Old acquaintances have a trick of remembering friendships which never existed – especially with those who have been fortunate in life. She had had no close friends in the business, but there were many who now regarded her as a sometime bosom confidante, and were prepared to harbour a grievance against her if she did not hold them in like regard. Some called her ‘Elsie’, who had never before taken that liberty, doubtless with the desire to establish their intimacy before she advanced too far along the golden road. This is the way of the world. But Elsie was too warm-hearted to be cynical, and responded readily to their overtures of friendship.
Their salaries had been substantially raised, so ‘Fluff’, a pretty little girl in the ‘White’ department, told her. ‘All the rotters have been sacked, three of the shop-walkers, and the manager of the “ready-mades”,’ said the girl enthusiastically. ‘Oh, Miss Marion, it was splendid to see that beast Tack walk out for the last time.’
‘Things are awfully comfortable,’ said another – Elsie had an opportunity for gossiping whilst King Kerry interviewed the new manager – ‘but there is going to be an awful rush, and those awful fines have been abolished. Oh! and they’re taking on an awful number of girls, though where they’re going to put ’em all heaven knows – we shall be awfully crowded!’
The girl bore the nickname of ‘Awful Agnes’, not without reason.
King Kerry rejoined Elsie, and they drove back to the office together. ‘Had to take a big warehouse to stock our goods,’ he explained. ‘We shall sell a few! Every other shop in the street for two hundred yards in each direction is engaged in the same business as us. I have offered to buy the lot, but I guess they’ve got an exaggerated idea of the value of things.’
Whether they had or not, there were some who were prepared to fight the ‘Big L’.
That same night there appeared in all the London evening papers the announcement that ‘The Federal Trades of London’ had been incorporated as a limited company. The list of the firms in the new combine included every store in Oxford Street engaged in the same business as Tack and Brighten’s.
‘The object of the Federation’ (said the announcement) ‘is to afford mutual protection against unfair competition. Each firm concerned will act independently so far as its finances are concerned, and the shareholders’ interests will remain undisturbed. By means of this combine it is hoped that the pernicious operations of a certain American Trust will be successfully checked.’
The list of directors included Hermann Zeberlieff, Esq. (independent gentleman), and John Leete (managing director of Goulding’s, Limited).
‘Pernicious operations!’ repeated King Kerry. ‘Say, this paper doesn’t like us!’ He turned over the sheets of the Evening Herald . ‘A bright little paper,’ he mused. Then he took out his cheque book and signed his name in the bottom right-hand corner.
He blotted the signature, and passed the slip across to the girl.
‘Elsie,’ he said, and the girl flushed, for he had never before called her by her first name. ‘The Evening Herald is on the market. They want sixty thousand pounds for the concern; they may take less. Here’s a blank cheque. Go down and buy that durned paper.’
‘Buy?’ the girl gasped. ‘I – but I don’t – I can’t – I’m not a business woman!’
‘It’s for sale – go and buy it; tell them you’re King Kerry’s partner.’ He smiled encouragingly and laid his hand on hers. ‘My partner,’ he said softly. ‘My dear little partner!’
CHAPTER XIV
Four men had been invited to dinner at 410, Park Lane, but only three had so far arrived. Worse than that, Vera, whom Hermann had particularly asked to grace the board with her presence, had pleaded the usual headache and had most emphatically refused to come down.
‘You are trying to make me look a fool before
Their salaries had been substantially raised, so ‘Fluff’, a pretty little girl in the ‘White’ department, told her. ‘All the rotters have been sacked, three of the shop-walkers, and the manager of the “ready-mades”,’ said the girl enthusiastically. ‘Oh, Miss Marion, it was splendid to see that beast Tack walk out for the last time.’
‘Things are awfully comfortable,’ said another – Elsie had an opportunity for gossiping whilst King Kerry interviewed the new manager – ‘but there is going to be an awful rush, and those awful fines have been abolished. Oh! and they’re taking on an awful number of girls, though where they’re going to put ’em all heaven knows – we shall be awfully crowded!’
The girl bore the nickname of ‘Awful Agnes’, not without reason.
King Kerry rejoined Elsie, and they drove back to the office together. ‘Had to take a big warehouse to stock our goods,’ he explained. ‘We shall sell a few! Every other shop in the street for two hundred yards in each direction is engaged in the same business as us. I have offered to buy the lot, but I guess they’ve got an exaggerated idea of the value of things.’
Whether they had or not, there were some who were prepared to fight the ‘Big L’.
That same night there appeared in all the London evening papers the announcement that ‘The Federal Trades of London’ had been incorporated as a limited company. The list of the firms in the new combine included every store in Oxford Street engaged in the same business as Tack and Brighten’s.
‘The object of the Federation’ (said the announcement) ‘is to afford mutual protection against unfair competition. Each firm concerned will act independently so far as its finances are concerned, and the shareholders’ interests will remain undisturbed. By means of this combine it is hoped that the pernicious operations of a certain American Trust will be successfully checked.’
The list of directors included Hermann Zeberlieff, Esq. (independent gentleman), and John Leete (managing director of Goulding’s, Limited).
‘Pernicious operations!’ repeated King Kerry. ‘Say, this paper doesn’t like us!’ He turned over the sheets of the Evening Herald . ‘A bright little paper,’ he mused. Then he took out his cheque book and signed his name in the bottom right-hand corner.
He blotted the signature, and passed the slip across to the girl.
‘Elsie,’ he said, and the girl flushed, for he had never before called her by her first name. ‘The Evening Herald is on the market. They want sixty thousand pounds for the concern; they may take less. Here’s a blank cheque. Go down and buy that durned paper.’
‘Buy?’ the girl gasped. ‘I – but I don’t – I can’t – I’m not a business woman!’
‘It’s for sale – go and buy it; tell them you’re King Kerry’s partner.’ He smiled encouragingly and laid his hand on hers. ‘My partner,’ he said softly. ‘My dear little partner!’
CHAPTER XIV
Four men had been invited to dinner at 410, Park Lane, but only three had so far arrived. Worse than that, Vera, whom Hermann had particularly asked to grace the board with her presence, had pleaded the usual headache and had most emphatically refused to come down.
‘You are trying to make me look a fool before
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