Show I STORE RULES 1 By Norman Norma A A. A Dishes THE clerk newly moved from f the second floor Boor to the third floor of the Emporium straightened his tie coughed and looked again at the elderly lady sitting on the sofa in the lounge section of the furniture department She was small mall and neat with her hair gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered in a knot snot beneath her small hat Finally the clerk decided to approach her Pardon me madam Is there something I can do for you Why thank you no she rel reI re- re I l plied piled I I thought perhaps you were wait- wait ling to see something 1 Oh no I sit here every dayI day I I II I come come coma In the morning and just jus justI t I i sit here until noon and then someI sometimes some some- times my friends have lunch with wit h I me ime me Then I sit here in the afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon and visit with all sorts o of f people people until the store closes an and d l its it's time to go home I The clerk stared at her with h that sort of JI tol I wonder if this lad ladis lady y Is quite alright look The little e lady recognized the look No Im I'm quite sane Its It's just that I live all alone in a very ry small house and I get so lonely I have no relatives relative I came he here re one day to shop and I found this thi s lounge Jounge on the third floor Boor so I sa sat t down to rest I decided this was a s anice anice nice place to meet people See rt 1 Does the management kno know w f about this Well the young man that ha had d this Soar floor until yesterday just le let t me fine sit here as s long as I wished dry d The other ollier young man was ve venice very ry nice did you know him I 1 Yes but he was fired for disagreeing disagreeing dis dis- di s sr agreeing with the manager over ove r some point Say how long ave e you rou been doing this I dont don't know the clerk hesitated hesi hes I Im sure it m must st be against again st the Ithe store rules What's your name U Martha Tillman I Well Martha Ill I'll have to speak ak to the manager about It I 1 don dont t want want to get into trouble I I Oh I dont don't want to cause ye you u any any trouble Martha assured him I Til ll speak to Mr r r. r Halley all abou abo it L e w.- w. r out it t hes he's in in charge and he should know enow whether its it's alright or not The clerk left and Martha wondered wondered won won- wondered dered if she were going to have to to stop top coming to the store It wasso was wasso wasso so pica nic nice to be able to sit and folk falk to 0 people It was so lonely in her small house Hello hello Martha a voice interrupted her thoughts Why hello Johnny Martha re- re plied lied Johnny was a tall good looking looking look- look ing ng boy I heard you lost your job ob Johnny Yep but Im I'm not worried It was only because I disagreed with Mr Halley about the arrangement of some displays He hates to be contradicted by a clerk Oh well so it goes Did you meet the new clerk Yes I did Johnny but I dont don't think he likes me I z I I think hes he's frightened about i keeping his job Everyone is really decent Johnny John John- ny some people worry a lot that's alL all Martha looked at Johnnys Johnny's face Maybe so but he must worry a lot Well I have to go I have an appointment at The Personnel Manager is a neighbor of I mine and he offered me a job as ash I manager of their furniture depart depart- ment meat I Why Johnny that's fine Do they have a rest lounge over over I there I Z I think so yes they do Why I Well Well I was just thinking if it its iti wasn't against the rules maybe I 1 could just as well sit over there I would meet a lot Jot of pew peo- peo plea pie Marthas Martha's eyes sparkled 1 Why not by gosh it If I run the then I floor you can pitch a tent there if you want Johnny smiled at her e CO r i iThe The Boor floor clerk was just returning returning return return- ing tug as Martha and Johnny got up If anyone should ask you about me tell them Ill I'll be over in the swank lounge in the furniture department department department de de- of she told him Then she turned on her toes and marched off down the stairs hax hanging g da daintily on Johnnys Johnny's arm |