engagement had been made days before. Fanny never knew the
shock that her youthfully expectant face gave old Sid Udell.
He turned from his desk to greet her, his polite smile of
greeting giving way to a look of bewilderment.

"But you are not the buyer, are you, Miss Brandeis?"

"No, Mr. Slosson buys."

"I thought so."

"But I select for my entire department. I decide on our
styles, materials, and prices, six months in advance. Then
Mr. Slosson does the actual bulk buying."

"Something new-fangled?" inquired Sid Udell. "Of course,
we've never sold much to you people. Our stuff is----"

"Yes, I know. But you'd like to, wouldn't you?"

"Our class of goods isn't exactly suited to your wants."

"Yes, it is. Exactly. That's why I'm here. We'll be doing
a business of a million and a quarter in my department in
another two years. No firm, not even Horn & Udell, can
afford to ignore an account like that."

Sid Udell smiled a little. "You've made up your mind to
that million and a quarter, young lady?"