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 won't hurt her feelings. I want to see you. I want to see you something fierce. There's lots I got to talk over with you. What do you say if I meet you in front of Sullivan's at seven-thirty? Is that too early for you, Min?"

"Make it eight," said Minnie, who figured she would have time to get out to Eleanor's and back.

"Eight! Say, I'll be there, Minnie, with bells on."

"So long, Billy . . . dear."

Minnie was strangely, unexpectedly contented for the first three weeks of her married life. It was a relief to get away from the untidy Flynn home into the small but comfortable sky-parlor of Mrs. Schultz's rooming house. The rooming house was only two doors from Hesselman's butcher shop, so Billy often ran home, making quite a happy interlude in her long, quiet day. Minnie seldom went home. It always meant an hysterical scene. Elsie and Pete were living there, Mrs. Flynn having moved into the bedroom with Nettie, so Elsie and Pete could sleep in the living room.

With Pete out of a job, they sat around like half-doped creatures from morning until dinner time, talking about Minnie. They despised her because they felt she had lied to them and cheated them. She had promised so much and given nothing.

Minnie wanted to go back to work, but there was no opening in the Odds and Ends. Jeeps, the floor-walker, told her that he'd have her in mind when one of the girls left, and would recommend her to the manager of the basement. Jeeps did not mean to be unkindly when he said to her, "Never expected to see Miss Flynn back in the Odds and Ends. Certainly expected to see Miss Flynn in the movies.