ready for him. He approved the paper and the price, and she assured him they would be in time.
“All right. Go ahead,” he smiled into her keen face.
This job was straining the energies of the whole office. Ryder had to help Johnson on the difficult setting, and this threw a lot more work on Miss Hands and the local girls and Jimmy. But the whole staff rose to the occasion.
II
After they had gone this Thursday evening Valerie worked on till a quarter past six. There had been that week a return of heat, a last flicker of summer. The office was very stuffy, and she felt tired and worn. She hurried to the hotel for a quick dinner, hoping she was not going to have a headache. Her feet dragged as she walked to her table. This was one of the nights when she could not take Mac’s dining-room humorously.
“You do look so tired, Miss Carr,” said Lizzie.
“I really am, Lizzie,” she smiled back. She ordered a light meal and held her head in her hands. When she raised it again she saw that Mac and Dane Barrington had come in. They both nodded at her smile, and then she began to feel better. She saw Michael go to their table, but she did not notice Mac nod at her and give an order. As she began her dinner the seedy Irishman came up to her with a bottle of Burgundy and poured out a glass.
“It’s the spoiled lady you are, for sure,” he said slyly.
“Ah, it’s so nice to be spoiled, Michael.” Her eyes twinkled at him. Then she raised her glass to the table at the other end of the room, oblivious of curious glances
