Cheerful-By Request

you were the right kind you showed her your wife's picture in the front of your watch. If you were the wrong kind, with your

eet face! How old is the youngest?" Upon perusal the second was returned with dignity

you had registered at the Hotel Magnifique but the night before, for the first time, Sadie Corn would look up a

's chat with Floor Clerk Number Two. You went back to Ishpeming, Michigan, with three new impressions: The first was that you were becoming a personage of considerable imp

the benefit of those who think the duties of a floor clerk end when she takes your key when you leave your room, and hands it back as you return, it may be mentioned that the fourth, fift

-knuckled hands, such as you see on women who have the gift of humanness. She was forty-eight now-still plain, still spare, still sallow. Those bony, big-knuckled fingers had handed keys to potentates,

down as wrinkles on the countenance of a homely, middle-aged woman; but he who read as he ran saw that the lines about the eyes were quizzical, shrewd lines, which come from the practice of ga

eplying in the negative she would rebuke him scathingly and demand a bill of sizable denomination; and when her watch was over she would sally forth to purchase four sets of men's winter underwear. As captain of the Magnifique's thirty-four floor clerks Sadie Corn's authority extended from the parlours to th

of neuralgia over her right eye and extending down into her back teeth. With its usual spitefulness the attack had chosen to make its a

Week meant that the always prosperous Magnifique was filled to the eaves and turning them away. It meant twice the usual number of inside telephone calls anent rooms too hot, rooms too cold, radiators hammering, radiators hissing, windows that refused to

s evening clothes for all the world like a prosperous diner-out. He smiled benignly upon Sadie Corn, and Sadie Corn had the bravery t

ne, Miss Corn?"

ago to say that if the valet didn't bring his pants from the presser in the next two

gain before Sadie Corn's busy desk. He balanced a moment thoughtfully from toe to heel, his

nx!" answe

yth

d toothless. Two minutes after he's met a girl his voice takes on the 'cello note. I know his kind. Why, say, he even tried waving those eyelashes of his at me first time he turned in his ke

just a flirtation, why-anyway, watch 'em this evening. The day

his light, quick step that still h

of her little world. She held the telephone receiver at one ear and listened to the demands of incoming and outgoing guests with the other. She jotted down reports, dealt out mail and room-keys, kept her neuralgic eye on stairs and elev

eighteen, and her clothes were of the kind that prepared you for the shock that you got when you looked at her face. Plume met fur, and fur met silk, and silk met lace, and lace met gold-and the whole met and ran

's desk. Sadie Corn had her key ready for her. Two-e

. "Tell them to send me the one I had yesterday

d down a note wi

rry-Julia's bu

e round the bend in the broad, marble stairway that led up f

rd. "Here, girl! I'll want you to ho

a'am," replie

so fleeting, so ephemeral; that electric, pregnant, meaning something that flashes between two

le Greek nose. In her frilly white cap, her trim black gown, her immaculate collar and cuffs and apron, Julia looked distractingly like the young person who, in the old days of the furniture-dusting drama, was wont to inform you that it was two years since young master went away-all but her feet. The feather-duster person was addicte

ighteen until the tail of her silken draperies had whisked ro

d gloves after another! Look at her! Why is it that ki

ing essence of peppermint, "seem a small enough

of Sadie Corn's desk. Her eyes

heir hair, and wear skirts that are too tight and waists that are too low. But-I don't know! This town's so big and so-so kind of uninterested. When you see everybody wearing cloth

arrow to mere slits as she gazed at the drooping Julia. She said nothing. Suddenly Julia seemed to feel the silence. She looked d

n, dearie?" she ask

and audibly at th

de of my head trying to push my right eye ou

. "It's the weather. Have them

s-that is to crawl into bed in a flannel nightgown, with the side of your face resting on the red rubber

ure, but the dull red of pain. She looked away from Sadie's eyes and

t seen him,

trouble?"

t week I hooked up until my fingers were stiff. You know the way the dresses fastened last winter. Some of 'em ought to have had a map

blueprint with every dress, when you told him about the way th

tled on,

peasant styles have come in! And the Oriental craze! Hook down the si

se skintight dames, when your fingers were sore from trying to squeeze t

eve I've hooked up six this evening, and two of them sprung the haven't-an

rm, and turned the girl about so that she faced her. Ju

ded for the fourth time. "Out with it or I'll tele

ids drooping again; then, with a rush: "Me and Jo hav

t ab

wedding again until God knows when! I'm sick of it-putting off and putting off! I told him we might as well quit and be done with it. We'll never get married at t

. I'm happy. I had my plans, too, when I was a girl like you-not that I was ever pretty; but I ha

he way. But when Jo told me, I was tired I guess. We had words. I told him there were plenty waiting for me if he was through. I told him

re invited out by?

dimpling. "He's as handsome as an actor.

ok of steel into

to listen to the talk of the men guests round here. Two-twenty-three isn

their expression of pain and remonstrance, still unshrinking before the onslaught of

hung up the receiver and waved Julia away with a gesture. "It's Two-eighteen. You promised to be there in

black hair that waved away so bewitchingly f

ange." She walked off down the hall, the little head still held high. A half dozen paces and she

eye, to be followed by a wave of nausea that swept

she snapped, and

he corridor and round the corner

eared Sadie Corn stared aft

two-eighteen and turned the knob

om

s of a cerise satin gown held in her hands made a great, crude patch of colour in the neutral-tinted bedroom. The air wa

ighteen. "I've been waiting like a fool!

