Show ED TU WB 1 l i t service copyright kathleen noarl J SYNOPSIS antoinette tatt taft twenty three attractive and a ambitious m bill ous but unable knabl 0 to hold a lob job 1 lives in a drab san francisco flat with her slater sister brenda and brother cliff who are older her seventeen year old ld brother bruce and their lunt aunt weir meg in her job hunting rounds she ehe interviews lawrence bellamy editor of tile journal of commerce tut finds he lias has no lito place for it i woman writer she 11 likes kes him very as she tells brenda later lies iles a stunning young thing as tall as cliff not much moro more than thirty I 1 think thinie and very much tile llo gentleman it As the sisters talk diffident barney kerr drops in asking eliere here cliff la is CHAPTER II 11 Con continued linued 2 tony brenda and alarney I 1 ardicy ar ricy sat on oil lazily idly at the wide opened window in an the dint dim light bruce I 1 ruce was snoring audibly on the couch conch we can have a light it theres any purpose in it tony observed oll served wo no I 1 have to go barney said slot not stirring 1 I wonder why were all so 0 tired tool tonight glit lie asked after a apace oh we sold the izaak walton Walt 6 prenda remembered to announce sud slid renly dr talbot bought it 1 I thank you for all tile the first editions edil lons that ever were tony remarked this observation was per knitted to die away into silence then barney asked what took cliff to sac punched tile the switchboard k wrong for the stock tiling tony st elated at ed indifferently f who said so barneys barneis Bar words were like bullets ballots clift cliff did lie he say i well if aou nu must know barney I 1 arney cliff was shaving tills this morning and mr ridley telephoned cliffs first speech kas vas the heill then he rushed out like a fire wagon and the next thing knew lie he had telephoned that he be was iff iff for sacramento ill bet you it was all right when ile e got there barney said after afler bought was that bad barney i anxiously parting darling old bondy bendy rony anny th thought might she had had so much niety mavety in her eight years oh kinder 1 was it was it cliffs fault it was all our faults I 1 guess we ave ild id the drawings it seems tony volunteered that ljay aey nin tid this marble slab to stand ip vertically as it were and it was ut to ife HP down sidewise and they ther aid have to take out a piece of rail pall in the basement i who said so barney I 1 arency asked biked in be ie explosive incredulous manner tx ho lad ind used before i well that was it that was the rouble except for repenting repeating under his reath cliffords own expletive barcy ay made no comment on this there MS silence again see bellamy on lie he journal tony lie ho asked yes I 1 did tills this morning netting ng crime came of it i 11 ila a ba barney ejaculated and at his ne she felt her ber cheeks checks nasli in the gadows it was its as if barney felt imgolf personally charged with the of getting tony taft who gho ed ad lost so many lobs jobs in the past few ears cars still another what was it that sour aunt sally J id d in mind hp at home when I 1 telf nned so I 1 dont know tony said it was none of his liusa ss whether she was working or lie let hiss grace in our office offee Is goinz going i marry jay klunker KlI nIcer barney said ter a moment ashes not anch a art girl but we all feel ba badly to eve ve her go tor for one thing ashes alays on time the voice that he 31 d been trying to keep very casual er his pipe took on a slightly sen nole 1 I think darnel darned he went on being on me dependable and then ashes a bartly dressed girl irl neat men bien like omen in offices to be neat look nice lien ben it another rinther thing yon vou never hear lr er quiet all the girls like her but lores leres none of this giggling and whispering h 1 I loathe you yon you yon smug pig tony lid id pleasantly in her henrt heart as he used who are you yon to rub it into ie e that I 1 dont get to to the office on me ime and that my clothes are shabby C loathe and despise you an smoking inking pere re and feeling so go sure of yourself pd d if you yon had forty thousand a week marry you under chloro irrol rut I 1 aloud slie she said nothing and the rain igan to spatter and whisper in the lie rk irk again barney said for the third ne e gosh cosh ive got to go and this ne e did go with a little doorway mur ring to brenda and a casual ight tony to the younger girl after a while brenda said bald feel raully bad about that journal job day inyl ko tony answered readily but in tone one go low that the other oilier girl knew c was holding it 1 steady not so uch oft about that but oh I 1 doot dont ow low till the whole thing other per rs B get into the hie work they like and y paid bald for it and make good I 1 seem to have hare to do everything I 1 hate bookkeeping jobs in stores companion to crazy old ladies in love with their leaching in private schools that go hust owing me a hundred and twenty menty dollars dollar sl it would seem that I 1 cant do nhat I 1 want to do and I 1 late hate to do whit int I 1 she laughed presently resuming on a less impatient note 1 I hate to do hait cihat I 1 have to do do she said mildly 1 I hate office work bondy it if it were the lie stige stage or a newspaper or dollia doin anything in tile lie