Show AM win mak S jl P y y SYLVIA TAYLOR w TUB THE STOR V SO PAR fart joan leland eland ratty pretty secretary to arthur mulford san francisco importer li is amazed and nil angry when hen lit he unexpectedly discharges discharge her with two weeks salary and refuses to give chiv any explanation tor for th tha act tho jaa bewildered girl arrives arrive at the studio apartment shared bared with her sister liter sybil elliet elli it thankful that one of 0 them still bai a position only to be told by her bar sister that mat the beauty salon alon where the she 1 Is employed Is I 1 closing up op reading the be want ads ad that evening joan decides to answer one calling for a secretary lecreta ry willing to put iut la in some ome night hours hour over the protests prot eita of sybil she goes goei to the address given and finds it to be a new night club the ns handsome proprietor karl miller engages engage her at once at fifty dollars dollar a week considering the on usual hours houn now continue with the story CHAPTER II 11 just a minute miss leland ill give you two weeks salary in advance joan colored did mr miller think she needed money it wont be necessary he laughed you will find that I 1 do business in my own way it is quite customary for me to pay my employees in advance she felt embarrassed and rebuffed as he wrote out a check and handed it to her but she said quietly thank you very much mr miller he opened the door for her and their hands touched on the knob blue eyes gazed into green he was very close to her ill expect you tomorrow the then rip she felt a personal significance in each of these unimportant words good night mr millera Mil lerl 11 good night miss leland again she noticed the soft thick accent the trick of speaking without moving the lips ile he was still smiling as she closed the door it was almost eleven when joan arrived home you said telephone sybil reminded her what happened without removing hat or coat joan sank down before the fire 1 I got the job all right syb its a night club A man named karl miller you dont seem very excited sybil commented hes the most interesting man ive ever seen joan said softly what goes on sybil exploded have you lost mind joan rose rose and laughed shakily sorry sybl sybi anyway I 1 have ajob a job starting tomorrow and the salary is fifty dollars a week fifty dollars a geeki sybil frowned theres something wrong with this picture I 1 too good a salary for a job without a reference I 1 dont like it joan this karl miller like joan yawned dawned and went into the bedroom take it easy dar darling lingl 1 no doubt he is all right come on to bed syb lets not argue about it tonight sybil opened the windows to the screaming wail of foghorns fog horns what are your hours 1 I dont have to be there until two and I 1 work until around midnight joan im not going to let you take that job theres something phoney about it joan pulled the covers up over her chin her hair spilled like liquid jet over the white pillow case it will be fun working at a night club im almost glad that mr mulford fired me sybil wound the last golden curl on a bobby pin and tied a net over her hair youre getting into something I 1 have a feeling at least I 1 wont be bored you know syb ive always wanted to have something exciting happen to me something like karl miller sybil questioned shrewdly Per perhaps hapst I 1 sybil snapped off the light dont be foolish joan I 1 you possibly be in love with a man youve met only once join joan smiled in the darkness why not because that lovel level it if ever really been inlove in love know the difference maybe I 1 already know the difference joan thought remembering a pair of shrewd blue eyes infatuation and love are two different things sybila voice cut through the darkness but joan was hearing another voice a voice that put intimacy into the most commonplace words as it said ill expect you tomorrow but sybil lay awake shivering in spite odthe of the warm covers wondering almost afraid of a tomorrow that might be fraught with sinister significance a significance she felt and mistrusted 0 givians gic q joans ians first day as karl millers secretary was uneventful the club elite was in the hands of oL painters and decorators who made so much noise and confusion that it penetrated even to the inner office from two to five joan worked harder than ever before in her life karl was particular ho he watched every move she made lie he scrutinized each letter she typed with a quick sweep of his blue eyes his very presence made madd joan nervous 1 I want you to memorize every name in this book hebold he told her indicating di a small leather volume 1 I speak to no one in person or over the ahe telephone unless the name is here you understand dayo youre ure working for the boss he reminded her smiling vp tl see that were through early he took a red carnation from the vase on the desk broke the stem and inserted the flower in his buttonhole ton hole but his eyes dyes did not miss the flicker of expression that crossed joans face when she opened the book and came to the name of arthur mulford 1 I told you I 1 have been in the importing business I 1 knew your former boss yes mr miller joan was too good a secretary to question his word she turned back to her typewriter it was almost six before karl said all right joan you may go how now you dont have to be back until eight thirty the unexpected use of her first name sent a thrill of anticipation through the girl she paused a moment before she opened the door hoping that he would say something else but karl turned and began talking over the telephone 1 I must be crazy joan told hers her s self as she hurried down the long corridor he any more interest in me than it if I 1 were part of the furniture she had dinner at a small restaurant sipping hot coffee gratefully she remembered with a wry smile that sybil was worried about her salary she could understand now why karl thought the job lasworth was worth fifty dollars a she was as tired already as if she had put in afuli day she