efore her.

"Mr. Jeffries sent me to ask you how you were. He was worried
because you didn't come." With a change of voice, "Mr. Gideon
telephoned down the order a while ago. Mr. Jeffries says you
are to keep the dress and hat."

"No," said Susan. "Take them away with you."

"Aren't you coming down this afternoon?"

"No," replied Susan. "I've quit."

"Quit?" cried Miss Hinkle. Her expression gradually shifted
from astonishment to pleased understanding. "Oh, I see!
You've got something better."

"No. But I'll find something."

Mary studied the situation, using Susan's expressionless face
as a guide. After a time she seemed to get from it a clew.
With the air of friendly experience bent on aiding helpless
inexperience she pushed aside the dress and made room for
herself on the bed. "Don't be a fool, Miss Sackville," said
she. "If you don't like that sort of thing--you know what I
mean--why, you can live six months--maybe a year--on the
reputation of what you've done and their hope that you'll
weaken down and do it again. That'll give you time to look
round and find something else. For pity's sake, don't turn
yourself loose without a job. You got your place so easy that
you think you can get one any old time. There's where you're
wrong. Believe me, you played in luck--and luck don't come
round often. I know what I'm talking about. So I say, don't
be a fool!"

"I am a fool," said Susan.

"Well--get over it. And don't waste any time about it, either."

"I can't go back," said Susan stolidly. "I can't face them."

"Face who?" cried Mary. "Business is business. Everybody
understands that. All the people down there are crazy about
you now. You got the house a hundred-thousand-dollar order.
You don't _suppose_ anybody in business bothers about how an
order's got--do you?"

"It's the way _I_ feel--not the way _they_ feel."

"As for the women down there--of course, there's some that
pretend they won't do that sort of thing. Look at 'em--at
their faces and figures--and you'll see why they don't. Of
course a girl keeps straight when there's nothing in not being
straight--leastways, unless she's a fool. She knows that if
the best she can do is marry a fellow of her own class, why
she'd only get left if she played any tricks with them cheap
skates that have to get married or go without because they're
too poor to pay for anything--and by marrying can get that and
a cook and a washwoman a