Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-09-23
CHAPTER III

Brenda Selz, the dark, good-looking
buyer in the Gift Shop,had been in love
with Paul Bradley for a number OF
years.
Not that he encouraged her. Her in
vitations to intimate little dinners in
her apartment had been politely but
firmly declined by him. Definitely ne
did not believe in mixing business
with social relations, in so far as the
latetr could be avoided, and most GER
tainly never with the women execu-
tives and employees in the store.
But Brenda was the aggressive, go
get-it-type, and at twenty-eight years
of age she knew what she wanted. In
Vulnerable conferences with Paul Brad
ley over a long period had drawn them
closer together, she considered. In a
great store, everyone working there
knows everyone else's business, by a
kind of grapevine telegraph. The very
walls have ears. Believing in the Nigh
ty power of suggestion, Brenda was
not averse to subtly letting it be
known that one of those days, there
might be an increasing announcement
merchandise manager.
concerning herself and the handsome
On this morning of late October
when she saw him step out of the
elevator to the main floor with a
smartly attired young girl who might
we'll have sat for a picture entitled:
"The Promise of Spring." her face
clouded.
For the merchandise-manager look
ed gay, attentive. Shaken out of his
protective armour as the burst of q
bulb in April sunshine, or chrysalis
into butterfly, or what have you?
He came directly towards Brenda
with the young girl.
"This is Miss Ann Delafield who
has Joined us as comparison-shoppe1
Miss Selz. We must prove her origin,
ality. I rely on you to give her point
ers." His voice, thought Brenda, haC
a lifting quality as he turned his
handsome gaze on the new arrival.
Assuming false sweetnes, Brends
murmured that she would be delighted
But when he had gone, her stare
sharp as a gimlet, flicked Ann from
shoes to pert little hat. 1t seemed tt
say: Here's a new Adversary
though what Brenda did say was thai
she supposed the newcomer was full
of high-falutin' ideas, but the only
thing that counted in this game was
Profit!
"You have long way to go, Miss
Delafield. A hard road" She added
tartly: "You understand that Mr.
Bradley is starting you practically al
the bottom?"
"a comparison-shopper-" begar
Ann.
eve call it a girl-spy"-with a WY
smile. "You run from store to store
finding if they're underselling us. It''
practically leg-work."
"Cat!" thought Ann. "The Parl
Aveneue crowd has nothing on a de
partment store when it comes to jeal
ousy! I'll have to watch my step will
this one!"
"I'm delighted to begin at the bot
tom, and Pm very grateful to MI
Bradley" said Ann.
"You should be. It's his creativ
policy, his brains and power that ar
responsible for the success of the or
ganization. But don't get away witt
the idea that he's easy to please, fo
he isn't. And don't for a minute thinl
that you can vamp him, and get ahea'
on your looks. Just because he's givel
you a chance doesn't mean"
"I had letter of introduction from
Mr.. Thomas F. Barclay, one of tn
owners of this store" Ann interrupt
ed, nettled. 81 happened to go t
boarding-school in Paris with one o
his granddaughters, chum of mine
But as a matter of fact was engage
to work here without even presenting
it."
This was a natural but scarcel
tactful speech, considering the perso
to whom it was addressed had ha
the larger part of her education i
the teeming sidewalks of the Ghetto.
There was a moments pause be
fore Brenda said sharply: eve don
play favorites, Miss Delafield, no mat
ter what your background"
With a hot flush, Ann recollecte
Paul Bradley's similar injunction, an
his phrase: zone can't bring ones elt
gance into a department store" Sh