Nogales international., 1931-03-18
Seventh Installment

0VVV44SA 4AO&SA14444S@4S
Maggie Johnson, whose father is letter
carrier, is the domestic drudge of the humble
home where her mother does little except
bemoan the, fact that she has seen better
days" and her sister Liz. who works in a
get the family breakfast before she starts
out to her job in the Five-and- Ten-Cent
Store.
There's a new boy at the Five-and- Ten,
Joe Grant. He tells Maggie that ne mas Il oeeh
assigned to work as her helper in the stock
room. He seems rather dumb, but Maggie
helps him through his first day at the store
and shares her lunch with him in cuoby-
hole of "a place that belongs to 2 I'm mattress
factory next door to the Five-and-l len.
They are looking over some cheap picture
cards One of them has a motto that strike
Maggie's fancy. The way to begin the ideal
life is to begin She and H., zoe th tas sir1 10S Sas
higher standards than he. had suspected
When he goes home that night he IS think
ing about Maggie. And his home is the home
Of the owner of the Mack Five and len.
Cent Stores, though Maggie does not suspect
that he is the boss son.
Maggie. at home, begins to suspect
that her mothers complaints are que 20
that ladys belief that happiness depends
upon material things, while at the store
probation of the realities of lite:
Toe knew that Maggie was falling IN love
with him before Maggie discovered it. But
he was little slow in discovering that me-
in turn, was falling in love with maggie
Rut he admitted to himself that his admlra-
tion for her was growing, and the girls IN
the store began to notice something d1tter-
Maggie's interest in her. job stimulates
Toes own He begins to think perhaps II
isn't so bad after all to have to work IN +aii, tIT
store. And he and Maggie begin TO taiN
aboutAlove.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
She had begun by laughing, boldly.
But she had sobered, to listen to him.
1ashes wide, lips slightly parted. little
felt hat pushed back to show film OF
gold across her earnest forehead. Il ne
colour had ebbed from her tace, ana
putting her elbows on the table, she
had covered her face with her hands
those small hard, red hands that Joe
found so infinitely pathetic.
"God help me, it's that way with
me now, joel" she whispered, not
meeting his eyes.
They walked back to the store in
absolute silence.
One night in early February, 1t
CHANGED that at the Merrill table there
were dining but three men: George
Howard Merrill, president of the en-
tire chain of stores, his trusty right.
hand man and general manager, one
Frank Flint, and the son of the house,
Toseph Grant Mackenzie Merrill.
The last named was included in the
.r+v merely hecause he happened to
be in the house, with no dinner en-
qagement and because wild rain was
falling. George Merrill cared no longer
whether his son and heir came' or
went.
Yet he had blindly idolized his son.
That young Joe had shown a Ia
mentable indifference to society, and
had funked in college, after disposlng
of a small fortune in various idiotlc,
if not actually harmful ways, had been
a bitter blow to the fathers honest,
hard working pride.
Since, however, he was actually liv-
ing, they had begun, for the first time
in his twenty years, to permit him, IN
their disgust and disappointment, to
find his own level.
So that on this particular evening,
upon seeing three places set at the
family board his father, scowlingly In
terrogating the butler, merely shrugged
when the answer was that the third
place was for Mr.. Joseph.
"Oh, he don't matter y said George
Merrill. 1--WE want to talk business.
But Mr.. Joe's all right. He won't
hear word we say|
Il wish he would" Frank Flint,
big, rosy silver-headed man, said po-
litely. 1--WE want that boy in the
business, some day.
Mr.. Merrill responded simply:
Frank, 1 don't know what he's doing,
or what he wants to dol They're too
much for me, nowadays. He's busy
about something-it won't last. But
while it keeps him out of mischief
or out of jail
I'D be glad enough to have him
get interested in the Mack. If he
seems to catch on to anything tonight,
as we talk, Frank, see if you can draw
him out
Sorry to be late" said Joe, at this
point, coming in.
you're not late" his father assured
him ungraciously. Sometimes, in the
course of the last few years, his dis
appointment in this boy has risen al
most to actual hatred.
But Just of late, ever since, in fact,
that terrible scene when his mother
had called him "commoner, without
one single gentlenlanly instinct in his
mind or soul" and when he, his father,
had shouted at Joe that he was no
better than a pickpocket, there had
seemed to be a queer change in the
boy.
Tired, Joe?"
81 beg pardon?"
"Say you look tired, my boy. Re
Search" said George Merrill with
a wink for his general manager.
"Nope Yes, l am little tired.
Not much" Joe said unsatisfactory,
falling upon his soup.
Then Joe said mildly, in pause
"You say that it's the ruined stock
that costs in the Mack Stores-not the
labour. I've thought of that. 1t seems
to me that every day enough collars
and writing paper and candy and toys
and socks fall on the floor and are