arth was free, she knew, on
Thursday morning at eleven.

Luckily, Jose Gironde was free at the same hour. She made a note to call
the doctor and make an appointment, and to clear the appointment with
Jose Gironde, and made a duplicate note on the report sheet.

That would take care of that.

The paper work, after all, wasn't so very hard. All she had to do now
was to make the actual calls, and then wait for the written result of
the examination. When that had come through, she would be able to
recommend Jose Gironde for permanent relief, as was obviously indicated
in his case.

The back injury could not be corrected by medical science. And if Gloria
were to correct it--

"Your job as a case worker is clearly defined," a teacher had said.
"Meddling in another's province, without the permission of your
supervisor, is always uncalled-for."

In other words, Gloria thought, the _status quo_ has to be kept. And
that, too, made sense when you thought about it.

She looked up to see Harold Meedy smiling across the room at her. She
smiled back, very briefly, and went back to her own work.

"Interpersonal relationships within the office framework," a
teacher--Mr. Greystone?--had said, "are fraught with danger, and should
be handled with the greatest care."

If Harold Meedy wanted to get acquainted with her, that was his affair.
She didn't feel that she could conscientiously encourage him in the
slightest. Not only was he a fellow worker, which made the whole
situation more complicated than it would ordinarily have been, but he
was a small pudgy man with pimples and an earnest expression. He looked
as if he would be a bore, and a difficult person to get rid of.

He was.

Gloria just didn't think he was exactly her type.

And if he went on trying, she thought regretfully, she would be forced
to do something about it. Of course, Meedy would never know the
difference, but even so, Gloria didn't like to do any unnecessary work.
Changing someone's mind was a delicate job, and a responsible one, not
to be undertaken for a small motive.

Even if the person never knew his mind had been changed at all--

* * * * *

Mrs. Wladek, in her apartment, shrugged on an old coat and compressed
her lips with weariness. Appointment time was near, and a person had to
be punctual.

Even when a person was going to see a young girl who was strange and
frightening, and who might do--

_Well, don't be a