Every Day at 12.30

Lake County Mail, Issue 10, 30 July 1947, Page 5

Every Day at 12.30

Frank Lawson was so sure he would recognise that girl-in-a-mill inn the moment he saw her — but none so blind as those in love.

“ Fourth, please,” Frank Lawson said. He stepped in the lift as he’d done every working day since he had discovered the restaurant in the big store. They served a good lunch costing no more than he could afford. He stood with his back to the other people while Kitty Radford closed the door and whisked them upwards. “Fourth floor for the restaurant,” she said. “ Turn sharp left.” She looked at him as she’d been

doing for almost a fortnight now. It .was a wide-eyed glance that told iFrank as plainly as words that she wwanted him to notice her. It bothered him a little during lunch. When he went down with her afterwards hq stood wedged behind people and followed them out at the ground floor, leaving Kitty standing there watching him. He went back to his junior clerk’s desk in a West End block of offices and smiled at Nora Grayson typing busily by the window. “Nice lunch?” she asked. Frank nodded and thought her bewilderingly beautiful with her golden hair and bhie eyes. She was twentyeight and engaged to be married. She was very much his ideal of womanhood. He knew that when he began to think seriously about a girl—and being only twenty there was plenty

of time for that—it would be somebody fair like her and nearly as tall as himself. He was very sure he would recognise that girl-in-a-million the moment he saw her. Sometimes he dreamed of the thrill of it. Not often! He was sensible that way —he went home contentedly as ns«al that night to the wireless and the bookcase he was making for his mother.

Next day lid stepped again into Kitty Eadford’s lift.

“ Good morning. Fourth, please.” «I know.” she murmured, and called

“ Going up! ” Kitty closed the door after a pause, and for the first time in two she was alone with him on that brief journey between the floors. She felt his gaze on. the back of her neat, dark head and willed him desperately to speak to her. But it wasn’t any use. She reached the fourth floor and he stepped out-with no more than a brief smile of courtesy which she did not want. Not from him! She wanted him to look at her —to notice the colour of her eyes—to see the shadowy dimples in her checks —her lips that were soft and sweet. Slie looked hopelessly after his retreating figure.

“Going doAvn! ” she announced auto matically. “Going down!”

Her spirits sank Avith the lift. To- , day there had been a golden opportunity for him to speak to her if he’d Avanted to. But he hadn’t! She rode up and down dozens of times before she picked Frank up again on the fourth floor. He ,got in behind a crowd of other people so he had to stand very close to her. She turned to glance at him and saw his gaze shift in a manner that told that he was aware of her interest although he did not want it. He froAvned in an embarrassed sort of Avay, so somehow she Avas not surprised when he did not turn up next day. She Avondercd if she would ever see him again. When she did she could not control her gladness. “It’s three days,” she said. “I missed you.” “I tried another restaurant, but I lake this better,” That explained his absence and also told her very plainly that he had come back to the store in spite of her being t|»oro. He looked at her in a blank distant, way and saw her eyes flicker with hurt. He was sorry, but she did

not happen to be the girl he was going to fall for. He went in to lunch and down again in her lift afterwards, trying not to see her averted face. As he went back to the office he gave a sigh of relief. As it was Friday he did not need even to think- about her until the Monday.

On the Monday he found a tall, fair-haired girl working the lift.

“ Fourth floor, please.” “Restaurant?” she twinkled. “ Hungry? ”

Frank grinned and felt very much at ease with her.

“ I haven’t seen you before,” he said. “ Has—has the other girl left? ” “ Haven’t the faintest. I’m new here.” She stopped the lift. “Fourth floor for the restaurant.” “ I know. Thank you.” While he sat over lunch his brows drew together in thought. Had she left? He wanted to know, but did not like to make inquiries. Back in the office he gazed at Nora Grayson, thinking that she might know. She lunched an hour earlier than he did, and it was Nora who had .recommended, the store, so he thought she probably still went there.

“ I see they’ve a new girl at the store,” he said. “Any idea what’s happened to the other one?”

Nora looked at him ’with a faint. amused smile touching her lips.

