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Page 16
Then, if she had not been afraid that the passersby would think she was mad, Linda would have laughed aloud. Of course she felt terrible and her stomach was in knots. Here it was after eight o'clock and she hadn't had a thing to eat since nine in the morning. There was a restaurant half a street along. Linda peered into the window and giggled. Not cordon bleu, she guessed, but she could bet that her appetite would be better than for many more elegant meals she had eaten.

The next morning Linda was surprised at her feeling of anxiety when her coins went into the call box. Her heart beat faster and her voice was a little breathless as she identified herself and the reason for her call and asked to speak to Mrs. Bates. A thin, sweet voice replaced the maid's cockney.
"Yes, this is Mrs. Bates."
"My name is Linda Hepler, and I am calling in answer to your advertisement for a companion. Has the position been filled?"
"No, it has not. How old are you, Miss Hepler?"
"I am twenty-five, Mrs. Bates. I am in good health and I have a bachelor's degree in literature. I hope that I will be suitable for the position."
"You are not an Englishwoman, are you? Are you Canadian?"
For a moment, Linda thought of telling a

 
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