replied Julia impudently and took t

ing, and through that cerise frame

ed movement of Julia's arms. The cerise gown dropped to her shoulders without gra

entre; then back four-under the arm and down the m

ps to deepen their crimson, opening her eyes wide and half closing them languorously. Julia, down on her knees in combat with the trickiest of the hooks, glanced up and saw. Two-eighteen caught the gl

l," she said, "What

r to the last of the hooks,

g. Don't jerk, please. I've f

the diamonds at her throat. "What does a

" said Julia. "

snapped Tw

idy natur

a minute to catch

out in one of the sudde

l! Pin it! I tol

en in silence she knelt and wove a pin deftly in and out

ighteen blithely, her rage forgotten

ass high as she watched the powder-laden puff leaving a snowy coat on the neck and shoulders

od-naturedly, all of a sudden. "I hate sulky

ing yelled at," Jul

ome out with me to-morrow and I'll buy you so

s;

ially pretty ones like you. How do you l

her the tricks she had practised in the mirro

isn't it?" she

ear's! I got it yesterday on Fifth Avenue, and

a New Yorker from an out-of-towner every time. You

o-eighteen, turning to the mirror

. She raised one hand to push the gow

ing else?" inquired

bag that lay on the bed. From it she extracted a coin and held it out to Julia. I

gely, and was out of the

Julia turned the corner. Julia, her head held

w, Julia, girl, don't hold that up against me! I didn't mean it. You know that. You wouldn't be mad at a poor old woman that's half crazy with neuralgy!" Julia hesitated, one foot poised to take the next step.

ou'd report me?" dem

wn daughter if I had one. You know yo

lented. She came up the stairs al

d Sadie Corn

the desk sociably and

didn't think she looked too pale. I wanted to tell her that if she had any more colour, with

tors. She walked with the absurd and stumbling step that her scant skirt necessitated. With each pace the slashed silken skirt parted to

e corner nook. Opposite the desk Two

hem away, will you?" she said. "I didn't have time-a

service rose automat

l, madam,

y had stepped into the cream-and-gold elevator and had

men with a bell, on Sixth Avenu

eighteen as she passed was still in the air. Julia's nostrils dilated as she snif

"Look at her! Old and homely, and all made u

onstrated Sadie

things I want anyway. You can't help wanting 'em-seeing them all round every day on women that aren't half as good-looking as you are! I want low-cut dresses too. My neck's like milk. I want silk underneath, and fur coming

a mist that could not be trac

ey only see faces and arms and chests. But the hookers-they see the necks and shoulderblades of this world, as well as faces. It's mighty broadening-being a hooker. It's the hookers that keep this world together, Julia, and fastened up right. It wouldn't amount to much if it had to depend on such as that!" She nodded her head in the direction the cerise figure ha

a short laugh that had little of mirth

led a rather s

y, and always has been, that she doesn't have the same heartac

yed. It was a long and trying stare, as thou

sudden little gesture, Julia patted the wrinkled, sallow cheek

m two-eighteen bore silent testimony to the manner of woman who had just left it. The air was close and overpoweringly sweet with perfume-sachet, powder-the scent of a bedroom after a vain and selfish woman has left it. The

tooped to pick up a pink wadded bedroom slipper from where it lay under the bed. And her hand touc

mptuous collar that rolled from neck to waist. There was a lining of vivid oran

n of the sleeves and brought the great soft revers up about her throat. The great, gorgeous, shimmering thing completely hid her grubby little black gown. She stepped to the mirror and stood surveying herself in a sort of ecstasy. Her cheeks glowed rose-pink against the dark fur

ty!" exclaimed T

at him, eyes and lips wide with fright no

at-" she

ty-three

hall thinks I went to my own room." He took two quick steps forward. "You raving

ghting with all the strength

en of them! And dresses too; and laces and furs! You'll be ten times the bea

ulia pushed him away, loosened the coat with fingers that shook and dropped it to the floor. It lay in a shimmering circle a

shutting her fingers over it. Julia did not need to open them and look to see-she knew by the feel of the crumpled paper, stiff and crackling. He

im with all her might the yellow-bac

panted. "Jo'll pull those eyelashes of yours out

wo-twenty-three squarely in the back. He

eyes searched Julia's flushed face. What she saw ther

oing here?" Sad

omething about the wrong ro

pointed to the floor. "

n motione

t up!"

it!" snarled T

t a muttered remonstrance from him: "Oh, yes, you will! So will Two-eighteen. Huh? Oh, I guess she will! Say, what do you think a floor clerk's for? A human

the throat, but she

t. I was busy promising

n opened

eft no one at the desk. It was

her arm with g

He ai

ok the girl's

more, Sadie. You'll never need to give up your houseke

nuckles showing white, pressed against her mouth. A little moan c

Jo! If I could only take back what I said to Jo! He'l

give yourself. That's as it should be. That, you know, is o

e stairway was the tall figure of Donahue, house detective. Donah

. "And smile if it kills you-unless you want

wont, from toe to heel and back again, his c

leasantly, staring at Julia's e

ust told her to quit rubbing her head with p

its label, frowning. "Run along downstairs, Jul

d him, was walking off in hi

" he called back ov

sed and opened, perha

serene!" sai