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The driver of the auto sped his machine without a

word。  He was masked beyond guess in the goggles

and diabolic garb of the chauffeur。



〃Much obliged; old man;〃 called  Hopkins; grate…

fully。  〃I guess you've got sporting blood in you;

all right; and don't admire the sight of two men

trying to soak one。  Little more and I'd have been

pinched。〃



The chauffeur made no sign that he had heard。

Hopkins shrugged a shoulder and chewed at his

cigar; to which his teeth had clung grimly through…

out the melee。



Ten minutes and the auto turned into the open

carriage entrance of a noble mansion of brown stone;

and stood still。  The chauffeur leaped out; and said:

〃Come quick。  The lady; she will explain。  It is

the great honor you will have; monsieur。  Ah; that

milady could call upon Armand to do this thing!

But; no; I am only one chauffeur。〃



With vehement gestures the chauffeur conducted

Hopkins into the house。  He was ushered into a small

but luxurious reception chamber。  A lady; young; and

possessing the beauty of visions; rose from a chair。

In her eyes smouldered a becoming anger。  Her high…

arched; threadlike brows were ruffled into a delicious

frown。



〃Milady;〃 said the chauffeur; bowing low; 〃I have

the honor to relate to you that I went to the house of

Monsieur Long and found him to be not at home。  As

I came back I see this gentleman in combat against

bow you say … greatest odds。  He is fighting with

five … ten … thirty men … gendarmes; aussi。  Yes;

milady; he what you call 'swat' one … three … eight

policemans。  If that Monsieur Long is out I say to

myself this Gentleman be will serve milady so well; and

I bring him here。〃



〃Very well; Armand;〃 said the lady; 〃you may

go。〃 She turned to Hopkins。



〃I sent my chauffeur;〃 she said; 〃to bring my

cousin; Walter Long。  There is a man in this house

who has treated me with insult and abuse。  I have

complained to my aunt; and she laughs at me。  Ar…

mand says you are brave。  In these prosaic days men

who are both brave and chivalrous are few。  May I

count upon your assistance?〃



John Hopkins thrust the remains of his cigar into

his coat pocket。  He looked upon this winning

creature and felt his first thrill of romance。  It was a

knightly love; and contained no disloyalty to the flat

with the flea…bitten terrier and the lady of his choice。

He bad married her after a picnic of the Lady Label

Stickers' Union; Lodge No。 2; on a dare and a bet of

new hats and chowder all around with his friend; Billy

McManus。  This angel who was begging him to

come to her rescue was something too heavenly for

chowder; and as for hats … golden; jewelled crowns

for her!



〃Say;〃 said John Hopkins; 〃just show me the guy

that you've got the grouch at。  I've neglected my

talents as a scrapper heretofore; but this is my busy

night。〃



〃He is in there;〃 said the lady; pointing to a

closed door。  〃Come。  Are you sure that you do not

falter or fear?〃



〃Me?〃 said John Hopkins。  〃Just give me one of

those roses in the bunch you are wearing; will you?〃



The lady gave him a red; red rose。  John Hopkins

kissed it; stuffed it into his vest pocket; opened the

door and walked into the room。  It was a handsome

library; softly but brightly lighted。  A young man

was there; reading。



〃Books on etiquette is what you want to study;〃

said John Hopkins; abruptly。  〃Get up here; and I'll

give you some lessors。  Be rude to a lady; will you?〃



The young man looked mildly surprised。  Then he

arose languidly; dextrously caught the arms of John

Hopkins and conducted him irresistibly to the front

door of the house。



〃Beware; Ralph Branscombe;〃 cried the lady; who

had followed; 〃what you do to the gallant man who

has tried to protect me。〃



The young man shoved John Hopkins gently out

the door and then closed it。



〃Bess;〃 he said calmly; 〃I wish you would quit

reading historical novels。  How in the world did that

fellow get in here?〃



〃Armand brought him;〃 said the young lady。  〃I

think you are awfully mean not to let me have that

St。  Bernard。  I sent Armand for Walter。  I was so

angry with you。〃



〃Be sensible; Bess;〃 said the young man; taking

her arm。  〃That dog isn't safe。  He has bitten two

or three people around the kennels。  Come now; let's

go tell auntie we are in good humor again。〃



Arm in arm; they moved away。



John Hopkins walked to his flat。  The janitor's

five…year…old daughter was playing on the steps'

