The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-20
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MONDAY was sale day at Bar
/ Iva clay's. Monday was the day
the basement invariably reached its
peak for the whole week.
The girls dreaded Mondays. Most
Of them on Sunday critically exam
| ined the store advertisements to de-
termine which counters were to be
inundated. That particular Mon
day Ellen and Jenny Elkins, her
counter mate, were the victims.
Their counter drew a large and
vociferous proportion of the crowd.
Nineteen-cent cretonne, hundreds
of bolts, apparently we're passion
ately desired by every woman In
New York.
Ellen, as she mechanically cut
| lengths of gay colored material and
tossed them to the wrapper, as she
tried vainly to keep some order
among the bolts on the counter, as
she again and again assured cross
and weary shoppers that any one
of the patterns was precisely what
was wanted for summer draperies,
had not minute to think of her
self or of Larry.
She had dreamed of him the
night before. No dream had a
chance of survival at Barclays on
Monday morning.
Toward IL, Ellen began to notice
that Jenny Elkins, a little chatter
box of 10, was strangely silent. Or
dinarily, nothing could stop Jenny's
active tongue.
She always was talking and gig
Cling between sales or during them,
calmly oblivious of the fury of her
customers. Ellen missed her cheer
full chatter and her breathless con-
fidences of what "the boy friend"
had said or done the night before.
During temporary lull, she VEN
tureed to move to Jenny's end of
the counter to ask how she had
spent the weekend.
THE other girl continued max
Il ing out her sales slip. Since
Jenny did not speak, Ellen decided
that she had not heard the ques-
ton. She repeated it. Jenny raised
a flushed face.
Doing nothing much" she an
swered coolly.
"I haven't done anything to Of
fend you, have I? Ellen asked in
surprise.
"Of course not" Jenny responded
airily.
She tore off the sales slip, handed
the carbon to her customer and
affably urged the perspiring woman
to come again to Barclays,
She was SO affable that the Gus
toner looked a bit startled as she
hurried away She was less startled
than Ellen. Ellen knew how Jenny
felt about customers.
Unfortunately at that moment
her attention was diverted by re-
newed run on cretonneS. She was
compelled to dash back to her own
place.
Eventually she decided to ask
Jenny to lunch with her. She really
preferred to lunch alone, but she
had no intention of permitting her
countermate to sulk over an mag
mary injury.
At the stroke of IL and before
Ellen had a chance to speak, Jenny
disappeared. That was odd, too.
Generally there was some casual
discussion of luncheon plans.
Ellen ran toward the employees
stairway and caught up with Jenny
who was making her way to the
rest room.
III set you up to lunch if you
don't go over SO cents" she offered
guilefully, knowing how broke Jenny
invariably was.
Sorry" answered Jenny.
"Look here" Ellen began sud-
denly and with spirit, eff you're an
noyed with me over something, in
sist that you tell me what it is"
II n
TINE stairs were full of hurrying
Il girls. All at once Ellen was
possessed of the notion that Jenny
did not wish to be seen with her.
Certainly she was galloping up to
the stairs in an unusual manner.
Tell me-" she urged again.
cts nothing" Jenny responded
sulkily.