Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1927-02-03
The Queen of
Sheba
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By HI. IRVING KING

was making foray on department
store. 1t occurred to Egbert that he
wanted pair of gloves, so he strolled
over to the counter where they sold
such things. The young woman who
waited on him struck Egbert as being
very attractive indeed. Her voice was
low and well modulated, her manners
easy, her dress very plain but very
neat Was she pretty? Egbert con-
cluded that she was and at every
glance he gave her she seemed to get
prettter and prettier.
Egbert was interested; he bought
two pairs Of gloves-and took as much
time about 1t as he could. The other
girls, keen-eyed lot, whispered to
each other: LOOK at his swell nibs
playing linger longer Lou at the glove
comterl Queenie's made hit" The
queen of Sheba, one of the girls had
called her when she first appeared in
the department stOre-which name
had Stuck" though generally short
ened for everyday use into "Queenie."
On the pay roll of the establishment
Ellis.
Although the girls nicknamed her
they liked her immensely. She lived
just as the other girls lived-that is
to say with a straitened economy.
And she had no gentleman friends"
as most of the others had, to vary
her drab life by excursions to Coney
island and evenings at the movies"
"Too bad" said the other girls,
"Queene ought to see some life. She
could, too, if she wasn't so oftish."
After that first visit to the glove
counter it was marvellous the num-
Der Of pairs of gloves and the number
of neckties Egbert Langton was con-
stantly wanting. Egbert learned
Queenie's name and she learned his
After that it was Miss Ellis and Mr..
Langton, which made it easier and the
acquaintance ripened.
"Miss Ellis" said Egbert one day,
would 1t be presuming too much to
ask to be allowed to call upon your
Queenie looked at him thoughtfully
for a moment and then said with Il
smile: "In the place where l live
there is no reception room-no place
to receive callers"
1--WE might go down to Coney is
land" he suggested. He had always
heard that Coney island was the de-
light of the shop girl.
eyes, we might" replied Queenie.
II have never been to COney island.
Yes-call for me at seven o'clock"
And she gave him her street and num-
ber.
They had delightful time at
Coney. All of it was new to Queenie
and most Of it to Egbert They took
in all the shows, had their fortunes
told; and were happy as two children.
"Mr. LangtOn," said Queenie as they
parted at the door of her rooming
house, ''you must not come to the store
again. You have gloves enough now,
I am sure, to last you for long time.
If you persist in coming there | shall
leave and try to find another job
Langton started to blurt out some in
coherent remarks about love and mar
riage; but Queenie stopped him with:
Don't talk, please. | mean it. Don't
come to the shop again for six months.
Goodnight" And she was up the
steps and in at the door.
Egbert walked away meditating. He
had nearly proposed marriage to a
shop girl. He pictured the fury of his
aristocratic relations at such an alli-
ance. Yet wasn't that what he had
been looking forward to all the time?
And why shouldn't he marry her? His
relations might go hang; the decision
lay with Queenie. And-and-she had
banished him from her presence for
six monthsl
Egbert went off for little run in
Europe, but six months from the day
of the Coney island trip he walked
into the department store-to buy a
pair of gloves. A strange girl was
behind the glove counter. He sought
the floor walker. Miss Ellis had left
the day before; lie had no idea where
she had gone. The floor walker In
terviewed the other girls. He could
get no trace of Queenie-she had dis
appeared from her lodgings as myste-
riously and completely as she had
from the shop. 1t was a desperate
and baffled young man who walked
out of the department store-Without
buying a pair of gloves. He thought
of ''personal ads" in the papers, and
private detectives While meditating
which of these courses to resort to be
dressed himself for Mrs. Van Dunder-
berg's dinner, which he had promised
to attend that night.
"Oh Bert, dear" said Mrs. Van
Dunderberg, 81 have the loveliest girl
for YOU to take in to dinner; Kittie
Clavering. She's so Intellectual and
so interested in social welfare work
besides being great heiress-and
she's Just finished the sweetest expert
ment: she's been living for year as
a shop girl, just to study conditions.
Here she is now" And the queen of
Sheba-and of the glove counter-ap-
preached.
The honeymoon was over and they
were beginning to feel quite like old
married people when one day Egbert
said: What was it they used to call
you at the department store?"
"Queenie?"
mo, the longer name"
"Oh, the queen of Sheba."
"Thats it. Well, FIN Sheba-whO-
ever or whatever that was-and you
are queen thereof"
"Don't talk nOnsense-Of course ]
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