Mcallen Daily Monitor

8 HOUR
A DAY
GIRL
by
When Kay Rhea's father is
badly injured in a mine cave-in.
she postpones her prospective
marriage to Jimmy Craig and
comes to the city to earn money
to support the family by taking
a job that a friend, Jane Blair.
ggets for her at a broadcasting
studio. Harold Blackmer, under
whom she works, is unpleasantly
attentive, and Theena Morton,
his secretary, is generally nasty.
Meanwhile, Jimmy has come to
the city. Theena shows great interest
in him and causes a quarrel
between him and Kay. Determined
to queer Kay with Jimmy,
she sends her to Blackmer's
apartment, supposedly on an office
mission, then telephones
Blackmer's wife, Naidre, at her
office. Naidre arrives home to
find Kay in Blackmer's arms,
and furiously drives her out.

CHAPTER X
Kay fled, with
Naidre's angry
'Get out!' ringing in her ears. On
the lawn of the luxurious apartment
hotel she leaned against a
tree. Somehow, she knew that this
was Theena's work. But why? Why
did Theena want to do this to her?
Theena had Jimmy now.
She felt she couldn't go back to
the office and face Theena's mocking
eyes.
But if she didn't, she
would lose her job. And she must
not lose her job. She would have
to go back.
She stumbled toward the street
and hailed a cab. But when she
got back to the office Theena was
not there.
The day dragged along.
Kay
made error after error, threw sheet
after sheet of paper into the waste-
basket. Every nerve in her body
seemed stretched to the breaking
point.
The next morning, Kay found a
brief note on her desk. "Please
come to Mr. Alquin's office
at
once." Mr. Alquin was one of the
chief executives at MOX. Kay had
seen him often—a kindly, gray-
haired man. Why should he want
to see her? Could it mean a promotion?
Her heart hammered, and
then stood still. What if it meant
the loss of her job?
But it couldn't mean that. There
was no reason why she should lose
her job. She had worked hard, on
Theena's tasks as well as her own.
No; it couldn't be that.
Mr. Alquin turned cool grey eyes
upon Kay as she entered his office.
He picked up a slip of paper
and extended it toward her.
"Your check," he said crisply.
"We won't need your services longer."
For a moment everything went
black before Kay—a thick, smothering
blackness. She fought it off
desperately. Modern girls did not
faint. They took things on the chin
like fighters. Fighters. She'd fight.
Jane had told her jobs were scarce.
She'd fight for this one.
"Mr. Alquin," she said, in a clear
voice. "I do not understand why
I should be dismissed. I've worked
hard. I thought my work had been
satisfactory."
Mr. Alquin made a gesture of
dismissal. "Sorry, but this is final,"
he said.
"It can't be." Kay said through
set teeth. And then she told him
about her father, about her family.
Mr. Alquin seemed genuinely
distressed. "I'm sorry, Miss Rhea.
Since you have been so frank, I'll
be equally so. I'm dismissing you
at the request of a client—Maceens—
er. Mrs. Blackmer. Maceens
gives us a profitable contract each
year. The lady is adamant in her
statement that unless you go they
will place it with our competitor.
With conditions as they are, we
can't afford to lose the business. It
is most unusual, but there's nothing
we can do."
Kay swayed. "I see."
Mr. Alquin rose and patted her
shoulder awkwardly. "I'm sorry,
Miss Rhea. If you need a recommendation,
call me personally. I
intend to look into this thing further."
Kay left the room and groped
her way downstairs, not even seeing
Grace Elliott until she bumped
into her.
"Kay!" Grace spoke in alarm.
"Are you ill? What's the matter?"
Kay answered in jerky gasps.
"I've lost my job. Fired! Will you
have Jane get my things and bring
them to me? I can't go in there
where Theena Morton is. I . . ."
Grace's arm enfolded her. "Fired!"
she said indignantly. "And
the way you work! Oh, Kay
dear . . ."
Kay told her the story, and they
clung together, those two eight-
hour-a-day girls, in a bond of
sympathy and understanding.
Then Grace said huskily. "Go on
home, Kay. I'll find Jane. She'll be
over. She can leave her desk any
time. I don't dare."
A few minutes later, Jane flounced
up to Kay's desk and began
gathering her personal belongings.
Jane glared. "You ought to know.
Did it ever occur to you how far-
reaching your devilment might be?
Kay's fired. It's Naidre, of course.
I wouldn't be surprised if you had
framed the whole thing. Told
Blackmer that Kay wanted to come
to his apartment. Made Kay go.
Informed Naidre. You—you devil,
with your silly infatuation for a
mere boy!"
Theena laughed.
"All's fair in
love, Janie. If precious gets herself
into trouble, I can't help it."
She laughed again.
Jane gripped Theena's shoulder,
her fingers digging in.
"Stop that laughing," she commanded.
"You've taken the where-
withal to exist from a whole family
this time—and blackened the
reputation of an innocent young
girl. You've gone too far! As sure
as my name is Jane Blair, I'm going
to clear this up. And two certain
individuals may find themselves on
the outside of MOX
wondering why they didn't save
some of their unearned salaries to
pay the piper!"
Without giving Theena a chance
to reply, Jane swept out of the
room.
Theena jumped up and paced
the floor. If there was one person
in the world she was afraid of, it
was Jane Blair. She was so reckless
and fearless.
"Perhaps,"
Theena mused,
"I
should have been more subtle. But
I was sick and tired of hearing
Jimmy rave about his dear Kay.
'Theena, you're my friend. Talk
to Kay. Tell her I'm sorry. Ask
her to call me.' The fool! Well,
there'll be plenty to tell him this
evening. I guess this little scandal
will puncture his dream balloon!'