| Show SATURDAY AFTERNOON OFF By Dy WILLIS VILLIS BRINDLEY Copyright Service T WAS spring IT I The bobolinks were the boarding house keepers had begun to substitute rhubarb for prunes corner dairy dai lunches fea fen featured featured for fifteen cents a hunk con con- concoctions concoctions concoctions composed of twin tv n slabs of cake saccharinely plastered and topped with three halved strawberries ries Bessie Button of the office forge forpe for e of the Ne Plus Ultra Washing Machine corporation had a new hat with flowers on it and had made a deposit on a spring suit But the heart of Bessie Button did not sing in harmony with the glad note of the bobolink the break break- breakfast breakfast breakfast fast rhubarb tasted sour the syn syn- synthetic synthetic synthetic shortcake held for her no gus gus- gustatory gustatory gustatory charm chann and the flowered hat reflected in a draped dark-draped shop win win- window window window dow seemed to her a tawdry thing For this was Wednesday and on I Saturday there would be the annual I picnic and dance of the Columbia I Pleasure club at Fortuna park and Bessie Button could not go True nobody had asked her but equally true plenty would per per- perhaps perhaps haps even Harvey Overland For four days now she had kept other young men away to give Harvey Overland a free field because other things being equal it is nicer to go goto goto goto to a picnic and dance in a wire- wire wheeled balloon tired business coupe alone with one young man manthan manthan manthan than in a bumpy bus with many young men and their companions There have been cases authentically authentically authentically verified cases where paying tellers like Harvey Overland have actually actually on on the way home home sug sug suggested a new hat and suit suit suit- He just wont won't stand for it Hat- Hat Hattie Hattie Hattie tie Anderson broke in on Bessie's dream We went to see him a committee just after he saw that big order Joe Steele sent in and he just wouldn't stand for it it We told him here was spring and all and the other companies all give Saturday afternoon off and he just smiled and shook his head and then he made a big speech all about his struggles to make the Ne Plus Ultra leader in the washing machine busi busi- business business business ness and how he had made a con con- concession concession concession cession by giving half halt the force the afternoon off each Saturday and that ought to be enough and and oh oh well its it's my afternoon ofT off and Peter asked me Its mine on Maybe you can switch with somebody But Bessie Button shook her head Fat chance when the Columbia Pleasure clubs club's annual is on Any Any- Anyway Anyway way I owe two Saturdays already She tackled her invoices then Even in a cruel world one must work Of course if Harvey Over Over- Overland Overland Overland land didn't ask her it wouldn't be beso beso beso so bad but if he did did did- She answered the ring of the tele tele- telephone telephone telephone phone at her elbow with a sad good morning Mr Greer general man man- manager manager manager ager of the Ne Plus Ultra appeared suddenly at her side Mr Greer did not approve of telephone conversa conversa- conversations conversations conversations during office hours Oh she should bother Oh not very well said Bessie Button into the receiver and then dont don't know know- Youre You're Oh I quite a kidder arent aren't you you you- well veil you haven't tried so much lately lately- well Ive I've picked one out out out- Mr Greer squirmed and coughed but what he heard next was not the idle drone but staccato cres cres- crescendo crescendo crescendo cendo Thank you Mr Overland but it will be impossible for me to go with you on Saturday afternoon aft be be- because because because cause I cant can't get the afternoon ofT ofT- Yes lunch will be all right but there is absolutely no chance for Sat Sat- Saturday Saturday Saturday afternoon Goo Mr Greer coughed and this time she turned to him Is it so very important asked Mr Greer Very said Bessie Button heres that big invoice Mr Greer took the big invoice and left with no further word Miss Button very angry tackled another invoice and a second and third but butas butas as ns she worked she thought not of invoices but of Saturday afternoon oft off and ond Mr Greer And it came over her finally that Mr Greer was probably not exactly happy in the stand he had taken with reference to Saturday afternoon off ofT Not that she forgave him at all but just the same a man in his position position- Going to the industrial exposi exposi- exposition exposition Mr Greers Greer's voice sounded clear above the clack of ers Be there the rest of the day Bessie Buttons Button's forehead puck puck- puckered puckered puckered ered and then she smiled and slipped another invoice form into her typewriter It was the practice of Mr Greer whenever a Ne Plus Ultra machine was engaged in a public demonstration tion to mingle incognito with the interested crowd that always stood stand before the display booth and from chance remarks he frequently picked up selling pointers or learned of small objections to the machine which could be overcome by a l slight change in its Ita design Upon this particular afternoon he was attracted by a Q single man a ayoung young loung man who stood on the fringe of the crowd watching the machine from rom the vantage of his six feet tee two He lie was a prosperous looking youngster in a fawn colored hat and spring overcoat and Mr Greer sidled up to him and engaged him himin himin in hi conversation Looks like quite a machine ventured the incognito manager It is said the young man I know something about mechanics and this really is a l good machine Good management too too that that man Greers Greer's a wonder Mr Greer looked around and sat sat- satisfying satisfying satisfying himself that he was among strangers angled for a personal tribute Do you know Greer What kind of a man is he No I dont don't know him personally but Ive I've heard a good deal about him Fine man big man in the business progressive and honest but but but- butHe He paused But what Well just a little old fashioned about some things Takes a con con- constitutional constitutional constitutional before breakfast instead of playing golf keeps half his force every Saturday afternoon just afternoon just lit lit- little little little tle things like that Well Ive I've got gotto gotto gotto to be getting on Mr Greer flushed It had not been quite so pleasant as he had expected He wondered if he were really getting a bit old Time perhaps to switch from the ready-mades ready to an avenue tailor Maybe he had better try golf since everybody else was doing it and he would be bound to make congenial acquaintances It would mean of course that he would have to take Saturday afternoon off ofT and it would be hard to keep the force at work even half of them in the face of this example But take it all in all all all- lie He appeared at the office sudden sudden- suddenly ly just at closing time and called the force into his office I have decided to change my ruling regarding Saturday afternoon off ofT During the summer months and perhaps also during the winter if it works out all right we will close at noon on Saturday provided only that all work is up to date at closing time It was spring The bobolinks were Bessie Button stuffed with syn syn- synthetic synthetic synthetic shortcake attired in a new spring suit a flowered hat above her bobbed head stood at the curb beside the office of the Ne Plus Ultra Washing Machine cor cor- Mr Greer general man man- manager manager manager ager of the Ne Plus Ultra emerged from the office toting golf sticks in ina ina a new bag and then stood beside her craning up the street to see if his automobile was coming Bes Bes- Bessie Bessie Bessie sie Button craned likewise and hers came first It was a avire wire vire wheeled balloon tired business coupe and the young man who pulled up at the curb and climbed out wore a fawn colored overcoat and fawn-colored fawn hat which latter he doffed as he assisted Miss Button into the car And then for the first time he seemed to notice Mr Greer Well well we meet again he said heartily Taking up golf I see Great stuff when you have Sat Sat- Saturday Saturday Saturday afternoons ofT off He let her into lew low then and the car moved on smoothly and Mr Greer on the curb saw through the rear windows of the coupe the neat neat- neatly neatly neatly ly clad shoulders of a young woman which quite evidently shook to the tempo of a delighted giggle |
