Page:Our Little Girl (1923).pdf/137

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entirely in this country and let me see them sometime this. afternoon. That’s all, Miss Gray.”

He waved Dorothy and Mrs. Loamford to chairs.

“So you're Miss Reitz, are you, Dot?” he observed reflectively.

“Mother thought——”

“Oh, all right. It'll make a better-looking ad. Reitz makes up small and we can give you a big display in a small space. Your advertising starts Sunday. Wait a minute.”

He picked up the telephone. “Get me Gorman.”

He hung up again.

“I want your program tomorrow morning, so that we can get it in the racks at Aeolian quickly, Shoot me a picture for the rotos. Better give me three or four if you’ve got them. I know enough about your past to fix up a biography.”

The bell rang. Tommy snatched the receiver.

“Gorman? Borge. Say, kid, I want to take ten lines, single on that ad for Sunday. Yes. It’s another recital. Aeolian, second Saturday in October. See what date that is and put it in. The heroine’s name is Reitz—R-E-I-T-Z —Reitz. It means charm in German. For Christ’s sake jon’t advertise her as Charm. First name, Dorothy, orthodox spelling. Champion piano. Usual prices on tickets. Spend two-fifty on her and send me a schedule. That's all, Gorman.”

Dorothy didn’t understand this conversation literally, but she was even more puzzled by the apparent metamorphosis of Tommy. She had never heard him speak briskly and sharply. He was almost dynamic. Had he come under the influence of Harper? More than that, his manner betrayed no feeling for her. It wasn’t so long

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