Show THE CORNER I BANDBOX BETTY BETTYy By y MARY TAY KEMPE CHEATHAM EAT shimmered from the downtown downtown downtown down down- HEAT town pavements Torrid light lightell fell ell in bars through the Venetian blinds in Mr Humphreys' Humphreys private office carrying with it a coppery odor like that of a penny clutched too long in a perspiring palm It was a hot day all right and the city lay panting under the noonday sun Leave the door open Miss Barclay Barclay Barclay Bar Bar- clay called Mr Humphreys as Betty returned from lunch Let the theair theair theair 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 Humphres said the same thing every summer She laid her gloves and white purse neatly away in the bottom desk drawer and sat down at the typewriter With her blonde hair hah sleek and smooth and her pale palee green e n dress miraculously ri kled she looked as cool COO and ana fresh as an iced limeade How do you do it Miss Barclay marveled Mr Humphreys entering the cubicle of an outer office where she sat as secretary and receptionist 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 Bettys Betty's desk set the fan on it plugged inthe in inthe inthe the cord and returned to his own large desk through the open door marked Private Betty gazed doubtfully at the fan whirring away on the chair before her She anchored the fluttering papers papers papers pa pa- pers on her desk with paperweights and with a little frown of annoyance annoyance annoyance annoy annoy- ance smoothed back the tendrils of hair which were beginning to blow loose from the bun at the nape of her neck She caught Mr Humphreys Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hum- looking at her and smiled After all Mr Humphreys was the boss If he wanted to go around putting electric fans on chairs it was nn no nn i. i Dullness CC o nf ni f h ners e rs An A nU y wa y was nn no Dullness o ners e rs y wa y V was vas i no ui UJ U I w 3 Mr Humphreys was nice Nice and quite quite happily married They were all quite happily married married marred mar mar- ried red thought Betty with a sigh as she began on her transcription All the really nice members of the office office office of of- fice force in the other departments all the nicest salesmen That business business business busi busi- ness of romance in an office was just something you read about in magazines Is Mr Humphreys in i a She looked up as a tall broad- broad shouldered red haired young manx mant man x t strolled toward her desk and thrust J a business card into her hand Before Bei Before Be Be- i fore she knew what was happening he be had pulled up his trouser legs slightly to preserve their meticulous crease crease and had begun to assume a sitting position over the whirring fan Dont sit down Betty shrieked simultaneously with Mr Humphreys' Humphreys shout The young man catapulted away from the chair as though a bomb suddenly had sprung from the fan blades Backed against Bettys Betty's desk he stared then grinned Mr 1 Humphreys flown lawn to the rescue was mopping his brow again but not from heat That he said shakily was a narrow escape He disconnected the I fan and stood bewilderedly holding it iL itHer Her composure regained now that Si catastrophe had been averted Betty I became once more all roof efficiency She glanced at the card She chuckled She could not help it Would you she asked have had coverage for THAT The card read John J. J Thomas t s Insurance f The young man chuckled too I came here he remarked to Uto talk to Mr Humphreys about accident insurance Sure sure murmured Mr r. r Humphreys Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hum- still shaken Come right in Have one of the boys put that thing on a bracket for you he said to Betty indicating the fan When they emerged from Mr I Humphreys' Humphreys sanctum John Thomas had a pleased expression on his face and no doubt a policy in the bag bagIt It uIt was really her fault you know he remarked to Mr Humphreys Humphreys Humphreys Hum Hum- loitering at the door She looked so cool I didn't even see that chair Miss Barclay always looks coolin coolin cool coolin in summer said Mr Humphreys proudly and neat all the year round Like she's just stepp stepped d out of a bandbox John continued She had a number of dates r ith I John their then tempo always smooth and pleasant Her work suffered no misplaced commas Mr Humphreys was happy John seemed happy and Betty was almost happy Only that Only that was all that ever happened Never once had John attempted to kiss her or even hold her hand He was she concluded finally a confirmed bachelor Just as I she thought poking savagely at the typewriter keys am ama a confirmed old maid It was a Saturday almost noon quitting time John had not called and the future suddenly became a whole series of f weary calendar pages neatly torn 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 going on a picnic It was amazing how v his red hair could brighten up the day Betty was happily in the car before she even noticed his female compan compan- ion Oh she gasped For there huddled between John and a bulging bulging bulging ing picnic basket was a startling apparition a little girl with freckles wide blue eyes and th the same red hair r A i JA- JA JAdye dye I ID o D IV I V 0 7 Muggsy l gave gaye her a broad grin the more effective for three missing I I teeth Youre pretty she said I HI like you you i Betty flushed Hushed She had had the expression applied to her before Since her first days with the company company company com com- pany she knew she had been familiarly familiarly familiarly fa fa- fa- fa referred to by the other employees as Bandbox Betty but it was disconcerting to be discussed in this fashion The least she can do he teased is give me me a dinner date fair enough echoed Mr Humphreys if its it's all right with I Miss Barclay Well conceded Betty but I warn you I have all the insurance I need Dinner with John Thomas was distinctly pleasant It was cool in inthe inthe inthe the Orchid room and the table appointments appointments appointments ap ap- ap- ap were perfect The floorshow floorshow floor 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 on a chair Not a hair out of place John commented studying her across the table They drill it into you countered Betty at secretarial school White collars tidy fingernails all that ILL BET John said suddenly eyes twinkling YOU WOULDN'T EVEN GET MUSSED AT A PICNIC PICNIC PICNIC PIC PIC- NIC They parted early for as Betty pointed out a good secretary had to have plenty of rest Besides there was the usual routine of washing hose and gloves cleaning shoes and purse doing her nails and pressing a dress for tomorrow Relax smiled John Muggsy is just my niece Every year about this time I take her on a picnic Oh said Betty again uncertainly uncertain uncertain- ly Muggsy gave her a broad grin the more effective for three missing teeth Youre pretty she said I like you She climbed into Bettys Betty's lap and settled herself with a comfortable 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 de de- de- de light Cn I wade Uncle John cn I wade she called casting of off shoes and socks and stepping into the creek Im going to look for crawdads she declared peering stealthily under rocks in the shallow stream now and then letting her dress tail dribble in hi the water Betty was gazing into a pocket mirror trying to smooth her hair hah Come help me John called piling twigs in a little rock fireplace You unpack the lunch while I build a afire afire afire fire to make the coffee and broil the steaks I The fire smoked ashes fell into ff f h h 1 d' d stir t k 1 f k I the IUt co ee t me Ul e c acre CU SUCK U r. zones or 1 s 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 sensation sensation sen sen- crept behind Bettys Betty's eyelids as she recalled Johns John's admiring words ILL BET YOU WOULDN'T EVEN GET MUSSED AT A PICNIC 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 on onto onto onto to an amusement park where Muggsy wanted to ride a roller coaster Betty shuddered She hated 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 of shavings from the amusement park grounds she had a run in her hose and her face was smudged and amI 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 fiercely fierce fierce- ly before all the people in the amusement park with Muggsy giggling giggling giggling gig gig- gling at them both Everything seemed to fade away as she kissed back That he breathed is more like it it I OIl couldn't have stood it he said to have you respond with nothing but a neat little peck |