shrill,
was overheard by the hovering floorwalker, Mr. Tobias.

He had never yet had occasion to scold No. 2884; and, as a matter of
fact, had noted her as a "lively proposition." He had seen that if
2884 had a few minutes to spare, she usually occupied them, not in
polishing her nails or talking about last night's dance, as not a few
of the girls did, but in "looking over stock," peeping into boxes, and
peering into the background of shelves in order to see for herself
what was available without having to question salespeople who had been
longer in the department than she.

This was the sure sign of a "winner"; and besides, 2884 had the right
way with customers. She kept her temper, even with the most irritating
"lemons." Her charming enthusiasm about the toys and her knowledge of
their mechanism (when they had any) often hypnotized customers into
buying expensive things they had not intended to take. With remarkable
quickness she had picked up slang danger signals by which one
"assistant" can warn another of impending trouble.

She understood the warning cry of "ishra ankra" for a "crank," and
could give the pencil taps telegraphing from counter to counter that a
notorious "pill" or an "I'll-come-back-again" was bearing down on the
department. She seemed to know by instinct when she could offer to
send a toy C.O.D. for a stranger without fear of "cold pig"--having
the thing returned unpaid--and she could give enough of her own
vitality to a tired woman to make her want to buy.

All these virtues Mr. Tobias had discerned in 2884, and with such
heart as he had, he admired her. He intended, if she went on as she
had begun, to "set the good word going" which would reach those "at
the top." But now, at a moment when he happened through acute
indigestion to be in a particularly fretful mood, he believed that he
had found out the "bright girl" in a grave fault.

It was too late to inveigle the lost client back, but while Win was
hastily replacing dolls in boxes before taking another customer, Mr.
Tobias pounced. "Why did you let that lady go without showing her any
of our best dolls?" he inquired, angling for guilt in her soul's
depths with a fishhook glare.

"I showed her everything of the price she wanted, and even some a
little higher," 2884 excused herself.

"What about the doll you all call 'Little Sister?'" Tobias threw out
the question as if it were a lasso. "I hear you've said that you won't
part with that o