Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-07

canvas packaee, raised his nat and
strobe down the bricked walk to the
IL II was pleasant sitting there on the
porch, looking down the red path pc
tween the sweet. scented box and watcn :
ins the mans straight form stepping
briskly down the road toward the VII
jnse. She hoped her father would do
business with the stranger. She rather
liked him for his gentle courtesy. his
evident refinement. and she may have
woven him into her day dreams az sne
waited for her frientis. to come for
cup of ten and A. bit pf girlish chatter.
Alice Westerly. came first. and she
was plaintively indignant. II thougnt
would never get away, sne com
planned as she stirred her tea: Motner
had letter from her sister this morn ,
Ing and Aunt Lettie is all upset, ann ann,
I'VE talked about the matter until ielt
vacuum cleaner in the world
Vacuum cleaner" murmured Bar
harm feebly, her brown eyes started.
HWhy-why talk about vacuum clean
crs on a, pretty day like thisy'
"Why not talk about themf MY
cousin. Rod Marvin, has gone on the
road selling them--not as wholesale
proposition, but just house to- house
canvass; he's an agent--some day ne
will come to your house," she added,
gloomily.
"I hope SOL"
"Why? Because he IL handsome and
rich?" asked Alice bluntly.
erich? His father Is the head OF the
whole industry. Like most rich mems
sons. Rod is learning the business from
the ground up. He can make 'em. he
saws, and now they have put him in the
sales department, of which one day he
is TO be the head. Uncle Dick says Rod
will make good. Aunt Lettie says her
poor boy must not be Inundated, and
we think Rods good sport!' ..
"He really is--and I hope he will
succeed" declared Barbara. as she
poured another cup of tea.
"He has the most captivating man
ner--he could charm the birds from the
trees, and he could make any woman
buy a cleaner, whether she wanted 1t
or not "
"He couldn't persuade me to buy
one," retorted Barbara.
"Barby Did he come here" Alice
caught her friends little hands and
held them captive.
about an hour ago. confessed Bar
bara, ner cheeks hot.
"How funny! And you thought he
wa9 real agent and turned him
awdy?" gigglei Alice,
II sent him to father-he was very
co,rteous-nnd nice. I gave h,m a
glass Of iced emonade--there. that 8
sil!' Barbara was furious with her.
self for blushing. with Alice for her
inane giggling and above all with Rod
ney Marvin, who was beginning at the
bottom by selling vacuum cleaners.
"And hate vacuum cleaners" she
burst forth viciously.
Voices sounded from the hall and
three people came into the veranda-
Barbara's parents and Mr.. Rodney
Marvin, cool. calm. immaculate.
"Thank you, Mr.. Greye," he was
saying, "your order shall be the first
one on my book" and he scribbled in
n new notebook, while all of them
looked at him with varied degrees of
interest.
Mrs. Greye thought he was n
promising young business man. Her
husband coveted him as n partner in
his business. Alice Westerly thought
Rodney was very ''ncrvy" to invade
the homes Of the we'll to do and make
himself so thoroughly one of them
while he concealed his identity.
What did Barbara think? She never
told any one for many months. and
when she did speak-she told Rodney.
And on the day of the wedding the
electric current was turned into the
town of Meadowbank, and it is safe
to calculate that in every household
there was q Marvin vacuum cleaner.