The Project Gutenberg EBook of Emma McChesney & Co., by Edna Ferber

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Title: Emma McChesney & Co.

Author: Edna Ferber

Posting Date: August 30, 2008 [EBook #453]
Release Date: March, 1996

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EMMA MCCHESNEY & CO. ***

Produced by Charles Keller. HTML version by Al Haines.

EMMA McCHESNEY & CO.

by

Edna Ferber

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. BROADWAY TO BUENOS AIRES
II. THANKS TO MISS MORRISSEY
III. A CLOSER CORPORATION
IV. BLUE SERGE
V. "HOOPS, MY DEAR!"
VI. SISTERS UNDER THEIR SKIN
VII. AN ETUDE FOR EMMA

EMMA McCHESNEY & CO.

I

BROADWAY TO BUENOS AIRES

The door marked "MRS. MCCHESNEY" was closed. T. A. Buck, president of
the Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company, coming gaily down the hall,
stopped before it, dismayed, as one who, with a spicy bit of news at
his tongue's end, is met with rebuff before the first syllable is
voiced. That closed door meant: "Busy. Keep out."

"She'll be reading a letter," T. A. Buck told himself grimly. Then he
turned the knob and entered his partner's office.

Mrs. Emma McChesney was reading a letter. More than that, she was
poring over it so that, at the interruption, she glanced up in a
maddeningly half-cocked manner which conveyed the impression that,
while her physical eye beheld the intruder, her mental eye was still on
the letter.

"I knew it," said T. A. Buck morosely.

Emma McChesney put down the letter and smiled.

"Sit down--now that you're in. And if you expect me to say, 'Knew
what?' you're doomed to disappointment."

T. A. Buck remained standing, both gloved hands clasping his walking
stick on which he leaned.

"Every time I come into this office, you're reading the latest scrawl
from your son. One would think Jock's letters were deathless
masterpieces. I believe you read them at half-hour intervals all week,
and on Sunday get 'em all out and play solitaire with them."

Emma McChesney's smile widened frankly to a grin.

"You make me feel like a cash-girl who's been caught flirting with the
elevator starter. Have I been neglecting busi