“Well, anyways, that set the ball rolling, and our head salesman was jumped up to be department manager and buyer right over Thorpe’s head.  ’Twas too much for him, and he gave Dora Stein the toss.  Now he wants her out of his shine, and he dumped some jay stuff he bought in a bankrupt sale on her to get rid of.  The head buyer give him beans for bein’ fooled over a snide lot of trash like that, so what he does is to visit it on us.  He hoped Dora’d get mad and clear out so he wouldn’t see her eyes on him every time he walked past to give Miss Westlake, his new guyl, the glad eye.  But I guess now Miss Stein’s made such a big success where he hoped she’d fail, she’ll stay pat.”

As Miss Jones finished her story she watched Win’s face to see if it changed, but there was no sign that the newcomer grudged Miss Stein the credit.  She was actually smiling.

“There’s something queer about that girl,” Miss Jones presently murmured to Miss McGrath at the other end of the square, as Win was called upon to serve a lady who had been told at luncheon about the Pavlovas.  “She ain’t natural. What’ll you bet she’s a spy?  I’m goin’ to ask Miss Stein what she thinks.”

CHAPTER XI

DEVIL TAKE THE HINDMOST

Miss Kirk was almost ready to go from the restaurant to work again when Win appeared, a three-cent entrance ticket in her hand, to face an atmosphere crowded with sundry uncongenial members of the vegetable kingdom.

“Hello, 2884 England!” Sadie feigned facetiously to call her up by telephone.  “Got yer number, all right, you see!  I begun to think they’d rung me off, so I wouldn’t get onto you again this side heaven.  And say, that reminds me:  heaven looks a long way from here, don’t it?”

Win smiled.

“Good thing!  You ain’t got yer smile rubbed off yet.  Stick to it if y’can.  It’s a fine prop.  I otta go in a minute, but you’re such a chicken if I don’t watch out for you y’might get lost in the wash.  Any one put you wise on that three-cent billy doo?”

“The girl at the door told me I was to buy it of her,” said Win, “and then I could divide it up for three different things to eat.  But can one get three different things to eat for three cents?  It seems wonderful!”

“You won’t be so much surprised when you’ve got ’em et. I’d try a soup, a mutton sandwich, and a cuppa cawfee for eight cents, if I was you.  But see here, I ain’t goin’ to feed my face in this ranch after to-day.  I knowed pretty near how punk ’twould be from things guyls told me about the Hands, and I only took a meal so as to see you and ask how the Giant Child was gettin’ along.  No more o’ this grub for mine!  And if I was in your place I’d go out to eat.  You get a breath o’ fresh air; and a cuppa hot chocolate for a nickel at a drug store, with a free lunch o’ crackers thrown in, ’ll do you a sight more good than the best there is in this dope shop.”