Nelly Croubel was twenty-four or twenty-five in years, older in
business, and far younger in love. She was born in Upton's
Grove, Pennsylvania. There, for eighteen years, she had played
Skip to Malue at parties, hid away the notes with which the boys
invited her to picnics at Baptist Beach, read much Walter Scott,
and occasionally taught Sunday-school. Her parents died when
she was beginning her fourth year in high school, and she came
to New York to work in Wanamacy's toy department at six dollars
a week during the holiday rush. Her patience with fussy old
shoppers and her large sales-totals had gained her a permanent
place in the store.
She had loftily climbed to the position of second assistant
buyer in the lingerie department, at fourteen dollars and eighty
cents a week That was quite all of her history except that she
attended a Presbyterian church nearly every Sunday. The only
person she hated was Horatio Hood Teddem, the cheap actor who
was playing the piano at Mr. Wrenn's entrance.
Just now Horatio was playing ragtime with amazing rapidity,
stamping his foot and turning his head to smirk at the others.
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