CHAPTER XIX. THE TRAGIC COMEDIAN
Penetrating the Holden lot he was relieved to find that he created no immediate sensation. People did not halt to point derisive fingers at him; he had half feared they would. As he approached the office building he was almost certain he saw Baird turn in ahead of him. Yet when he entered the outer room of the Buckeye offices a young woman looked up from her typewriter to tell him that Mr. Baird was not in.
She was a serious-eyed young woman of a sincere manner; she spoke with certainty of tone. Mr. Baird was not only out, but he would not be in for several days. His physician had ordered him to a sanitarium.
The young woman resumed her typing; she did not again, glance up. The caller seemed to consider waiting on a chance that she had been misinformed. He was now sure he had seen Baird enter the building, and the door of his private office was closed. The caller idled outside the railing, absently regarding stills of past Buckeye atrocities that had been hung upon the walls of the office by someone with primitive tastes in decoration. He was debating a direct challenge of the young woman’s veracity.
What would she say if told that the caller meant to wait right there until Mr. Baird should convalesce? He managed some appraising side-glances at her as she bent over her machine. She seemed to believe he had already gone.
Then he did go. No good talking that way to a girl. If it had been a man, now—“You tell Mr. Baird that Mr. Gill’s got to see him as soon as possible about something important,” he directed from the open door.
The young woman raised her serious eyes to his and nodded. She resumed her work. The door closed. Upon its closing the door of Baird’s private office opened noiselessly to a crack that sufficed for the speaking voice at very moderate pitch to issue.
“Get Miss Montague on the ‘phone,” directed the voice. The door closed noiselessly. Beyond it Mr. Baird was presently speaking in low, sweet tones.
“‘Lo, Sister! Listen; that squirrel just boiled in here, and I ducked him. I told the girl I wasn’t to be in unless he was laughing all over, and he wasn’t doing the least little thing that was anywheres near laughing. See what I mean? It’s up to you now. You started it; you got to finish it. I’ve irised out. Get me?”