The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-10-21
How Sally Improved
John
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BY RICHARD cOE

- trimmed spectacles-a pinch
back suit-and foolish grin"
Sally Richart gave a last touch of
the comb to her smart red bob and
moved aside from the dressing-room
mirror to make way for her<friend.
Hes simply awful" she continued
while she waited for Winnie to make
herself beautiful And I'm so sick
of the men around this place. did
hope that Mcnamara would get some
thing worth while in the way of a
bookkeeper as long as he fired poor,
old Jameson but this thing-my gra-
cious, he's terriblel'
The two girls. returning from their
luncheon, locked arms and strolled
back to the Office
There he is" said Sally with a
clutch at Winnie's arm. The girls
moved loftily by the young man COM
ing down the hall He looked at them
shyly and hopefully but their glances
passed over him as though he had
been lamp-post, nevertheless each
itemized exactly the points already
noted: ears certainly rather large. and
nk-spectacles-a last years suit
and the friendly, eager smile.
From the top of her head to the sole
of her foot Sally was as trim and
smart as fashion-plate, and she
hated shabby. stupid people. Sally
was a clever, pretty girl and she
meant to get on. She had a gift of
mimicry and scarcely a day passed
that she did not have something new
to tell of the ridiculous ways of John
Hendricks, the new bookkeeper. Jeer-
ing laughter ran about the Office like
darting flame whenever he came out
of his inner Office But Hendricks
never knew they were laughing at
him.
Poor Hendricks had a slavish desire
to please and hold his job and the
girls specially despised him when they
found out he was doing old jamie
sons work at half his pay.
He hung around at lunch time to
be invited to lunch with some of the
boys, but nobody asked him-Sally's
jeers had reached them, too, and they
thought him sap" of the worst sort.
He had been in the Office two months
and nobody knew where he lived or
anything about him-and nobody
wanted to.
Then one day he had bright idea
he thought about it all the week and
on Saturday he kept putting his hand
in his pocket to feel the little white
envelope there.
1t was quarter to twelve and all
the girls, freshly combed and pow
dered, were waiting for the welcome
twelve strokes that would release
them for the half holiday, when Hend-
ricks marched out of his office with
an even larger and more amiable
smile than usual.
1--WE got two tickets for a matt
nee" he announced, who'll go with
me?" and waited for the rush.
Nobody answered, and Hendricks
turned to the nearest girl, but she
hurriedly said she had an engagement
and that engagement proved con-
tagious everybody had it. Nobody
would admit now that they weren't
dated up" thought Sally shrewdly.
But Hendricks smile began to fade
and he grew little white Suddenly
it occurred to Sally that his eyes had
the look of a friendless dog. stoned
and driven from every door. sud
den fury seized her at the shutting
girls and their covert smiles Her
cheeks flushed, and, as the boy got to
the end Of his painful circle. she
stepped forward. "Why don't you ask
me, Mr.. Hendricks? 1 haven't got an
engagement she said
A half-suppressed shrek of laugh
ter went up around them but Sally
scarcely noticed it, she was so amazed
by the joy and gratitude that shone
in John Hendricks eyes. Il wanted
to ask you most OF ALL" he said later,
"bnt / didn't dare"
When he took her to a cafeteria for
lunch and marched her up to rear
balcony seats, Sally wondered why
she had done it. II must have been
crazy" she thought. But before the
play began and during the intermis-
sions John Hendricks told her his
simple history. He had never gone
anywhere with a girl before. His
mother had been widow and an in
valid, and Sally saw a picture of the
boy who went to work at fifteen and
did most of the housework at night.
Working in night classes after days
toll left him no leisure, and he GER
tainly had no money for pleasure. Now
his mother was dead, he tod her
huskily, and he was alone. But, Of
course, he had good job and he was
going to work for promotion.
'tAre you crying at the showf" he
asked anxiously, don't you think it's
funny?'
ITS perfect scream" she an
swered promptly.
One of the girls did not turn up at
the Office on Monday, and It developed
that she was Ill. When she got bet