Benny and Henry wondered how the first day at work would go.
That question was still on their minds as they entered the store the next morning at half past nine.
Toni was already there, sorting her change for the day.
“This is a good beginning. You’re early. I’m glad to see you both,” she said. “You’d better head downstairs, Benny. And Henry, you will be working with Mrs. Lester in the glassware and china department until the end of the week.”
The boys started off. Mrs. Lester showed Henry how to make the sales reports. She told him a little about the different kinds of china and glass.
“We try to carry as many different pieces of glassware as we can, but sometimes a customer wants something we don’t have. Then we send a special order.” Mrs. Lester showed Henry where the special order forms were kept.
“Be sure to get an OK before you send out any orders,” Mrs. Lester warned. “Mr. Fogg watches that. And there’s one more thing,” she said with a smile, “I want you and your brother to call me Doris.”
Henry was just beginning to feel comfortable behind the counter when he noticed that suddenly the store was strangely quiet. Talking had stopped, and all the salespeople were looking in one direction.
Everyone was watching a little woman who had just entered the store.
Henry could not see anything unusual about the woman. She was far from stylish. Her hair was pulled back and pinned up in a bun. Her clothes were plain. They were not the kind that anyone would look at twice. She carried a worn handbag and a large, flowered shopping bag.
Henry couldn’t decide how old the woman was. He caught Toni’s eye. She came to his counter and said, “You must want to know who that is.”
Henry nodded.
“She comes in every day. Her name is Maggie Douglas. She’s always buying something. Sometimes two and three kinds of the same thing. Benny will be busy with her deliveries, I’m sure.”
Henry and Toni watched the little woman climb the stairs to the second floor.
In a few minutes one of the salespeople from upstairs came over to Toni. “I have another ‘Maggie story’ for you. Miss Douglas just came to my counter and said she needed a blouse, a white blouse. When I asked her what size she needed, she said the size didn’t matter. It only had to be a white blouse. Now, isn’t that strange?”
Just then Mr. Fogg joined the group. He looked cross and asked, “That woman is in the store again, eh?”
The salesperson told him the story.
“You are foolish to sell a blouse to that woman,” said Mr. Fogg. “We’re going to have trouble with her sooner or later. I’m sure of it. Why didn’t she ask for a blouse in her size? She’ll bring it back to the store tomorrow and say it doesn’t fit. Besides, all she has to do is walk into the store and all work stops.”
With that, all the workers quickly left the counter. Henry was alone with Mr. Fogg standing right before him.
“I’m a little lucky so far today,” said Mr. Fogg. “At least you haven’t broken any glassware yet.”
Henry couldn’t think of anything to say. Just at that moment two women came to the counter and Mr. Fogg walked away.
The first woman said, “I need a wedding present for my niece. I think a glass vase would make a nice present.”
Henry lifted down several vases. The woman chose a small, graceful vase with a flower design.
“This is the only one in stock. I’m not allowed to sell this sample,” Henry explained when he could not find another vase.
The woman looked unhappy, and Henry said, “I can order the vase for you and have it here in four days.”
He took the order form from under the counter. “It’s a beautiful vase,” he said.
“Yes, it is,” agreed the woman. “It’s just what I want. You order it, and I’ll be back early next week.”
When the two women had gone, Henry filled out the order form for the vase. He filled in every blank and read the order over twice. He could find no errors. Doris approved the form and turned it over to Mr. Fogg.
Henry reported his first day of work to the family that evening. “I hardly saw you at all, Ben,” he said. “What was your day like?”
Benny smiled. “I didn’t see Mr. Fogg for most of the day. But I did meet Miss Douglas.”
“What did you think of her?” asked Violet.
“I don’t know. She came down the stairs to the basement. She said that she was lost. But somehow I think that she wanted to look around. She said she was happy to meet me because I’ll be delivering her purchases.”
Benny stopped talking for a moment and looked puzzled.
“What’s the matter?” asked Jessie.
“There was one strange thing about talking with Miss Douglas. She called me by my name, ‘Benny Alden.’ Now how did she know who I was? We had never met before. Maybe I’ll find out tomorrow when I go to Woodland Path, that’s where Miss Douglas lives.”
“Some of the store people don’t like her,” said Henry. “One of them told me she’s fussy and hard to please. Others won’t wait on her if they can help it.”
“That Miss Douglas is a mystery,” said Jessie. “Who would think there’d be a mystery in a department store?” |