movies id work like it a do cut but just to go downtown tomorrow and get a job taking letters front from young youn pip squeaks who ho lie hie remotest idea what ill talking Ing about alfont and hang my coat clit in a locker and go to a cafeteria fur for lunch anil and go ori with it brenda for ehtee years and five bears airs and ten find and twenty it scares me neier neer drudge along in nil an office tor for twenty joics or for alvel brenda 1 l in a troubled A olce you have tony thought aloud she said nothing mirry marry said tony could feel fec l her cheeks checks flush resentfully maebo barney brenda went on boldly 1 I dont think he be bainey tony ans answered ered moderately 1 I wish visit she went on tier her tone warming 1 I binish you could haie heard card tile the nice dice little sermon he was just preaching to me barneys barneis Bar so autra outrageously bously stuck on himself himsel ft 1 tony interpolated resentfully about being on time at the office and dressing smartly lie ile ile he did there was a silence it only means that lies hes in love with you lies iles to in love with will barney kerr who hes in love with I 1 no honestly tony barney so conceited nut but lie he likes you so much that lie he worries about you lio bo nestly it any man can ask any girl tony observed after thought lles lies never said anything not on a hundred and fifty a month with a mother like his iles hes leally in love with fit the whole family and nil I 1 dont blame him when finhen aou ou look at the family lies hes got tony said lies iles lonely and lie he likes our food and lie he can talk about 0 oil 11 circuit breakers bre ahers and pole top whatnots with ith cliff and all is to it tony crenda brenda began as tony fell silent would you like him to ask you to m murry rry him alra yes tony answered without hesitation so that I 1 could refuse him brenda Il lend laughed lau glied lies hes too smart to risk that she said in some ways hes much wiser than cliff cut but anyone seeing the way he watches you tony and worries about your affairs and well even in this giving advice this evening anyone can see that hes thinking of you all tile the time and I 1 know this brenda went on seriously 1 I know elou enough il of human nature to know that the minute a man like that marries a woman she slie she becomes sacred be completely spoiled every al N a marry brenda said tiling you did would be wonderful would be perfect to barney 1 and if you ever had a child said brenda well I 1 can ima imagine ine the st joseph airs that barney would put out on nobody could stand him blint I 1 tony laughed not displeased with the turn the conversation had taken she knew that it was true barney did take himself and his profession seriously but lie took his big relationship to tony seriously too 1 I could marry barney she said thoughtfully reluctantly but it would just be a marriage brenda she burst out after a pause it il would just beoh be oh a little apartment somewhere and being nice to mrs airs kerr herr and agreeing with her that there never was a son eon like barney they cant cadt te seven nil minutes Dutes together without quarreling ng but neither here nor therel there I 1 aunt lie ile pleased and I 1 suppose you would bo be cut but why should you want me to t get married 1 I want aou ou to be happy 1 I ile be and once youre sou cant get out 1 I daresay lla its quite different though once youre in tony was silent cut but why not lir barney ney the older sister persisted lightly cliff loves him we nil all do weve known him nil our lives in the first place lie he in love ill me n tony said in 11 ho second 0 soc im not in the least in love lith him and I 1 never con could be and at that slip added honestly 1 I think he wants nn nip has it in ills his mind anyway that we will marry some lay day and I 1 belleve believe I 1 could marry him and make him a darned good wife r nut ut theres no no flame to that brenda toiv finIsh finished pd in a low tone theres no glory it if I 1 were successful at something its as bighead nurse or a reporter or a photographer or a lecturer be different id marry with with style then id reel feel that id been a success at one thin thing and would lie he at another rut put if I 1 mairi mairice cl barney now be a harbor arid hed know it ill be just just taking inking care of poor wild tony who tried for the stags stage and the newspapers and was fired and snubbed till all round and who finally realized that a womans comans truest role Is that of a wife and mother she stopped her ter voice thickening it is the happiest life brenda offered in a slow voice with notes of pain in it it if you love lobe a man that is she added ali ah but you yon see I 1 dont tony said 1 I know the real thing when I 1 meet it in that newspaper office today down nt at the journal rooms I 1 mean I 1 met a man she stopped presently she resumed again a little shamefacedly think im an absolute fool if I 1 say that something something flashed between us between this mr bellamy upon whom id never set eyes in my life before and me that was nearer nearer love than anything barneys barneis Bar ever made me feel lie ile hall had only to look at me to make nu nil feel silly and cold and shuddery you know that wonder wonderful rul feeling that youre bolog all to pieces and dont care 1 I dont know