“Not the slightest,” she said. “Are you interested?”

Frank found himself flushing to the roots of his hair, “ No —0h,n0,” he said hurriedly. “I just—wondered.” He settled down to work a little put-out by Nora’s amused question. He would have liked to explain the whole thing, but somehow he could not. He might even have been wrong about the girl in the lift—yet, remembering the look in her eyes when she had glimpsed him after his few days’ absence —he knew he’d made no mistake. “ I don’t understand it,” he said. He shook his head, because long ago he had come to the conclusion that he was a very ordinary young man. His clothes were ordinary, and a girl used to seeing people all the day long was hardly likely to take him for anything but the junior clerk he was. It was so puzzling that he was still wondering about it days later when Nora paused at his desk.

“Tj took you out when you first came,” she said. “It is time you had lunch with me again.” “ I'm not due for an hour,” Frank said. “ It’s nice of you—but”

“ Shut your books. Let’s go eat.”

Frank shut his books. Whatever Nora did in that office was all right with the boss. He went out with her to the store, proud to be seen with such gn attractive girl. He did not protest about her doing some shopping afterrvards in the Bargain Basement, folloAving her as she Avalked gracefully to a counter.

“ I Avant inch-wide cream lace please.” she said.

Frank saw the sales girl reach for boxes and SAvalloAved hard. “Oh!” he muttered. “Hullo!” She gave hinr a glance —the briefest of glances— before turning to Nora again. “This is rather nice, or there’s this —and this

Frank watched the dark head bent close to Nora’s golden hair. He Avatched the movements of the slim hands and the shadowy dimples in Kitty’s cheeks. She had blue yes! He Avalked out of the store deep in thought. “ Blue yes,” he said. “ Dark hair,” Nora smiled at him. “ Your little lift girl?” she mumured. “ I asked where she was.” ■'

“ She’s not my girl,” he protested “ I don’t even know her.”

“Her name is Kitty Radford.’’ “I’m not asking. I don’t-care.” He stalked on, affronted that Nora should have remembered his question and done this to him. What would that girl think! He grew hot under the collar at the idea of her imagining he had sought her out. He must explain. He hesitated for a couple of days, then, on the third, he walked nervously across the basement floor towards the lace and ribbon counter. Kitty was packing boxes on shelves

and was not aware of him until he coughed to gain attention. She turned then with her eyes widening and her gaze flickering past him as though not believing he had come alone —to see her.

“ I want some lace,” he stammered. “ It’s for my mother.” She did not answer, but Frank found himself flushing at the look in her eyes.

“ I don’t know, I just was.” He stammered. “ I was surprised to see you.” “Oh? Why?” “I don’t know. I just was.” He swallowed nervously and fumbled in his pocket for a slip of paper.

“ White lace —half-inch.” he watched her turn and draw out boxes. “ It’s for tray-cloths. I want three yards.” She smiled suddenly with the dimples flitting in her cheeks, her eyes bright. She chose the lace and gave him a check. “ Pay at the desk. I’ll wrap the lace.”

He went to the desk, moving a little awkwardly because he knew she was watching him. Back at her counter the little package was ready for him. Her hand was resting on it so, as he picked it up, their fingers touched- It was

nothing; yet everything! It made him look at her suddenly in a way that begged an answer.

“I finish at five,” he said. I suppose you’re later.” “A little. ’ Half-past.”

“Front entrance?”

Kitty nodded and drew back from the counter. She was so happy that she could not now imagine the despair that had driven her to ask for a transfer from the lift. She watched him stride away, but when she left that night he was waiting. “Oh!” she said. “Hullo!”

She smiled radiantly and Frank felt liis throat constricting because she was so pretty. “ I’m here,” he said absurdly. “Expect me?” “I did—sort of,” Kitty whispered. At least —I hoped ” She broke off flushed, lovely in her embarrassment. girl in a million! Frank walked away with her down the street, then, because of the people jostling, slipped a hand under her arm. “It’s easier this way. You don’t mind?”

Kitty’s look at him made his heart lift.

“Of course not,” she whispered.

“ Not with you.”