ht
hopefully.

The next floor seemed to be full of whirring looms, and the noise was, as
Patty described it afterward, like the buzzing of a billion bees! But,
asking no further directions, she ascended the next staircase and the
next, until she found herself on the fourth floor.

Several people were bustling about here, all seeming to be very busy and
preoccupied.

"Where is Department G?" she inquired of a man hurrying by.

"Ask at the desk," he replied, without pausing.

This was ambiguous, as there were more than a score of desks about, each
tenanted by a busy man, more often than not accompanied by a
stenographer.

"Oh, dear, what a place!" thought Patty. No one would attend to her
wants; no one seemed to notice her. She believed she could stand there
all day if she chose, without being spoken to.

Clearly, she must take the initiative.

She saw a pleasant-faced woman at a desk, and decided to address her.

"Where is Department G, please?" she asked.

"G?" said the woman, looking blank.

"Yes, G. The man downstairs told me it was on the fourth floor. Isn't
this the fourth floor?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then, where is Department G?"

"G?"

"Yes, _G_!"

"I don't know, I'm sure."

"Who does know?"

"I don't know."

The absurdity of this conversation made Patty smile, which seemed to
irritate the other.

"I can't help it if I don't know," she snapped out. "I'm new here,
myself; only came yesterday. I don't know where G is, I'm sure."

"Excuse me," said Patty, sorry that she had smiled, and she turned away.

She caught a red-headed boy, as he passed, whistling, and said:

"Do _you_ know where Department G is?"

"Sure!" said the boy, grinning at her. "Sashay straight acrost de room.
Pipe de guy wit' de goggles?"

"Thank you," said Patty, restraining her desire to smile at the funny
little chap.

She went over to the desk indicated. The man seated there looked at her
over his glasses, and said:

"To embroider?"

"Yes," said Patty.

"Take a chair. Wait a few moments. I'm busy."

Relieved at having reached her goal, Patty sat down in the chair
indicated and waited. She waited five minutes and then ten, and then
fifteen.

The man was busy; there was no doubt of that. He dashed off memoranda,
gave them to messengers, telephoned, whisked drawers open and shut, and
seemed to be in a very whirl of business.

As there was no indication of a cessation, Patty grew impatient, at last,
and sai