said brenda laughing in sudden relief and I 1 do think youre silly idiotic it if you ask me what do you know of this man nothing admired tony laughing too except that lies somewhere around thirty and married Alar married ried yes of course he would be but bat that love tony well mabe it but its something thing something a girl wants to have before she gives ln in brenda just the shape of ills his mouth its quite hard lind and large and the look in his eye he looks up and smiles nt at you quite a while after hes bes finished speaking antoinette taft 1 I know I 1 know how it sounds I 1 dmit admit that its supremely silly I 1 only used it as an illustration what on oil earth she said the last words on an odd note of fright for the telephone was shrilly ringing she ran out in the narrow hall bren das face was a study in varied emotions as she listened to the conversation that wits was by turns puzzled awed excited rapturous oh bendy bondy bendy gasped tony rushing back to tall fall at her st bisters knees and clutch at her dramatically its tin fill vall sonie sir air greenwood of the call I 1 dendy bendy lie wanted to see me tonight im to see him at two tomorrow I 1 lie ile wanted me to come down right now twenty five a week twenty five a week and im to try the society column I 1 oh bendy help me wont you I 1 mean with the people who come into the store I 1 I 1 mean getting engagements and parties and everything oh bendy he sounded so nice I 1 ile he said bo be was out of ills his senses trying to get someone and I 1 said I 1 come down tonight what Is it aunt hero here interpolated terpo dazedly from her doorway CHAT blown and pale and tired was in the hall doorway all the shooting about lie he said tony enlightened them ecstatically oh CHIT just ns as I 1 was despairing id been to the journal today and there seem a chance just as I 1 was waa despairing this mr greenwood telephoned from the call and he wants me to gather up all the news I 1 can and begin tomorrow and twenty five a week Clif clatl rl something like cliff said with his slow smile and cliff you know I 1 can do it chattered tony you know I 1 can bendy beady I 1 aunt sallylu Sal Sall lyli help me anil and mrs terry I 1 want to go down now and clinch it clifford asked oil oh cliff CHIT could we wel he really did want to see me because tomorrows the day he usually has orr off and he said bald ill id have to scout arong 4 and dig die up op a lot of mush for the sunday pagel ile he sounded so cutel cute tony said in a rush get your hat on sald said cliff 1 I know a man named burke who works on the sports section well go down 11 you angel I 1 tony called back lying flying in into her room to change brenda smiled nt at her oldest brother ashes two gails crenda brenda said she was down and out five minutes ag ago go no hope anywhere any iNhere ashes been telling me what a failure she is Pal failure lure shush I 1 ashes only awen ty three cliff was it lighting biting a cl cigarette a illoyd it go in sacramento darling oil oh I 1 think I 1 batched the switchboard all right however we think we can work nork out of it it cliff put on his bis lamp damp overcoat again as tony came out radiant and fresh in her dark blue coat and small hat and they went ent away together CHAPTER III its so much easier to go in there with you along dirt cliff tony said when they had left the street car and made a net met run for the lighted doorway of the big newspaper building sure lie he said 1 I hope burkes there ile he aly not be though the elevator flashed up past floors that were dark and deserted at eleven at night they stepped out at the fourteenth floor everything was brightly animated and exciting ex elting here and tony looked about her with avid interest at the glass top doors that were opening and shutting continually upon seething inner apartments A quiet girl irl at a telephone switchboard looked up 11 mr greenwood the girl repeated the name cautiously into a black rubber mouthpiece theres a miss taft to see you here sitting back she said you can go right in its room IS 13 tony followed her brother dazedly lore was room IS 18 with city room lettered in black on the door and charles greenwood set modestly in a corner below it cliff CHIT opened the door and tony had her first look at the city room it angled the entire width of the building on two sides the third side she was presently to learn was the sunday paper department and the fourth was variously divided by the library the flies files the phot photographers ogra pliers lairs down below were the business offices imposing in heavy chairs and eucalyptus paneling tip here everything was confusion disorder haste the instant her nostrils caught tile the first scout scent of it she knew that she belonged here that this was her world her battlefield her first love men were everywhere shouting smoking typewriters were clicking there was a ripping sound as paper was nas turn front from them there was a constant eccentric chatter or of a telegraph machine from the wide littered desk marked associated press tony saw men wearing green eye shades eye eyeglasses glassed men saw one very handsome big dark fellow scolding away about something to an older man at a corner desk mr air charles greenwood was a dark little 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