THE LOVE FLIGHT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11867, 6 November 1935, Page 4

THE LOVE FLIGHT

QiunimmminmmniniiMuni, •••■■■••■•••nnnimimmui The girl on the bench to the right of Anne Austin moved up a peg Anne pegged one after her. That meant only two applicants would be Interviewed before she, Anne, would be on the carpet—the woman who had just stepped forward to the desk and the girl to the right of her. * Was this really an employment agency or was it a place she had read about, which had now materialoif d t! h , er dreams? Palm Beach! She had been in Palm Beach many times the hotels, the Austins, the Pembrookes, the Bradens graced, the clubs, cabanas, the shore Drjve. Why wfib her f’ in this strange place, witn those strange persons? Anne closed her eyes, opened them agam Palm Beach. She was here to get a job. She had to get a job or go °n being hungry. One thin dime in her bag with the splashy silver monogram on it. and after she r « H and a CU P of coffee for combination breakfast and lunch even the thin dime would vanish. She couldn t buy food with a silver monogram. “Next!” _The girl to the left of Anne nudged and murmured an impatient, You’re next.’’ ’ Anne rose, stood before the desk with up-tllted chin. She hoped the desk was high enough so that the wasp-woman behind it could not notJcethe quaking of her knees. , Name please,” The wasp-woman poised a pencil over a paper . “Anna.” “Pull name please.” “Anna Brent.” “B-r-e-n-t?” “Yes, B-r-e-n-t.” Why had she said Anna. Brent? Anna, yes. She could understand that But ,Brent. No one in her family, no one she knew, had been a Never that she could recall had she heard the name Brent. It just popped out at her. Brent, bo be it. “Occupation?” Occupation? What had she done? What could she do? Anything, as long as it was something. The pencil was still poised. I m not occupied at the present.” . The wasp-woman moved back in her chair, turned a stabbing eye on Anne, _“I suspected as much,” she said. Something in the manner of the girl standing so straight and still before her jarred the woman out of her routine. Her eyes fell to the silver mbnogram, on the expensive black suede purse, to the hand, that held the purse, slender and soft and . Sbe shook her head, pressed b® r lips to a straighter line. Another! The poor rich. Would there never be an end to them? Useless timber, clogging the machinery of work. This one was different. Not uppity like most of them. Kind of thin looking and drawn. Hungry maybe. “Any references?” she asked, lowering her voice- so the others waiting outside the rail could not hear. I m afraid I haven’t,” Anne apologized. .‘‘Ever been in service before?” , * You mean have I ever worked before? No—that is I’ve never worked for wages.” .. a* 1 S H” Pencil tapping on desk. .Any Idea .-about what you might do?”

‘ I’m willing to do anything—l’ve • graduated from finishing school and I—-lye played the piano, concert music, for charity.’’ The pencil went on tapping. "Finishing school! Why college graduates are running twenty-four to the dozen right now and - piano players make fair dish-washers, when we can find dishes for them to wash.’’ ‘ I know.” Anne, despairing; She must not allow her chin to quiver. Lack of nourishing food weakened one s will. I hoped there might be something—l’d try to. make up for Inexperience with hard work—” o,3 e At 8 urging -' Pleading. The -sneu of the wasp-woman softened to the extent that she consulted a sheet of notes on her desk. “Here’s one that might do,” she said studying Anne with her soectacles. "A client -wants a lady’s .maid to assist her regular maid. The applicant must be clever about clothes—that is she must be able to eelect smart clothes and advise about the wearing of them. Also she must have enough of an education to keep track of what will be talked about in the news .books, the theatre, sorlfin7~ aD * d , Pa l S Jt tO the fr Also should he handy Brent ?” he needle ‘ 00 you sew, I __ Anne looked puzzled. Brent 7 Brent WaS Brent ’ 0h ’ ye8 ’ s h<? was "I believe I could manage,” she said eagerly. "I’ve done over quite a few of my clothes lately.” “Th® wages are forty dollars a montff and keep, uniforms furnished. The client will not pay more. If ZZu . th i nk you oan make out—” RiPhic ID S J can! ” Pbrty dollars. Riches. lii have no expenses and Im alone— that is there is no one dependent on me.” . ,You, re lucky.” Immediately the woman was sorry the words had Slipped, She could see the girl wince. Loneliness made them that SOmetlmes ‘ Li ke hurt rabbits. Fill out this blank please.” Anne sat at the desk. Phoenix Employment Agency, Palm Beach. Fla. Name of applicant —Anna Brent. Colour—-White. Age—2l.

