Partners by Grace Livingston Hill Page A

along easier that way." Reuben was grinning in a pleasant, friendly way, and Gillian's white cheeks flushed a little.
    "Why, no," she said, "if you think it is all right. I just thought it didn't sound very respectful."
    "Well, I don't think there is much danger of this boy ever being disrespectful. We are too good pals now for that. If he ever gets disrespectful, we'll go back to 'mister.' How's that, kid?"
    Noel grinned.
    "Okay!" he said.
    "So, that's settled," said Reuben. "And now, I think there are a few questions I ought to ask. The first is, would you like us to go to your room and get anything for you? You had to come here rather in haste. I thought you might enjoy having your own hairbrush or something."
    "Oh, thank you, that's very kind. I would like-- But no, that's foolish. I can get along until the doctor lets me get up. I had a little comb in my handbag. I'm sure he'll let me go home this evening, and then I thought by tomorrow, or the next day at most, I could go back to my work."
    "Sorry," said Reuben, "but that's not on the cards for you yet, my friend. We're following the doctor, not your own eagerness to get back to work. So, if you don't mind my entering your room with your brother, we can easily bring anything you want. And by the way, here's the next question. For how long did you take that room? Was it a monthly contract and do you have to pay from month to month, or did you pay ahead?"
    Her cheeks flushed and then paled again.
    "Oh, that's one of the things I was worrying about," she said in a low voice. "I pay by the week, and there's a payment due today, and that's a reason why I must go home tonight."
    "I thought so," said Reuben. "Well, now just put that out of your head. I'll look after that till you are able to look after things for yourself. I have an idea we can find a better place for you."
    "No," said Gillian, "you can't, not that I can afford. I've looked everywhere."
    "Well, don't worry about that. I'll see that the rent is paid this morning for another week at least. And now, what was that you were wishing you could have? Could Noel find it for you? I can recognize you wouldn't want a strange man racketing around in your room." He smiled genially, and Gillian thanked him with her eyes for understanding.
    "And would there perhaps be some message about your work in the office you might want to send to somebody who knew about it?"
    "Yes," said Gillian with a sudden look of utter weariness around her mouth. "The letter I was writing was a very important one. I had promised that it should be taken to Mr. Moore in time for him to sign it and get it off in the morning mail. I should have attended to it last night. I could have asked the nurse to telephone. But I didn't remember it till just a few minutes ago, and I hoped the doctor was going to let me get up and go. I wanted to get it off myself because Mr. Moore was very particular about some of the phraseology, and maybe not all of them could read my notes. They were taken in a great hurry."
    "I imagine that's already been taken care of," said Reuben. "Mr. Moore isn't one to let things go, and he would of course have heard of your illness. But just in case, I'll telephone at once and make sure. Anything else?"
    "No, I think not. It was the last letter on my notebook. Evelyn Howe could finish it. She's used to my shorthand."
    "All right. I'll straighten that out at once. I'll go down to the phone booth. I have some calls of my own to put in, too. It may take me ten or fifteen minutes, and in the meantime, fella, I'll park you here. Can you be depended on not to talk too much nor get your sister excited?"
    "Sure!" said Noel with an important light in his face. So Reuben went down to the public telephone, and the sister and brother looked at each other with a sweet radiance in their faces.

CHAPTER SIX
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    Reuben called up the office first and found as he expected that Gillian's letters had all been carefully attended to. Then he got long