The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-13
The Epening Story

(By Jane OSBORNE

from the stores going home at night
had discussed it. According to some
it was grand and perfectly elegant
for those swell girls to do it, To
others, more critical, it was either
case of wanting to get into print by
doing something out of the way or a
deliberate scheme to rob the poor girl
who needed work of her daily bread.
To Filbert Frozenstar. junior part
ner of the dry goods firm of Frozen
star Brothers & Co., it had a still diff
ferent significance. 1t was part of his
carefully laid plan to make an en-
trance into the hitherto closed portals
of the city's most exclusive circles.
Thus far, all efforts had failed, and
this was particularly disappointing,
for Filbert imagined himself far bet
to the humdrum task of carrying on
his share of the business handed down
by his father. He had been looking
for way whereby he might cleverly
work into the good graces of a few
Of the society leaders.
So he hit upon this scheme. Luckily
it came at the very time when these
same society women were at their
wits ends for some new and spectacu-
lar way of serving charity. They had
grown weary of knitting mittens and
mufflers for the Be1gians and winding
bandages had paled after few fervid
efforts So the prospect of working
as saleswomen in Frozenstar's store
appealed to them from the start.
Tho proposition was this: The So
ciety women In question were to en-
joy all the realism of the task. They
were to punch the time clock with the
other thousand employees of the store.
They were to be allowed to sell goods
in whatever department they chose,
anc for their sales they were to re-
ceIve rs per cent commission for their
20 .rff obi r-r4
In order that they might not ex-
perience the humiliation of being mis-
taken for one of the real workers with
whom erstwhile they had consented to
rub shoulders they were given a
bright ribbon sash to wear fastened
from right shoulder to left side. And
in order that the concern might not
miss any of the advantages of this
scheme, there was frequent and large
advertising of it in the morning and
evening papers. incidentally, Filbert
hoped to show himself in the new and
appealing light of philanthropist to
the women who held the keys to those
coveted social portals.
The. scheme worked better than he
had expected, and on certain Mon
day morning in late winter the ranks
of ten of the largest departm ents IN
the store were increased by the pres
punched the clock with the rest, in
spite of the delicacy of their hands,
the matchless gloss on their slender
fipgCrnails and the elegance of their
simple street costumes.
In the neckwear department was
the debutante, Wilhelmina Sedgwick,
always most conspicuous in any So
ciety undertaking from a fancy dress
ball to the horse show. In the mil
Hnery department, young Mrs. Sturte-
want Shawger floated around in a new
bouffant morning costume especially
imported for the undertaking from
war-ridden Paris. In the blouse de-
partment, was the be-earringed Mrs
Tom Bradgley, who was a great draw
ing card because of the rather pi-
quaint details of her recent divorce
proceedings. From a business view
point, Frozenstar was to be congrat-
ulated on that acquisition and the
paltry rs per cent that he had to al
low her was but a drop in the bucket
of the sales that took place in the de-
partment where shoppers might even
see her at a distance.
Most attractive of all, was Corinne
Delacroix, at least from Filbert's per-
sonal viewpoint. She had chosen the
more arduouS task of selling furniture
because, as she argued, furniture was
more expensive even than French mil
linery, and rs per cent of her sales
there might really be worth while.
Although Corinne herself was not
especially well known-indeed she
had made her debut only a few weeks
before-as far as family and fortune
went she was the most valuable ac-
QUESTION of them all. And this fact
Filbert FrozenStar, no doubt, had in
mind when he discovered that there
was much in that very furniture de-
partment that needed his personal SUI
pervision-
This debutante sa1eswoman, simply
clad in a neat little frock of black,
guiltless of a single ornament save for
the brilliant sash she wore across her
slender body was ION the floor" ahead
of time that first morning and Hall
Bingley, head of the department, was
giving her instructions about her work
when Frozenstar appeared. He had
intended to get there in time to ex-
plain to Miss Delacroix in person just
what her duties were to be. To be
sure, he was not ashamed of Bingley,
for Bingley was an admirable head of
department His manner was brisk,
his appearance irreproachable and his
tone of voice persuasive. Frozenstar
had often held him up as an ideal to
the other heads of department.
Bingley stepped aside with just the
right manifestation of Difference and
courtesy at the arrival of Frozenstar:
who introduced himself with an air of
studied composure to the attractive
young girl.
Your partner has already explained
things she said.
F'rozenstar tried not to show his an
noyance at having Bingley mistaken
for his equal. "Bingley is my head of
department" he said with stress on
the possessive pronoun. The girl
smiled rather formally and FroZenstar
felt as if he had made a bag begin
ming.
OF course, thought he, it was absurd
for him to be jealous of man like
Bingley, who, in the eyes of Corinne,
was probably no more than a butler
or footman. That she had been talk
ing with apparent ease TO him and
that she spoke to him again frequent
ly during the day, were nothing to
irritate Frozenstar.
Still the irritating thing about it
was that he YVES decidedly ruffled and
that as the hours passed he became
more and more so. At the end of the
first day, he positively detested Bing-