He went straight to her room and walked in
without knocking.
Charity was dictating a letter to her secretary. Cheever surprised
a phrase before she saw him.
"'Thousands of blind soldiers and thousands of orphans hold out their
hands to us. We must all do what we can--' Why, hello! Where did you
drop from? Give me just a minute while I finish this letter. Let me
see. Where was I?"
The secretary read in a dull, secretarial voice:
"'Thousblinsoldiersorphs--wem'sdo'll we can.'"
"Oh yes," said Charity. "'You have never failed to respond to such
an appeal,' comma; no, semicolon; no, period. 'So I shall put you
down for a subscription of dash 'how much' question-mark. 'Thanking
you in adv'--no, just say, 'My husband joins me in kindest regards
to your dear wife and yourself, cordially yours'--and that will be
all for the present."
The secretary garnered her sheaves and went out. Charity said
to Cheever:
"Well, young man, sit down and tell us what's on your mind. But first
let me tell you my troubles. There's a match on my dresser there.
Peter, I'm in an awful mess with this movie stunt. I can get plenty
of people to pose for the camera, but I can't find a man to manage
the business end of it. I was lunching with Mrs. Noxon at the Ritz
to-day. I called your friend Jim Dyckman over from another table and
begged him to take the job. But he refused flatly, the lazy brute.
Don't you think you could take it on? I wish you would.
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