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Show EF"FBBBBBBBBjBBBBMBBBBBBjBbBbBBI LITTLE NUMBER SEVEN By T. A. TEFFT. No. 7 was noticeably disturbed. She sat on the bench reserved for tho cash girls and drummed her foot or pulled viciously at her pigtail of Bandy hair. Indeed, so low was hor frame of mind that she failed to robuko one of tho smaller girls who asked for tho loan of her chawing gum for a few mln utes, but took It from hor mouth nnd handed It over qulto absent minded-ly. minded-ly. Miss Joy was unhappy, and therefore there-fore No. 7 suffered. Miss Joy, you must know, was tho head young lady at tho ribbon counter, coun-ter, and, according to No. 7'b views, was the personification of all things beautiful, though this Isn't tho way No. 7 expressed It Miss Joy called "Cash!" In the most musical of voices, never scolded If you wero a little slow In bringing the chango, wore tho nobbiest nob-biest Bhlrt waists and tho largest pompadour In tho store, and was adored by No. 7. Bomebody else liked Miss Joy, too, and this was Mr. Gary, the floorwalker, floorwalk-er, No. 7 know that he walked down Miss Joy's alslo twice as often as he did down the others, and seemed to display tho greatest alacrity In showing show-ing shoppers to the ribbon counter. He sometimes took Miss Joy to tbe theater, and one blissful night they had allowed No. 7 to go with them. Oh, It was splendid! There were two villains In the play, and tho hero killed both of them, which, however, didn't prevent them from passing In front of the curtain with the rest of I Thought of Some Way to Hsal This All-Too-Evldent Breach. I tho company In response to a "call" but they wero very prdperly hissed, J so that was nil right. Then after tho 1 play there won Ico cream, ns much as she could eat, so altogether It was n glorious evening for No, 7. Hut this morning things wero In a I bad state. Miss Joy's eyes wero red as If sho had been crjlng she said sho had a bad cold and ns for Mr. Gary well, anybody could eon that ho was miserable. He scolded all the cash girls, Including No. 7, who stuck hor tongue out at him, and bo deep was his mlfsery that ho wore a black cravat his tasto usually ran to bright reds and green. With her two best friends so unhappy, how could No, 7 bo otherwise? So as she sat on the bench sho thought of soma way to heal this ull-too-evlont breach. Her gloomy reflections were Interrupted Inter-rupted by the shrill cry of "Cash hero!" nnd sho arose with much reluctance reluc-tance to answer tho call, which camo from the glovo counter, where a sweet-faced young lady wns waiting for her parcel and change. She was all In black, with n bunch of violets pinned on her fur collar: and sho must have seen the wistful look In No, 7's eOB, for she said smilingly.: smil-ingly.: "wouldn't you like thorn?" nnd without waiting for n reply pressed tho (lowers Into tho grimy hand of tho little cash girl. "Oh, thank you, ma'am!" gasped No. 7, her face radiant with pleasure, and sho walked back to her placo on the bench like a home-coming conqueror con-queror laden with tho spolla of victory. vic-tory. Sho burled her noso In tho fragrant purple maBs with a long sigh of satisfaction, satis-faction, then an Idea popped suddenly sudden-ly Into her head, and sho walked over to tho ribbon counter, whore Miss Joy stood listless and said "Miss Joy, hero's something for you," sho Bald, soborly extending tho flowers. "For mo? Oh, thank you, NtH," answered MIsb Joy. "How nice of you to give thorn to me." "I didn't," stammered No. 7 sho was telling her first He "they aro from Mr. Gary. Hu Bays he's awfully Borry he hurt yer foelln's." MIbs Joy's smile was like long-delayed sunshine, and Just then, ob luck would hnvo It, Mr. Gary walked by. "Mr. Gary," sho called Boftly. Ho camo up to her with eager hasto. "Harry," sho added, softer still, "1 know I'vo been hateful; forglvo mo" And then No, 7 lied, for sho know her work was ended, |
