Show H ff BH I 1 m ht E M M A EL milk py ap alha alfa i kaili MX sh am H fh M TAYLOR THE STORY SO fart FAR joan leland secretary ecret ary to arthur mulford san pran fran clico cisco importer li in amazed and angry wh when 11 n he be discharges discharge her with two weeks salary alary and refuses refine any explanation the sani fame day her sister lister sybil with whom sh the shares hare an apartment loses her position in a beauty salon lalon joan accept accepts a position from rora karl bl miller iller handsome proprietor of a might club who insists on paying her in advance at the rate of SO 50 per week sybil something sinister about the position and divines divine joan a quick interest la in karl though the sisters listen quarrel joan return refuses to quit she accepts his dinner invitation and when he tells her he be has bai a beauty salon job for or sybil and takes her into his hi arms her happiness knows aws no BO bounds the scene Is interrupted by the entrance of 0 paul sherman karls roan man ager the two men leave but paul re turns quickly to talk with joan lie he toon soon surprises the girl by asking her to tell hins him how the she got the job now continue with the story CHAPTER IV joans surprise showed in her voice as she replied what do you mean just what I 1 said who suggested it to you 1 I lost my job last week joan told him wondering why she was doing so after all it really any amyot of paul shermans Sher mans business why she was here that same night I 1 saw a want ad for this one I 1 came down to apply and karl mr miller hired me you know karl miller before that 1 7 I dont see what it is to you joan flared resentfully dont bite my head off 10 paul said pleasantly 1 I just wondered all I 1 would like to bedour be your friend miss leland you may need one im doing all right joan said irritated okay but just one more question have you met karls partner eric strom joan answered him reluctantly eric strom no I 1 met him why im the one asking the questions paul retorted and joan jean felt that he was laughing at her as he rose and went to the door 1 I have work to do mr sherman she said crossly call ape me paul by the way I 1 how about having dinner with me some night joan was surprised at the audacity of this request 1 I expect to be very busy she said coldly nevertheless PaulS nerman retorted 1 I shall meet you on monday night at six he mentioned the grill of a well known hotel 1 I have no intentions of being there by monday you may change your mind joan sighed as the office door shut behind him it seemed that at every turn she met a surprise what would karl say it if he knew that his rna manager nager hd had tried to make a date with his secretary the secretary whom only a few moments ago karl had held in his arms in a way she was glad that paul sherman had interrupted that perfect moment karl would be angry and karls wrath was one thing that joan would not risk karll joan thought closing her eyes against the memory of his handsome expressionless face steadying herself against the flood of emotion that swept over her 1 I have let him kiss me joan told herself but I 1 love himl him I 1 I 1 love him yet im afraid even to herself joan did noi not like to admit that the reason for her fear was that karl miller did not return her affection true he had taken her out he had even kissed her but joan doubted that any woman could possess his entire heart the situation intrigued her at the same time she was frightened joan and sybil spent a quiet sunday karl had told joan that he would not be able to see her over the weekend week end and she found that edep one day without him was enough to make her unhappy sybil seemed cheerful at the prospect of stir starting ting her new job atthe at the ritz eitz beauty shop the matter with you she asked as s joan sat cat I 1 staring into space weve both got a job theres nothing to worry about joan suspected that sybil knew what wa was worrying g her but she disliked bringing up the subject of karl miller instead she told sybil at about out paul sherman and his proposal t that hat she have dinner with him sybil lay on the couch her blonde hair in curlers he sounds all right she commented why dont you go 1 I dont even know the man joan protested 1 I met him only last night sybil raised an eyebrow as she contemplated her hei sister you amow karl miller either but you fell in love with him overnight or maybe I 1 should say you think youre in love with him joan curled up in the big chair and opened a magazine which she pretended to read look honey why not confess I 1 know how you feel joan lifted a confused radiant face oh syb youre righta 1 I 1 do love him im so in love with him that it frightens me because I 1 cant believe that he really cares about N J I 1 lit t A woman with green eyes is very rare did you know that me im so young and unsophisticated and youre going to stay that way sybil said sharply you dont love karl miller joail you want him because you know hes out of your reach oh its more than thail the youthful voice was bullof full of pain even so it cant hurt anything for you to be nice to this other man hes young and apparently he likes you why dont you have dinner with him 1 I dont want karl to be angry with me joan confessed Is it as bad as that sybil asked quietly joan sighed im sorry sybl sybi but the way it is I 1 cant help it sybil was silent and in the twilight they could hear rain splashing against the windowpanes when the telephone pealed through the room joan flew to answer it perhaps it would be karll karl I 1 it was and at the sound of his voice her heart sang 1 I find that I 1 am going to be free this evening came his carefully modulated voice would you like to have dinner with me would she like to oh dar lingl her heart cried but she answered demurely id love to joan ran into the bedroom to change her dress but Sybil had not missed the i unconcealed joy in her face