Leave the spaces about your qualifications and your references blank,” the woman, told Anne. 'Til fill them in myself. The name of your employer is Hoag. Mrs Adolph Hoag. 1 warn you she is difficult. I hope you have a good disposition and can hold your temper. Make a friend of her if you can and go slow at first. She wants advice and she

By JANE DIXON

(To be continued.)

inMiiuniini.i„„„- nlllu , 11t , !ll||llll|llllmi|ltroillMiOTtjnMiji jg doesn’t want it. If you cross her too much you won’t last. You may wait in that chair by the window. I’ll telephone her chauffeur to come for you.”

.. “Oh thank you. Thanks so much, I can’t tell you how grateful I -am for the chance,”’

The wasp-woman adjusted her spectacles and drew her lips to -their thin straight line again. She was scanning the occupants of the bench, sorting the shorts from the longs* ■ - "The fee will be ten per cent, payable from your first month’s salary. You might drop in and let me know how you make out.”

Half an hour later the door of the Phoenix Employment Agency opened to admit a blonde - yoimg man. who; judging by. the width of his shoulders, by his height and the slimness of waist and thigh, must have laid aside a football uniform to don his chauffeur’s garb. Anne was startled that his eyes should find her the moment he was inside the door and should remain fixed on her with no attempt to conceal their questioning or their admiration. Blue eyes fascinated Anne, especially when they were frank and brimmed with humour. ■

A You are the chauffeur from Mrs Adolph Hoag?” The woman behind the desk-brought the man in horizon blue ’uniform with scarlet and gold trimmings to attention. “Yes, Madame.”

“Then you are to drive this young woman,” indicating Anne, “to the Hoag residence.” “Yes, Madame.”

, Anne rose and walked stiffly to the door conscious of the whimsical eyes of, the young man in the . amazing uniform. She could feel him touch his fingers to the visor of his cap as she passed.

The car to which the chauffeur showed Anne was no less amazing than his uniform. Horizon blue, too, with touches of scarlet and sizable monogram in gold on the rear door. ‘Don’t be frightened Miss—-er— I didn’t get your name—- “ Miss Brent—Anna Brent.” "Don’t' be frightened. Miss Brent. It barks, but it doesn’t bite.” .. *, don’t think I quite understand—”

The big blue bandwagon. It's really quite respectable at heart and it can do a hundred without even extending Itself.”

“I hope you’re not giving me a demonstration of speed.” “Only on the open stretches. My name is Carl Case.: I’m not a lion tamer and I don’t perform bn the flying trapeze, as you might be led to beheve by this trick costume I wear. I’m just a plain or garden variety of automobile mechanic.” “The uniform is rather ga—” she had almost said gaudy. She substituted “gorgeous.” "Gorgeous is scarcely the word Garrulous would be better. At times I Set pretty bitter about it. Always expecung a cop will cruise’up andput me under arrest for giving a parade without a license,”

Anne laughed. And , realized it was the first time she had laughed with rear mirth, for weeks; Here she was standing in the street, talking with a chauffeur as though, she’d known him all her life. A chauffeur’ Well, why not? The chauffeur and the lady’s maid. Suitable combinaliked the way the sun.burnished his hair when he removed his cap to hand her into the rear seat. And his smile«was as good as a tonic. ■ ■■■'■