The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-17

| M KIN was worried Being floor " manager of the book department
 of the huge Broadgauge store was an
 honor he long had coveted, but here, | after his first week in that position was 1 MT. PoplSin, wondering if, after all, 1t
 was worth while. Ever since he had en- ! tered the employ of the great establish 1 ment as a cash boy, he had set the head 1 of this particular floor as the height of
 his ambition. Every step that he took upward was but one more toward his | goal. When he became bundle wrapper, he felt that his cause was advanced; l when he stepped behind the cotton goods | counter, his upward leap was almost like | fight to the blue dome of Empyrean; | when he was given charge of the tinware | and iron goods in the bargain basement annex. he believed that it was merely a | test of his ability to handle higher things. I And he had then told Name in all the | pride of his heart that things were com- | Ing his way"
 True, this last move took him off Names floor. She was in hosiery and | lingerie; she was tall, naughty and dig l nified, but he counted the promotion as worth more than temporary absence from | her vicinity, especially as he knew that books were in the next aisle from hosiery, and that when he reached that stock he would be better off than ever. Also | true, Tim Healey was now its head, and l Tim's eyes fell on Name with no uncer- tain gleam. But even this could not stay l the force of Popkins ambitions, and to l the bargain basement annex he had gone | to take the headship of his first stock l And a week ago he had come into his reward. Healey had been attracted by a ! dignified raise from Bamberger's and had left books in the Broadgauge to | handle similar line for its chief rival | Good work in tinware by Popkin had been | observed: his ambitions were known, and when Healey was gone, the position he 1 coveted was his. It was now Saturday l night, the end of his first week there. And he was worried? Yes, vastly The | red carnation in the buttonhole of his I Prince Albert'-for tradition says that all floor managers shall wear Prince | Alberts'' with red carnations attached | the red carnation withered In the baleful glare of his countenance, and his accus- toned suavity, the rubbing together of l the hands, the slight bow and the smile, all parts of his store makeup, were purely mechanical tonight; the eye car ried no cordiality and the voice was weary and far away.
 For Healey, now of Bamberger's, had avowediy set out to put the Brodgauge books out of business" and Popkin had been warned twice during the week that this was in a fair way to happen, accord
 
 store manager The Broadgauge trade in the six best sellers was showing a de- cfded slump, and there was even danger that the Bamberger record would be taken as authoritative for the city, rather than that of the Broadgauge; and so dire calamity could mean only one thing for Popkin-a new place. So 1t was. as he had told himself, "up to- him to stem the rush.
 Your department,' Mir Wilkerson had | said, shows a decided falling off. Mir Healey seems to have a certain personal following which you, having been so long In tin, haven't acquired. You do not know liter 'chure like he does. Nor lit'ry people Your run on The Enigma our best ex- elusive novel was a failure.'
 All of which was quite true. The hint contained In the Wilkerson address could not pass unheeded, and Popkin was dis tinctly discouraged and worried Hence amid the Saturday night throng, he stood distraught stroking the end of his taffy- hued mustache and smoothing his coat front mechanically.
 Watts wrong?" cheeri1y inuuired Name, sticking her head around the end of her counter into the ribbon de- partment, which move enabled her to hail MT. Popkin when she deemed 1t expedient or needful. She didn't do this too often Name was 8 sort of belle in | go too far in encouraging attentions that would deter in numbers, however much they might make up In strength She possessed a certain style of rather bold beauty; she had a good figure, which showed well in the black garb the store demanded. Her brown pompadour was bit straggly in the rather close at mosphere of the place, but she gave it a pat or two and re-skewered 1t with a couple of zone hairpins colored to look like shell, before she spoke to MT. Pop kin
 Name was the ideal of Popkin-and she knew 1t. She was also the adored of Healey-and she knew that. In her heart of hearts she had made up her mind, but to neither man had she vouch- safed more than a tacit encouragement. For Name was wise in her own genera tion and she did not propose to surren- der, her $15 week till she could find something like an equivalent in her hus- bands finances. Hence to each had been her reply:
 Make good! When you get to be floor manager, with an int'rest in the sales. come around and talk business. Meanwhile, on matrimony, skiddoo! Names open for candy and the the-ayter, but-cook on no salary, in a flat for two? Nixie!" if
 And, though rather slangy, it was plain to the individuals most concerned, this reply. and they had set themselves to ac- complaining the tasks she had demanded, while she drew fayors from each, encour- aged them, played one against the other and pushed each ahead, while she went her way in freedom and rejoicing
 So, too, as they climbed higher and higher in keen rivalry, did the two men come nearer the prize of Names heart. Now, Healey was participating in the Bamberger sales and on basis to insist upon his demands, while Popkin was so ment of his effort in many years--till this weeks dire results seemingly set him back hoplessly in the race. And so he was downcast and dismayed as Wilkerson passed on after this second warning.
 The cheery greeting of Name was like a ray of sunshine in a gloomy land Pop- kin left his literary mart for moment to reply.
 Its my first week." said he. land it has been a bad one. The sales are less than when Healey was here. The run I arranged on The Enigma my first. is a failure, and Wilkerson has spoken about 1t twice. I've pushed forward the very books that Healey made his best showings on and people have gone right past them and have bought them from him at Bam- berger's'
 70 course!" exclaimed Name, rather scornfully.
 MT. Popkin sighed.
 Two counters to the left fourth