Partners by Grace Livingston Hill Read Free Book Online Page A

don't."
    She was glad to remember that she had left everything in perfect order. But he wasn't looking at the room. He stooped and laid the paper of oranges down on the little table beside her pile of paper and envelopes, and then backing out he lifted his hat, smiled again, and said:
    "I guess they can't get away again now, but mind you wash them before you eat them! I wouldn't trust the germs around this street!"
    And then he was gone, evading utterly the eager thanks with which her voice endeavored to follow him.
    A moment later she heard slow footsteps coming determinedly up the stairs. Mrs. Beck was on her way to inspection.
    Dale hurriedly slipped the paper, oranges and all, under the curtain of her wardrobe corner and was washing her hands composedly when the tap came at her door. She waited to wipe her face and hands before she went to open it, and to give just a brush to her soft hair, trying to gather her composure. How terrible it was going to be to have an espionage like this over her!
    "Yes?" she said pleasantly as she opened the door partway. "Did you want something, Mrs. Beck? I was just freshening up a little after my day in town."
    But Mrs. Beck did not take the hint that Dale was not anxious to receive callers just then, and her glance was searching hurriedly through the room as she stood firmly waiting to be invited in.
    A kind of cunning came into the hard eyes as she faced her young roomer.
    "Oh, I won't hinder you. I'll just sit down and talk a little while you dress. How d'you make out?"
    Mrs. Beck took firm hold of the door and opened it enough to admit her skinny frame, entered and sat down on the nearest chair, her eyes searching every corner of the room again to find out where the oranges were that had required the assistance of the third-story-front unapproachable young man.
    "Make out?" said Dale sinking wearily into the other chair, but she made no move to go on with her dressing. "Make out with what, Mrs. Beck?"
    "Why, get on with the man you went to meet? The man that telephoned you?"
    "Oh," smiled Dale, "that was only a business appointment." She spoke lightly. "Thank you for calling me. I'm sorry you had the trouble."
    The woman looked at her vexedly.
    "Yes, but how'd ya make out?"
    "Make out? Oh, I got there in time, thank you, and got the information I needed. It was all right."
    "Oh, was that all!" said Mrs. Beck disappointedly. "I thought perhaps you had found a good job. A good paying job, ya know. That's what I'm always interested in. Ya know, I don't run this house for benevolence, and this is a good room. I can always find a tenant for this at more than you are payin' me."
    "Well, now that's kind of you to take an interest in me, Mrs. Beck. But if at any time you find a tenant that you think would be a better prospect than I am, be sure you come right and tell me. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your getting a good paying tenant who can give more than I can."
    "Oh, I wasn't hintin' that I want ya to get out," said Mrs. Beck retracting her severe manner somewhat. "Of course, I haven't known ya very long, and I don't know so much about ya. I just wanted to make sure that ya are going to be able ta go along all right."
    "Yes?" said Dale, with a flavor of the question "Oh, yeah?" in her tone. Then she smiled. "Of course, I know you have to look out for your roomers, Mrs. Beck. But don't worry about me. I'm all right for the present, and if there comes a time when I think I can't pay my rent I'll be sure to let you know in plenty of time. And thank you for the table. It's going to be quite convenient I know."
    "Well, of course I like to do all I can for my roomers," said Mrs. Beck. "It was one that I always used in my own room, but I don't mind makin' a few sacrifices for folks that pays on time."
    Dale considered this and decided to accept the sacrifice without any words about it, and the pause gave space for Mrs. Beck to come to the real point of her visit.
    "Didn't I see Mr. Rand