The Priceless Pearl

								


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THE PRICELESS PEARL
by
ALICE DUER MILLER
Author of
"Manslaughter," "Come Out of the Kitchen,"
"Are Parents People?" etc.

New York
Dodd, Mead & Company
1924
Copyright 1923, 1924
By Alice Duer Miller
Printed in U. S. A.

THE PRICELESS PEARL

CHAPTER I

"The girl is simply too good-looking," said Bunner, the office manager,
in a high, complaining voice. "She is industrious, intelligent,
punctual and well-mannered, but simply too good-looking--a disturbing
element in the office on account of her appearance. I made a grave
mistake in engaging her."
The president, who had been a professor of botany at a great
university before he resigned in order to become head of The Universal
Encyclopedia of Necessary Knowledge Publishing Corporation, was a
trifle deaf, but had not as yet admitted the fact to himself; and he
inquired with the patient, slightly contemptuous surprise of the deaf,
"But I do not understand why she is crying."
"It is not she who is crying," answered the office manager regretfully;
"it is Mr. Rixon, our third vice president. He is crying because he
has most unfortunately become interested in the young woman--fallen in
love with her--so my stenographer tells me."
The president peered through his bifocal lenses. He did not wish to be
thought one of those unsophisticated scientists who understand only the
plain unpsychological process of plants. He inquired whether the girl
had encouraged the third vice president, whether, in a word, she had
given him to understand that she took a deeper interest in him than
was actually the fact, "the disappointment of the discovery being the
direct cause of the emotional outbreak which you have just described."
Bunner hesitated. He would have liked to consider that Miss Leavitt was
to blame, for otherwise the responsibility was entirely his own. In
his heart he believed she was, for he was one of those men who despise
women and yet consider them omnipotent.
"I can't say I've ever seen her do more than say good morning to him,"
he answered rather crossly. "But I believe there is a way of avoiding
a man--with her appearance. You have probably never noticed her, sir,
but----"
"Oh, I've noticed her," said the president, nodding his old head. "I've
noticed a certain youth and exuberant vitality, and--yes, I may say
beauty--decided beauty."
Bunner sighed.
"A girl like that ought to get married," he said. "They ought not
to be working in offices, making trouble. It's hard on young men of
susceptible natures like Mr. Rixon. You can hardly blame him."