The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-06-07
Dress Goods a la
King
By r. RAY BAKER


e, 1922, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
Agnes Morton appeared to be in n
OF her cold, calculating moods this
afternoon; but Cecil Sargent had the
temerity to approach her, and not on
a matter of business connected with
CHAMBERS 4 Chalmers, wholesale deal
ers IN dress goods. 1t was a more
personal subject that he had to breach
"a much more personal subject.
He stopped at her desk and idgeted
for u few seconds, shifting his weight
from Il foot to another. Agnes ap-
peared unusually beautiful this MORN
ing; in fact. Cecil could find only n
word to describe her, and that was
"gorgeous"-and of course that wasn't
the right word.
CeciFs hesitation was not occasioned
by the fact that the young woman was
his boss, by reason of her holding the
position as sales manager, while he
was but a salesman. He felt trepi-
dalton because he knew he was not in
her good graces she had showed 1t
all too plainly on more than II oe-
casion of late. But he just had to
speak once more concerning the SUBJ
Ject that made his world go round
Agnes" he said, in a voice that al
most faltered, isn't it about time you
set the date for our wedding?'
She looked up from the letter she
was reading and smiled slightly, rath-
per pityingly, it seemed.
well, hardly she returned. II
don't remember that | have definitely
accepted your offer Of marriage as
yet. l was considering 1t some time
, ago, I'll admit, but you've been such
a wretched business failure lately that
I'm on the point of giving it up. You
don't imagine l want to marry a fall
ure, do you? Do you realize you
haven't sold a hundred dollars worth
of goods in a month";"
Cecil realized it all too well. But
what was he to do? He was a good
salesman, and he knew it; but he had
been so worried lately over Agnes that
he couldn't keep his mind on his work.
Every time he failed to make a sale
he sank that much lower in her esti-
nation, and every time he dropped a
: notch in that respect he lost just so
much of his business ability. 1t was
an endless chain. with nothing but dis
aster pulling on the end of it.
II know it," he confessed in an
swer to her indictment, but if you
would only give me some definite en-
couragement, perhaps I'd come back
as a salesman. You've got me worried,
Agnes"
She tapped her lips with the eraser
end of a pencil and studied him in
tently. He was q nice looking young
man, she realized that, and he was
bright and clever. too Still, those
things counted for naught unless they
brought results. Agnes had no inten-
ton of supporting a husband When
4he became tied ~ q npptlqll knot she
Ing manner she realized that he was
becoming careless in regard TO his ap-
pearance.
Don't you Think" she suggested,
that a shoe shine would help to sell
goods? And do you know that your
tie is crooked and the pointed end of
your tie-pin is sticking out like a
sword. And you have a dinner EN-
gagement with Adelaide ANDERSON this
evening; don't forget that"
"Tell you what I'll do" she contin-
ued. "if you sell Miss Anderson a good
bill of goods I'll set the date! How
is that for something d%efinite?"
Cecil gulped.
"Oh, all right, fine !" he replied, and
went away, feeling more discouraged
then ever.
Sell a good bill of goods to AIDE
laide Anderson, eh? That would be
q h~erculean task. Adelaide represent
ed Smith & Brown, the biggest dress
goods buyers in the state. Every time
she came to town the salesmen made a
wild scramble to see her; but for three
years Chalmers & Chalmers had not
sold her for a cent, although n of
their representatives always took lIer
out to dinner. James Brothers had
been the lucky ones, and Cecil knew
the reason. They employed a "he
yamp for q salesman, a f~asllion-plate
of a dude, one Henry Walters, who
charmed Adelaide-somewhat of a
'yamp" herself-into buying goods.
Women in business certainly were
making a mess of things. Agnes was
too practical and Adelaide too unprac-
teal. The former demanded too close
adherence to business principles and
the latter had no regard for them. The
man who could captivate Adelaide with
his clothes was the one who landed
the order, and Cecil certainly was not
a good dresser; that is, he could not
90 to extremes. Henry Walters
stunned her with his clothes and made
her buy while she was unconscious.
Thus Cecil soliloquized as he made
his way to the street. In a very I'M
pleasant dream he walked along, until
suddenly a flash of red from a window