sybila blue eyes were full of worry as she stared thoughtfully after her sister joan was disappointed to find that karl had invited another dinner guest eric strom whom paul had described as karls partner mk met them at the hotel sitting in front of the broad windows which overlooked the sea joans spirits drooped eric strom asked do you find the rain so depressing miss leland it does seem gloomy joan admitted karl smiled at her indulgently but the two men continued to talk about business joan did not like eric for the same inexplicable reason that she trusted paul she did not trust karls partner my intuitions working overtime joan reflected glancing at eric he was a slight man blond about karls age but he had none ov of karls magnetic power there was something shifty about his pale eyes his manner was cautious unpleasantly so ile he looked a great deal at joan and his glance made her uncomfortable if karl noticed this he gave no sign he was cheerful during the meal which seemed endless to his secretary the two men engrossed in their own conversation left joan free to speculate joan looked at karl whose eyes eye cereas were as as the vast ocean that rolled outside the broad windows A little thrill swept over her that this man was here but was he for one small moment the day before she had been in his arms but during the rest of the brief time she had known him he seemed a thousand miles away joans reverie was broken by the headwaiter who was spda speaking king to karl youre wanted on the telephone mr miller when he had gone eric strom smiled at her and leaned across the table you are very beautiful miss le land but I 1 suppose karl has told told you that his accent was much heavier than karls and joan found it difficult to understand A woman with green eyes is very rare did you know that joan forced a smile to her lips 1 I dont believe weve met before have we he shrugged shri aggedy 1 I am karls silent partner he need me to run the club others can do that by the way miss leland I 1 would woul d like to see you again sometime just the tha two of us her piquant face was white beneath the sophisticated veil she was afraid of this man im afraid it is impossible she replied sharply but eric strom was not displeased have a cigarette miss leland you may find that sometime we have no choice in such matters joan stared at him uncertainly what did he mean by that did everyone at the club elite talk in riddles first pauls inexplicable behavior n now ow eric stroms Strom sl I 1 wh what at would karl think if he knew that his par partner trier and his manager manader had both tried to make a date with h hi 10 secretary paul was young perl per I 1 haps high spirits had prompted his impudence but eric strom was another matter and joan decided to teu tell karl about it the moment they were alone she had no chance however for when karl returned to the table he said briefly something has come up well have to go back to the office the two men exchanged glan glances cei then looked at joan do you mind karl inquired with his quick smile id like to get a couple of letters out tonight I 1 know it in the bargain for bouto you to work on sunday she knew that she was power powerless leis to refuse him she would gladly have typed endless letters in order to be near him karl paid the check and the three of them left As they drove back to north beach sheets of rain beat upon the car the club elite was closed on sundays and karl unlocked the door with his own key joan was surprised to see a streak of light streaming from the door of his private office Hurry hurrying ingi along the corridor she reached it first and found herself face to face with paul sherman he grinned at her A manager never really has a day off 11 karl seemed to find nothing strange in his presence at the club bluh you dont happen to have some extra time do you miss leland paul inquired 1 I could use some help before she could answer karl miller said quickly she has enough to do paul and now if you dont mind he left his sentence unfinished surely paul grinned and sauntered to the door see you tomorrow he called back but his eyes were on joanann joan and she knew that he was thinking of the dinner date he had proposed she shook her head as she looked at him over her typewriter but paul ignored it karl removed his overcoat and sat down at his desk eric strom mixed himself a drink take a letter karl said reading I 1 ng from a sheet of yellow paper to A H gomez Maz atlan mexico dear sir I 1 am happy to report ahat that the situation you mentioned has been cleared up satisfactorily the club will be open from eight to two and shows every sign of being successful cess ful joan looked at him curiously this did not sound like an important busi ness bess letter to her certainly not soi so important thit that it wait until m orning morning seeing her glance karl said im afraid youre too tired I 1 have asked you to work tonight its all right she hastened to assure him 1 I dont mind really 11 but karl miller had changed his mind 1 I will call a taxi and send you home but im not tired karll he was dialing i a number and joan knew it was useless to argue with him he went to the door of the club with her pressing her ha hand nd as he said im sorry it had to turn out this way tonight well arrange something else soon joan shivered in the damp night air lis as she waited for foi the taxi A small coupe stopped suddenly before her with screaming brakes involuntarily joan stepped back surprised to see paul sherman what or you doing here alone he asked waiting for a taxi baxi ll 11 joan replied with dignity well jump in my giell paul ordered cheerfully he got out and opened the door of the car you may as well let me drive you home you can cani cam i stand herein here in the rain you know it did seem silly joan admitted climbing in but as paul started the car she cried 1 I left my purse in the office TO BE CONTINUED |