tion. Still whistling, Bill sauntered through the stoYe to the annex given over to the lulling of the costly wares of bis firm. Ah there was Claire, perched on a stack of Hat cartons, and besides her stood btevens, driver of the store's delivery truck. Claire threw him a glance of casual welcome and un idle word. "Look who's back from the sick bed, Steve! I'oor IUIl, you look like something left over from the World war!" Hill grinned. "I may be somewhat weak on my pins, Claire, but I pack a mean punch for any loafer like this here Steve if you waste time with him." Then he gazed around. "Where's KathieV" Claire and Steve exchanged glances. "Oh," said Claire, "sue left two weeks ago." "Left?" Claire shrugged her shoulders. "I daresay she was lired. Just because her father and the boss were friends doesn't mean she stood in with aid Gumshoes, you know." Old Gumshoes was manager and rather fancied himself as a lady killer. kill-er. Iiill happened to know that (here had been a time when he sought Kalhie's favor and thought it more likely she had left to avoid him rather rath-er than through any malice on his part. Now a debt unpaid was to Bill a thing abhorred and a gracious act un-thanked un-thanked an annoying burdeu. lie made every effort to trace Kathie's whereabouts. With Claire and Steve he discussed Kalhie warily, hoping to unearth some clew as to her home or her intentions, but his efforts were in vain. He even made use of the oliice telephone during dur-ing the absence of the boss to call 'up every Blaine in the directory and there were fifteen of them without connecting with anyone whose first name was Katlierine. Yet for all his eagerness to find Kathie, Bill would have said that only oue girl possessed his dreams and that girl Claire. Therefore, on the morning that Claire failed to put in an appearance at the store, Bill became anxious. He went in search of old Gumshoes to see if she had telephoned but could not find him cither. Then, as Ihe boss demanded his services in no uncertain un-certain tone, he was forced to let the matter go for the lime beir.g while he swallowed his impatience and listened to tiie tiresome details of a disputed claim which it was to be his task to investigate. He was taken back, however, when, the business in hand over with, the bocs tipped back in his desk chair, folded his hands, and gave Bill a look of query. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked pleasantly. "Certainly irot, sir,"' replied Bill wondering if he was to be fired. "Brown er I believe you call him Gumshoes has left us for our rivals, the G. L. Flower company. And he has taken with him Miss Claire of the shipping department. Or rather, I tin-stand tin-stand she has been Mrs. Browu for I several days. I Bill stood up. "iVhat what's that, sir? Claire and and old Gumshoes married?" The boss nodded. "I believe so. Now my proposition is this: You act as assistant manager until you can j qualify for Brown's job which ought to be very shortly. No, don't thank me. Just favor nie by answering this j question. Why, instead of bothering all the Blaines in the telephone book ; oh, no, my boy, I wasn't out as you ; thought merely in the supply oliice i why, didn't you come to me? I could have told you that Miss Kathie was ' taking a little trip to Bermuda with her father. And now but first, just run up into the shipping department with hiese'inslructious to the new girl on the job." i Bill did not hear him chuckle as he turned back to his desk. With mixed emotions he was hurrying up to the shipping department. Claire married: By rights he should have been feeling perfectly miserable. And yet lie wasn't. But but who was that perched on ' the stack of cartons, swinging her slender feet? Kathie! Kalhie whose brown eyes were as lovely as the sea blue eyes of Claire and fi'.le.l v. irh much more tender care for Bill. For a moment he hesitated. Then he walked straight tip to her and s.'irad her two little hands in iiis. i "Well" he said j And at Kathie's shy little sni'U t.3 completely furgut lo thank her lur ihe flowers ! |