Hopkins gave her a nice; red rose and walked up…

stairs。



Mrs。 Hopkins was philandering with curl…papers。



〃Get your cigar?〃 she asked; disinterestedly。



〃Sure;〃 said Hopkins; 〃and I knocked around a

while outside。  It's a nice night。〃



He sat upon the hornblende sofa; took out the

stump of his cigar; lighted it; and gazed at the grace…

ful figures in 〃The Storm〃 on the opposite wall。



〃I was telling you;〃 said he; 〃about Mr。

Whipple's suit。  It's a gray; with an invisible check;

and it looks fine。〃









A LICKPENNY LOVER





There; were 3;000 girls in the Biggest Store。

Masie was one of them。  She was eighteen and a

selleslady in the gents' gloves。  Here she became

versed in two varieties of human beings … the kind of

gents who buy their gloves in department stores and

the kind of women who buy gloves for unfortunate

gents。  Besides this wide knowledge of the human

species; Masie had acquired other information。  She

had listened to the promulgated wisdom of the 2;999

other girls and had stored it in a brain that was as

secretive and wary as that of a Maltese cat。  Per…

haps nature; foreseeing that she would lack wise

counsellors; had mingled the saving ingredient of

shrewdness along with her beauty; as she has endowed

the silver fox of the priceless fur above the other

animals with cunning。



For Masie was beautiful。  She was a deep…tinted

blonde; with the calm poise of a lady who cooks butter

cakes in a window。  She stood behind her counter in

the Biggest Store; and as you closed your band over

the tape…line for your glove measure you thought

of Hebe; and as you looked again you wondered how

she had come by Minerva's eyes。



When the floorwalker was not looking Masie

chewed tutti frutti; when he was looking she gazed

up as if at the clouds and smiled wistfully。



That is the shopgirl smile; and I enjoin you to

shun it unless you are well fortified with callosity of

the heart; caramels and a congeniality for the capers

of Cupid。  This smile belonged to Masie's recreation

hours and not to the store; but the floorwalker must

have his own。  He is the Shylock of the stores。

When be comes nosing around the bridge of his nose

is a toll…bridge。  It is goo…goo eyes or 〃git〃 when

be looks toward a pretty girl。  Of course not all floor…

walkers are thus。  Only a few days ago the papers

printed news of one over eighty years of age。



One day Irving Carter; painter; millionaire; trav…

eller; poet; automobilist; happened  to enter the Big…

gest Store。  It is due to him to add that his visit was

not voluntary。  Filial duty took him by the collar and

dragged him inside; while his mother philandered

among the bronze and terra…cotta statuettes。



Carter strolled across to the glove counter in order

to shoot a few minutes on the wing。  His need for

gloves was genuine; be had forgotten to bring a pair

with him。  But his action hardly calls for apology; be…

cause be had never heard of glove…counter flirtations。



As he neared the vicinity of his fate be hesitated;

suddenly conscious of this unknown phase of Cupid's

less worthy profession。



Three or four cheap fellows; sonorously garbed;

were leaning over the counters; wrestling with the

mediatorial hand…coverings; while giggling girls

played vivacious seconds to their lead upon the

strident string of coquetry。  Carter would have re…

treated; but he had gone too far。  Masie confronted

him behind her counter with a questioning look in

eyes as coldly; beautifully; warmly blue as the glint

of summer sunshine on an iceberg drifting in Southern

seas。



And then Irving Carter; painter; millionaire; etc。;

felt a warm flush rise to his aristocratically pale face。

But not from diffidence。  The blush was intellectual

in origin。  He knew in a moment that he stood in the

ranks of the ready…made youths who wooed the gig…

gling girls at other counters。  Himself leaned against

the oaken trysting place of a cockney Cupid with a

desire in his heart for the favor of a glove salesgirl。

He was no more than Bill and Jack and Mickey。

And then be felt a sudden tolerance for them; and

an elating; courageous contempt for the conventions

upon which he had fed; and an unhesitating deter…

mination to have this perfect creature for his own。



When the gloves were paid for and wrapped t

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