Catholics -- United States -- Fiction; Love stories; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
Mimi laughed. “Sent special? All right; I got it. Say, Cis, Amelia
’n me ’s pals, but I’m not with her ’bout you. She’s jealous, that’s
what’s eatin’ ’Melia. I ain’t; I don’t haf to be! I won’t tell. It’s
a rich one, but I won’t tell; honest, cross m’ heart! The comp’ny
wouldn’t do a thing to you if they heard it, I’ll tell the world! Don’t
you worry, Cis; I like you; you’re a great one. I’ll never give you
away, don’t you fret! Gee! What d’you s’pose ’Melia’d do to you if she
had you down like this! She says you think you’re the cat’s miauw.
She’d give you a miauw, I’ll say she would!”
“Thanks, Mimi. It’s straight of you to keep this to yourself. Good
night,” said Cis, and went away. “Little snipe! Sure she’ll tell
Amelia!” she thought as she walked rapidly down the quiet street.
The next day passed without anything unusual to mark it, to Cicely’s
surprise. She felt that anything and everything were imminent, but
nothing more exciting befell her than being one bag of peanuts short
in her noon distribution to her gamin friends, owing to the unforeseen
appearance of Tony Caprioli’s little brother, who had to be compensated
with a nickel. It was a perfectly satisfactory substitute, Cis found
to her relief, mainly because Tony divided his peanuts with the young
Luigi, who thus came out well ahead of the game.
The second day, however, Cicely’s bright head fell under the
guillotine, a martyr to a certain kind of nobility which makes the
figure of the guillotine not unsuitable.
When Cis came into the office, nearly ten minutes ahead of her
schedule, there fell upon all the girls that significant hush which
eloquently declares by its silence that the newcomer has been the
subject of conversation up to the moment when the door swung. Amelia’s
face was red beyond and additionally to the paint which frankly
adorned her cheeks and lips; she looked malevolent and triumphant.
Nan was flushed, almost purpling; her eyes were nervously excited and
tearful. All the other girls looked uncomfortable, and most of them
looked regretful, Cis was glad to see, for she instantly knew what had
happened.
“I’m workin’ double shift, Cis; no need you settin’ down. I’m doin’
your shift till the next orders. You’re to go to th’ office soon’s you
show up,” said Amelia gloatingly.
“Well, they were slow about it!” exclaimed Cis swinging around. “I
thought I’d hear this yesterday.”
“Oh, Cis, Cis, dear!” moaned Nan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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