Read Online Partners by Grace Livingston Hill - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
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makeup, and a faint color whipped into her cheeks by the wind. She was glad to get back. You could see that in her eyes. Those stars in her eyes were gladness, and Dale like her at once, and felt a sudden pride that she had been able to substitute for such a woman.
The office came clamoring joyously about her, welcoming her. There hadn't been such a hubbub in that office since Dale had been there. And she must sit quietly and do her work until it was taken from her!
So her fingers went skillfully forward accomplishing wonders in a short time. She didn't want to leave scraps of work behind for the other secretary to finish up.
They introduced her to Miss Alice, and strangely she felt as if she was a friend, at least one whom she would like to have for a friend, even if her coming did mean that her job was gone.
But she went on and finished the typing of the dictation she had taken. And then when she took the letters to her chief for his signature, he asked her to sit down.
"Perhaps you know that the one whose place you have been taking has returned," he said pleasantly. He was trying to let her down easily. It choked her all up so that she couldn't make her voice sound natural as she tried to answer.
"Yes," she managed, trying to look as if she were cheery about it.
The manager was eyeing her keenly.
"Well, I've done what I promised," he said. "I've been looking around to find something else for you, for, you see, we do appreciate it that you were willing to come in for an uncertain time, and you've done well! We've no fault to find with your work. You understand if we had need for another secretary you would undoubtedly be our choice, and we can recommend you most heartily to anyone who is in need of such work. I'm just sorry that we have no place for you here. But I think I have found something even better for you."
He paused, and Dale drew another long breath and looked at him wistfully, with just a shade of hope in her eyes.
"Oh, that's very kind of you," she murmured, too tense really to take in what he was saying. Something better! That wouldn't be likely.
"Yes," he said with a satisfied smile. "It's a better salary. I suppose that will please you, won't it?"
"Better salary?" said Dale half dazed. She hadn't dared to dream of anything like that. "What is it? Where is it?"
"Well, that's it. It isn't exactly what you're doing now. And it wouldn't be daytime work. It would be evening work."
"Evening work?" Dale looked at him startled.
The manager was appraising her.
"Yes," he said pleasantly. "I thought I was rather fortunate in finding it for you. Of course, you may never have done anything of the sort, but I'm banking on you being able to work into it."
"But--where is it? What could I do at night?"
"Why, it's with a very high-grade nightclub," he said calmly. "They want you for a hostess. An acquaintance of mine is at the head of it, and I found he was looking for somebody, and I suggested you. From what I told him of you he was so interested that he came in here yesterday to look you over and was quite pleased with your appearance. You know appearance goes a long way in such work. He said he felt that you might work into the business wonderfully well if you were adaptable. I told him I had found you so, and I could recommend you heartily. Your salary will be satisfactory, I am quite sure."
He mentioned a sum that the man had suggested, and it was so breathtaking that Dale didn't even take it in.
"Oh!" she said in dismay. She felt as if she were sinking, sinking down, down, through unfathomable depths, and she wasn't at all sure she would be able to keep her head and answer him.
"Oh, but, Mr. Fletcher! I couldn't work at a nightclub!"
"Why not?" said the man sharply. He thought he had done well for her, and now she was beginning an argument.
She looked at him steadily for an instant, and then in a firm little voice she answered with her head held up.
"It isn't my world," she said clearly. "I don't
The office came clamoring joyously about her, welcoming her. There hadn't been such a hubbub in that office since Dale had been there. And she must sit quietly and do her work until it was taken from her!
So her fingers went skillfully forward accomplishing wonders in a short time. She didn't want to leave scraps of work behind for the other secretary to finish up.
They introduced her to Miss Alice, and strangely she felt as if she was a friend, at least one whom she would like to have for a friend, even if her coming did mean that her job was gone.
But she went on and finished the typing of the dictation she had taken. And then when she took the letters to her chief for his signature, he asked her to sit down.
"Perhaps you know that the one whose place you have been taking has returned," he said pleasantly. He was trying to let her down easily. It choked her all up so that she couldn't make her voice sound natural as she tried to answer.
"Yes," she managed, trying to look as if she were cheery about it.
The manager was eyeing her keenly.
"Well, I've done what I promised," he said. "I've been looking around to find something else for you, for, you see, we do appreciate it that you were willing to come in for an uncertain time, and you've done well! We've no fault to find with your work. You understand if we had need for another secretary you would undoubtedly be our choice, and we can recommend you most heartily to anyone who is in need of such work. I'm just sorry that we have no place for you here. But I think I have found something even better for you."
He paused, and Dale drew another long breath and looked at him wistfully, with just a shade of hope in her eyes.
"Oh, that's very kind of you," she murmured, too tense really to take in what he was saying. Something better! That wouldn't be likely.
"Yes," he said with a satisfied smile. "It's a better salary. I suppose that will please you, won't it?"
"Better salary?" said Dale half dazed. She hadn't dared to dream of anything like that. "What is it? Where is it?"
"Well, that's it. It isn't exactly what you're doing now. And it wouldn't be daytime work. It would be evening work."
"Evening work?" Dale looked at him startled.
The manager was appraising her.
"Yes," he said pleasantly. "I thought I was rather fortunate in finding it for you. Of course, you may never have done anything of the sort, but I'm banking on you being able to work into it."
"But--where is it? What could I do at night?"
"Why, it's with a very high-grade nightclub," he said calmly. "They want you for a hostess. An acquaintance of mine is at the head of it, and I found he was looking for somebody, and I suggested you. From what I told him of you he was so interested that he came in here yesterday to look you over and was quite pleased with your appearance. You know appearance goes a long way in such work. He said he felt that you might work into the business wonderfully well if you were adaptable. I told him I had found you so, and I could recommend you heartily. Your salary will be satisfactory, I am quite sure."
He mentioned a sum that the man had suggested, and it was so breathtaking that Dale didn't even take it in.
"Oh!" she said in dismay. She felt as if she were sinking, sinking down, down, through unfathomable depths, and she wasn't at all sure she would be able to keep her head and answer him.
"Oh, but, Mr. Fletcher! I couldn't work at a nightclub!"
"Why not?" said the man sharply. He thought he had done well for her, and now she was beginning an argument.
She looked at him steadily for an instant, and then in a firm little voice she answered with her head held up.
"It isn't my world," she said clearly. "I don't
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