As for Babe, she too was experiencing a swift stirring of emotions. Her eyes fastened themselves on Baldwin’s face and her heart just seemed to turn over. All she could murmur to herself was: “Oh, God! Ain’t he swell! Oh, I could die lookin’ at him!” Here was a man she wanted more than she had ever wanted anything in her life before.

“Er—sit down, Miss Gordon,” Baldwin managed to repeat. His eyes feasted themselves hungrily on her. Did she suspect anything, he wondered—the conflict within himself, the turmoil her presence caused him? But no, that was impossible!

He cleared his throat and made a heroic effort to speak.

“Miss Gordon,” he began, “er—this has been—er—very unfortunate, this affair. It has been—er—embarrassing for all of us. Mr. Thomas tells me you’ve done very well here. I—er—we—er—would not want you to suffer for something for which you were in no way to blame.”

She sat in a chair near the desk clinging to every word. “Oh,” she thought, “he’s the most marvelous thing that ever lived!”

“It would be useless for you to stay here,” Baldwin continued, “for you no doubt have a very bitter enemy in this—er—girl Mr. O’Brien was telling me about. She might do you harm and injure the store’s reputation. Now, I’ve had an idea for some time concerning a new advertising campaign On certain products we feature in our stores. I am sure you would be useful in our promotion department. It would mean a better position with plenty of opportunity to advance. I—er—should be glad to see to that personally. By the way, this new position would require some posing for pictures to be used in our advertising. Have you ever done any posing?”

“Oh, yes,” said Babe. “I used to be a model for suits and dresses.”

“Splendid! This will be easy for you. I might have you posed with—er—say, those new Sun-Glo hairnets, for blonde hair, you know. Er—I’ll take it up with our advertising manager at once. Er—I’d like to discuss this with you more fully, before you take up the actual work. Er—have you an engagement for this evening, Miss Gordon?”

“I certainly wouldn’t turn down a date with a swell feller like this,” Babe told herself. “Gee, I’d better watch my language with him. He’s the original high-hat.”

These thoughts flashed through her mind in a second.

“I haven’t planned anything for this evening,” she replied, after carefully choosing her words.