lingered over her dessert and walked slowly back to work paus ing on the way to look in the shop windows but she could not fill up two hours and a half and it was only a few minutes before eight when she pushed open the thedoor door of the club elite an orchestra was rehearsing in the dimly lit salon karl miller sat on one of the gilt chairs listening his keen eyes spotted joan instantly sit down he directed what do you think of the band it sounds grand she felt the old sensation of self consciousness what was this peculiar excite excitement men i t that seized her whenever he smiled at her Is anything wrong joan he was so sd sure of himself so smooth it made her feel like a schoolgirl she felt positive that he knew the emotions that were abre racing through her heart positive that he knew the attraction he had for her Not nothing hingl I 1 why should there be he laughed then throwing back his head but the laughter made her angry td id better get back to work she said theres a lot to do he caught ce aught her hand as she rose ros e how would you like liki to ta go dancing with me friday night his proposal took her by complete surprise why mr miller id love to he released her hand 1 I would prefer that you call me karl all right karl but what about working friday night I 1 youre working for the boss he reminded her smiling ill see that were through eat early ly ft joan did not tell sybil about her date until il the time came her sister did not approve going out with the boss never works sybil insisted stubbornly Hon honestly estl y joan I 1 dont know come over you youre I 1 re not using your head at an all theres something tunny funny about this whole business and this mani lets not go over it again joan said ha happily 1 when you see karl kari miller you understand why im so crazy about him sybil sat down on the bed and watched her sister apply makeup make up it if hes opening the club tomorrow why is he running around tonight why he in the office taking care of things chati his business it look syb will you light the flie fire in the living room I 1 want everything to look nice nice and czyl sniffed sybil okay but dont think im going to be the retiring sister and stay in the bedroom im going to be right there to meet him joan slipped into the new black velvet dinner din ner dress she had purchased before she knew karl miller she had been saving it for an occasion like this the square neck was provocatively cut the sleeves long and tight she had drawn her smooth black hair over her ears and coiled it in a low low knot at the nape of her white neck look syb 11 joan begged may I 1 use a little of your perfume sybil thrust the bottle at her ungraciously that dress makes you look ten years older joan joan was not to be ruffled after all darling you cant expect me to run around in pink tulle all my life and karl must be all of thirty five she added thoughtfully all ali of forty snapped sybil you have no business running around with a man twice your age skip it please sybill sybil karl miller put an end to the argument by pressing his finger on the doorbell joan new flew to meet him she was proud of him his charming magneri man manners neri his impeccable evening clothes his smooth indifferent chatter as he talked pleasantly to sybil while joan got her wrap but she knew from her sisters cold good night that she was not favorably impressed 1 1 karl knew it too I dont thins 4 your sister likes me he said al ai he helped joan into his car perhaps she thinks I 1 am too old fot to you his uncanny accuracy embarrassed joan sybila Sy bils been married marrie ij and divorced ashes not very irist ing when it comes to dineh men and you joan do you trust men some men joan joad replied hoping that she sounded careless they went to a night club 1 I could use a few pointers karl told her since im new to this kind of business a A hawaiian orchestra played under soft rosy lights karl was a superb dancer surprisingly light on his feet for such a heavily built man hes like tempered steel joan thought everything about him voice expression slon strength he held ar her espres kightly I 1 ghaly but joan felt Ahat that she could not have broken away from him had she tried 1 I have news for you hebald he said suddenly suddenly denly your former employer mr mulford Mul tord has gone out of business no doubt that is why he ha let 1 you go but impossible joan cried in surprise when I 1 called the office three days ago he had hired a new secretary why would he do that if he were closing the office karl miller did not smile you are quite a little detective joan laughed id like to be one im afraid im an adventuresome soul in spite of the unexciting life ive led perhaps your life will become more exciting as it goes on 1 I hope it does joan said recklessly 1 I am quite sure karl miller said bald tonelessly that it will what was it about abou thim him that drew and held her interest his face ace which showed her a thousand men in one varied moods hardia hardness ess coldness irritation and amusement lie he was obviously a man of the world a world that joan had never known dont think too much joan karl advised her gently 1 I have found that it seldom pays it was a strange evening gay yet restrained by the undercurrents under currents that baffled and disturbed joan afterward looking back on Ws this evening she could understand many things but at the time being eitl 1 karl was all that mattered feeling the touch of his arms as they danced looking into his eyes as he raised his glass hearing his charming voice blending into the wail wag of hawaiian music guitars gentle bass soft drums the quartette from honolulu that droned dronek chants into their ears he paid her many compliments 11 1 I like your hair that way here he remarked it makes you look quite foreign and much older my sister liwe like it if lit at all she has an idea that im still a little girl his eyes swept the figure in it its black velvet sheath really I 1 am afraid that your sister and I 1 W bould auld tot pot agree TO BE CONTINUED j |