Las Vegas optic., 1912-07-24

"Well?" she replied crisply.
Have you seen the new floor
walker?"
Nowhere is Mr.. FreerY"
Transferred to the upholstery. It's
a shame, too He certainly is a gen
tleman!" Miss Cabin patted the
blond puffs OF her elaborate coifrurs
and sighed audibly. "He certainly Is
a gentleman" she repeated.
HE is" returned Penny. She
turned back to her labors OF wrap
ping parcels.
you certainly are swift, Penny,
murmured the stout bundle girl
TITS dull day" said Penny, yawn
ing.
Ever since she had run away from
her home in the middle West to be
come an actress. Penelope had beer
on the lookout for people from home
True she had written back to hel
uncle and aunt, telling them that she
was earning her living and when she
said that she was acting" how could
that unsophisticated couple suspect
that the part she was playing was the
very practical one of bundle counter
girl in a department store.
She had given her name as Penny
Mulligan, when in fact she bore the
charming title of Penelope Marston
Arthur Preston had asked her to
marry him and had been haughtily
dismissed by the stage-struck girl Il
cannot marry any one, Arthur" she
said, condescendingly Il have a
career before me, you know?"
"Pooh!" the practical Arthur had
said-he was real estate agent and
very live and up-to-date in his native
town-''pooh, honey, you can't act!"
Il will show you!" Penny had said,
wrathfully.
'Penny--Penny Mulliganl" shrilled
Miss Cabin during another lull in the
business of this rainy day.
What is it?" asked Penny languid-
ly as she leaned over the railing.
There he isl"
Whom do you mean% Penny was
not interested, but she strove to be
polite.
The new fioorwalker. He's stand
Ing there by the perfumery-his back
10 this way. He's lovely lookingI"
Penny looked and saw tall, mas
sively built young man garbed in the
conventional black of the store stand
ing with his hands loosely clasped
behind his back He looked-oh. SO
much like Arthur Preston. but OF
course that was absurd
YES, isn't he?" she managed TO say
carelessly in response to Miss Cabins
last remark.
Later she happened to glance down
ward, and her blue eyes met the calm,
cool gaze of the new fioorwaIker. His
glance passed from her face to that
of the other bundle girl, and then he
passed on his Ieisurely way down the
store. 1t was Arthur Preston.
When she had an opportunity she
asked Miss Cabin the name of the
new fioorwalker.
"The most romantic name you ever
heard, Penny Miss Clark from the
Office told me-his name is Claude
Reston."
Penny darted back to her work,
conscious that Miss Cabin was hold
ing an animated conversation with
Mr.. Claude Reston.
How dare he come here under an
assumed name?" fumed Penny.
She snapped the string viciously
and the fat parcel flew out of her
hands and fell plump upon the sleek,
black head of the new foorwalker.
Miss Cabin shrieked becomingly as
Mr.. Reston gracefully disentangled
himself from the shower.
Amt you afraid you'll get fired,
Penny" gasped the fat girl.
Il don't care!" flared Penny reck-
lessly. I'm going to leave anyway,
tonight"
Some one was coming up the steep
little stair of the bundle counter. A
ruffied black head. pair of black
eyes, pair Of broad shoulders, big
hand holding forth the ragged bum
die of false hair.
Here, Penelope" he said coolly.
please don't do that again"
Penny was speechless with indigna-
ton, as she took the package from
him and their hands touched He
disappeared at once, and Penny pro-
ceeded to wrap the bundle carefully.
1t required elaborate care, for great
tears were yelling in her blue eyes.
The tears splashed upon the package.
and she thrust it violently toward the
tube.
i To Penny's horror, it leaped over
the rail and descended almost at the
feet of the new fioorwalker!
''Gee!" giggled the fat girl.
Penny was frozen with mortitica-
ton, as once more Mr.. Reston climbed
the stairs and handed the package to
the girl.
"Tll be waiting for you at six
o'clock, Penelope" he whispered soft
ly. IF we hurry we can take the
train tomorrow morning and--1' prom
lsed your Aunt Susan that if she
would make the wedding preparations
I'd bring the bride. You wouldn't
want to disappoint Aunt Susan. would
your"
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