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Show Peachey Gets a J Promotion I j Ey H. IRVING KING (Copyright.) DEACHEY WALTON had officiated j behind the gilded wire of the cash-, cash-, ler's desk in Roberts & Co.'s restaurant restau-rant for five years. Her real "front name" was Mary Ellen; but they called her Peachey because of her peachblow complexion, which she retained re-tained unimpaired In spite of the fact that she had seen twenty-five years which she acknowledged and two more which she ignored in the reckoning. reckon-ing. Peachey was a wonder at figures; fig-ures; you could swear to all her accounts ac-counts without checking them up except her account of her age. She was efficient and well aware of het efficiency ; good looking and well aware of her good looks; popular with the customers and proud of tier popularity. She could give correct change for a two-dollar bill, exchange repartee with an old customer and sit on a young man inclined to "get fresh" at one and the same time. Her wages were fair; she supported her widowed mother and made tier indolent younger brother work the latter no small Job Roberts had long ago died out of the firm of Roberts & Co.; and "Co." whose other name was Perkins was sole proprietor of the establishment which boasted of giving the best cup of coffee for five cents that could he purchased for that modest sum on Manhattan island to say nothing of Staten Island. Long Island and the Bronx. Mr. Perkins was getting aloD in- years, but none of his employees ever thought of his ever retiring. Rob erts & Co. without Perkins was slin ply a thing Impossible to imagine. Then one day a great, big bomb fell into the establishment and blew up all ancient traditions. Mr. Perkins announced an-nounced that he had sold out to 8 man Darned Thomas Carllngford. The employees were all in a flutter. i lie irMnuitiiii ui uuuci La w w aa an institution and a conservative one; and those who patronized It regarded any change iD It as little short of sac rilege. They were all sure they were going to hate the new proprietor, who would probably be brimming over with innovations. Thomas Carllngford appeared. He was a man In his late thirties. They had expected an older man. The changes he made were few and unimportant. un-important. Things jogged along as usual. In a month the regular customers cus-tomers were calling the new proprle tor Tom. The cashier's department was the only one over which Tom ex erclsed a painstaking and eveD nagging nag-ging supervision. He was constantly hovering around f'eachey's gilded cage and made her stay behind every after noon, when the night cashier came on, and go over her accounts with him. He never called her Peachey. as the others did. but Miss Walton, and treated her with a formality some what marked. Peachey thought be might be "splendid" If he only were Dot so fussy. She wondered whether he suspected her of dlshooesty that he was always keeping an eye on her. Then one day when Tom and Peachey were In the proprietor's little office going over the accounts, he too!; what Peachey considered bd unpardonable unpar-donable liberty. "Miss Walton," said he "1 must request that you will cease chatting with the young men patrons of this establishment when they go to pay their bills." "My," said Peachey In surprise and not a little resentment, "I don't chat with them. They are regular customers custom-ers were here long before you ap peared on the scene and we just ex change a few pleasantries with each other. I don't see where the harm Is." "Well." replied Tom, frowning. "I don't like It. Let -us go on with the accouots." Peachey felt like telling Tom thai he could keep his old job she would have no more of It. But there was the mother to' be considered and brother Bob was out of a Job again. There were tears In Peachey's eyes by the time she reached her own door and then a smile broke over the face of Peachey "Oh golly." she said half aloud ; "I wonder If I've hit It I If have oh, Joy !" And she went Into the house, astonishing her mother by breaking into song. TKrt ... . r-o cIiq fhontrht rf tho mat. ter the surer she was that she was right In her surmises, and entered the ; restaurant In an extremely cheerful I state of mind the nert morniog. Bui her faith In her own prescience was badly shaken when Tom, In a solemn manoer. called her Into his office, and. after fidgeting a little, said: "Miss Walton, I have decided to get a new cashier." Peachey looked at him hard. He seemed to be terribly embarrassed "Why. what's the- matter with me?" she asked. "Oh. nothing." stammered Torn "only, you see that Is, I have another position la mind for you." "Really? What Is the pay? What Is It?" "As to the pay." said Tom. "there is do salary attached; but but oh. confound It! Can't you see? Haven't you understood? I want you to be my wife." "And the reason you raised such n row about my talking with the younc men customers was because " "Because I was Jealous, I guess.' replied Tom sheepishly. "I guessed right, then." ericl Peachey, and began to laugh. Bui Tom caught her In his arms and mothered her laughter with klgse. |