l Mokes. She was a white-waisted, plain-skirted office-woman, a
businessette. She had a neat little hat and gave him a secretarial
bow.

He rushed to her hand, and they had a good laugh like two children
playing pretend. Then he said:

"Why the camouflage?"

The word was not very new even then, or he would not have used it.

She explained, with royal simplicity:

"I want a job."

She brought out her diploma and a certificate giving her a civil-service
status. She was quite conceited about it.

She insisted on displaying her accomplishments.

"Give me some dictation," she dictated.

He nodded, pummeled his head for an idea while she took from her
hand-bag, not a vanity-case, but a stenographer's notebook and a sheaf
of pencils.

He noted that she sat down stenographically--very concisely. She
perched her notebook on the desk of one crossed knee and perked her
eyes up as alertly as a sparrow.

All this professionalism sat so quaintly on the two Marie Louises he
had known that he roared with laughter as at a child dressed up.

She smiled patiently at his uproar till it subsided. Then he sobered
and began to dictate:

"Ready? 'Miss Mamise'--cross that out--'Miss Marie Louise Webling'--you
know the address; I don't. 'Dear--My dear'--no, just 'Dear Miss
Webling. Reference is had to your order of recent date that this
house engage you as amanuensis.' Dictionary in the bookcase
outside--comma--no, period. 'In reply I would--I wish to--I beg to--we
beg to say that we should--I should just as soon engage Mona Lisa for
a stenographer as you.' Period and paragraph.

"'We have,'--comma,--'however,'--comma,--'another position to offer
you,'--comma,--'that is, as wife to the senior member of this firm.'
Period. 'The best wages we can--we can offer you are--is the use of
one large,'--comma,--'slightly damaged heart and a million thanks a
minute.' Period. 'Trusting that we may be favored with a prompt and
favorable reply, we am--I are--am--yours very sincerely, truly
yours,'--no, just say 'yours,' and I'll sign it. By the way, do you
know what the answer will be?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean it?"

"I mean that I know the answer."

"Let me have it."

"Can't you guess?"

"'Yes'?"

"No."

"Oh!"

A long glum pause till she said, "Am I fired?"

"Of course not."

More pause. She intervened in his silence.

"What do I do next, please?"

He said, of habit, "Why, sail on, and on, and on."

He reached for his b