Show hard to tell by MARY MARSH 0 by mcclure lire duew newspaper syndicate W N sepa IT IUD been a dull executives meeting mr stewart the president ol of the concern concern wis was going to europe ano and mr air stone of the chicago office wair wa coming to take his place at the new york fork office the meeting had been called to make final arrangements arrangements which it seemed to kodney could have been made as welt well without his presence but when the six other executives were making their departure from mr stewarts office mr air stewart stop stopped pet rodney placed tt it fatherly hand on the young youn g mans shoulder and asked him to wait there Is something I 1 want you to do something simple ample but very important began mr stewart 1 I have the greatest respect for mr stone and know that his coming bereday be here remay may be fraught with many inconveniences and anxieties now 1 mr stewart hesitated and then plunged ahead its about miss it would be a trifle difficult tor for me y you ou ia see ashes an excellent young woman and invaluable miss drew knows so much about the business we possibly have h her er go she Is to be mr stones secretary im used to her but miss drew Is well rather P yes res agreed blaine calling to view the snapping black eyes and vigorous waving black hair of mr stewarts Vs secretary she Is a trifle quite so I 1 dont mind it now though I 1 must confess she rather upset me at first and of course if she becomes really annoyed at anyone t imagine that she would be a real tartar just suggest that as mr stone Is E a L stranger a n g e r she might treat him with em tr g gentleness ae n e s s we decided before you yott got to the meeting that some one would better suggest this to her ano and for reasons we decided that you would best be able to do it this was the hardest assignment that blaine had ever had in his association c with mr stewart fc rodney had never taken much notice of her before but now he deliberately studied her face and her carriage when she was not looking he had made up his mind that the only way to go about it was to become friendly with her to get her confidence and then to make art an honest breast of the matter he was unsuccessful in the usual wedge of an invitation to luncheon so he ha sought to make the acquaintances of those who knew miss bliss drew socially he would meet her after working hours and thus show his finesse meantime mr stewart had sailed and mr stone had come to take his place mr stone who proved to be a blond young giant who accomplished twice as much as mr stewart something possibly the long hours and the strenuous business methods of mr stone very decidedly softened the edge of miss drews sharp temper her darte dark eyes snapped less fire now and the wavy black hair that seemed to typify her high spirited nature seemed to wave more softly to her fam face three months had passed and it was the eve of mr stewarts return rod eod ney blaine had done his best ile he had never fallen down on an assignment afore and he had not had his little talk with miss drew simply because bec she had never given him an opportunity rodney was the first of the firm to see mr stewart after his return home and after a very brief discussion of business interests mr stewart brought brought up the subject that was waa apparently uppermost in his mind were you successful in giving miss bliss drew her little tip off not exactly began rodney heavens man interrupted mr stewart you dont mean you let her boss stone around the way she has ha been bossing me dont explain I 1 was afraid you tell her of courso course stone stand tor for her tongue and now ashes left im sorry you let this happen miss bliss drew was without question one of my greatest buatu business ess assets but she left blaine explained pla ined then they were interrupted by the over overpowering towering mr stone and rodney blaine was glad to withdraw mr stone waived all discussion of business there Is something I 1 want to ask you he be said 1 I want to write it but a good share of 0 my happiness depends on the answer you give Is rodney blaine serious in his regards for or miss drew he seems to follow her about always seems to be trying to tell her something I 1 am more than interested in the girl myself frankly id ask her to marry me marry you gasped stewart sinking in his chair marry a girl with a temper like that the best tempered girl in the world interrupted mr stone the point Is this I 1 am a newcomer I 1 have no right cutting blaine out if he really loves the girl but what im asking you Is whether blaine Is IB in love with her why does he dog her around so 1 I guess I 1 told him to said stewart weakly but its all right lie ile love her im sorry to have you take her away but J mr air stewart never finished the sen tente tenee for mr stoneham stone had hurried into bliss drews office to deliver the words of a long postponed proposal which did not come as a surprise and that did not wait loog long for an answer |