Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/236

 "This will do it," she added jocosely, as she produced a large placard and nailed it above Miss Van Dyke's desk. It bore what the bright young woman called a sentiment appropriate to the occasion. "Welcome to Little Van Dyke," it read, in large black letters,—"the Tenderfoot of the Tenderloin." When the brilliant originator of this heard the laughter that greeted its appearance, she realized that success had crowned her sisterly efforts.

"Little Van Dyke" arrived at the office at eight o'clock the next morning, and marvelled at the silence that fell over the city room as she came in. The heads that usually rose to greet her remained bent over their desks. Her friends—and she had many—were bitterly chagrined by the step she had so innocently taken. Her enemies—and she had a few—exulted openly over it. Nevertheless, everybody waited for some one else to utter one of the pleasantries all knew were coming. The force of habit was strong, and despite themselves the staff shrank from speaking to this convent girl as they would have spoken to Miss Masters. As she