It's The Younger Generation

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 190, 14 August 1939, Page 15

It's The Younger Generation

pATHER and son faced one another across the old-fashioned mahogan; desk, their faces flushed with argument

Old Forbes took off his pince-nez wit! a gesture of finality. It was a movement the significance of which war. known to every one of the hundreds nt employees of Forbes and McSwoyn 1 . With a smile which suffused every inch of the pink face under the shining bald pate, he said, conclusively

"No, my dear Hugh. The policy of Forbee and McSweyn has always been solid and conservative . . . It's no

Hugh walked across the gloomy office with ill-concealed impatience and stood looking across the busy street. His eyes were fixed on the bare, gleaming facade of Hickman's Sti»rc a'-ross the

way. Ju the fs-[>are efficient lines of Hickman's building was expressed the threat to their own busines* which he yearned to combat. With an inward groan lie watched the throng of eager shopper* surging round Hickman's windows, invading their doors. Their own windows were invisible. Hut without seeing them he knew that no such crowds were being drawn to them .... Hugh turned towards lii« father. He'd said all this before, and would say it again.

"It's galling for me to see the old firm losing out, and everything I suggest doing to even things up squashed without a trial. It' you didn't want me to pick up new ideas why did you send me to study retail stores in the States and C'anade? If you'd let me try just one or two stunts, I'd beat Hickman * at their own game . . ." Forbes senior broke in calmly, "That ft all very well, Hugh. But we've always served the best jieople in this town; your methixls would antagonise them . . . I know your intentions are good, but you want to move too fast . . ." Hugh moved impatiently towards the door. "I suppose you won't be convinced until Hickman's close us up. ' He slammed the door behind him. Forbes senior watched him go with something like relief. He disliked these argument. Damn Hickman a. l'oi )os and McSweyn had been running successfully for fifty years on sound, conservative lines. And still would! This morning he felt rath'.-r tired and old. He phoned that he was not to be disturbed for 15 minutes and locked tlie door. When you're 05 a nap in the middle of the morning is a better reviver than a cup of coftee ... Below Hugh Forbes was making his morning tour of the shop. He pas.-ed through the men's clothing department on the third floor, and called the buyer, a dour individual who had been buying coats and suits for 30 years. "Oh, by the way, Stewart, don't you think 'a man's department should be on the main floor? I see Hickman s ha\e adopted the idea. A man wants to hop In and out quickly ..." The buyer looked at Hugh suspiciously, renting some change which would disturb his mature equanimity. He did not really fear this young merchandise manager with his new ideas. Old Mr. Forbes kept him pretty well in his place. "Well, sir, if I may say so, I think things aro pretty right as they are. After all, men do come up to this floor . . ."

Xot very hopefully Hi'.gh made a note that an alteration should be submitted for his father's consideration. In the ribbons and laces an Amazon of a woman buyer objected to his criticism of one of the assistants who was taking advantage of a lull in business to knit a gaily coloured jumper. In the silk stockings he became aware of an altercation between a customer and one of the assistants. And what a customer!

He saw, with a quickened heartbeat which he tried vainly to suppress, greengrey eyes in a pale face surmounted by jierfect auburn curls and a green beret. Straightening his tie, he walked up in his best professional manner and was gratified to hear the assistant's insolent tones change to mild apology at his approach. "What is the trouble, Miss Maish?" There was something vaguely reminiscent about the girl iu the green beret. He looked sternly at the assistant and was somewhat abashed at a glimpse of a smile on Green Beret's lips. He felt | himself blushing. This was absurd.

Ho turned for relief to the assistant s sullen face. "I'm sorry, Mr. Forbes, but maduin asked for Four Wolf stockings and we don't stock them. I was just trying to convince her that these arc just as good."

He did not notice the little start wfiich (ireen Beret gave at the assistant's word's. When he turned to pacify her, her expression was perfectly composed, although there was a twinkle in the green-grey eyes. Again something foolish happened to his heart, and he felt himself blushing. "I . . . er . . . can't we get them for you, madam ?"

Before she spoke he knew that her voice would be the most musical he had ever heard in all his 35 years. She picked up her bag from the counter. "Please don't bother. It's perfectly all right." . . . Confusedly, he watched her move gracefully through the department. A last glimpse of trim ankles under a green skirt and she was gone. He roused himself guiltily from his reverie, and turned to the assistant.

Up in his office, Forbes senior unlocked his door in a thundering bad temper. He was annoyed with himself for sleeping too long, and still more annoyed with whichever of his minions dared to disturb his slumbers by banging on the door. . . .

It waa Green Beret. eyes looked with amusement at tne old man's astonishment. "Y», Mr. Forbes. It really is I . . ." He etared. "I'm sorry . . . Good heavem!" Blank incredulity replaced annoyed astonishment. "Jean McSweyn!" Green Beret smiled. "Right first time, Mr. Forbes. Or shouldn't this tableau be called 'The Return of the Sleeping Partner t* . . . Sorry I didn't let you know. Bnt I thought it would be rather fun to deeeend on you unexpectedly. . . It's been fun altogether. Coming home after being abroad since I wets four."

Short Story By Russell Heatley

"Sit down, sit down." There was the faintest trace of agita

'■ion in Mr. Forbes' voice. At 05 it is disconcerting to have your ex-partner's •■nl_\- daughter descend upon you out of the blue. Especially if she owns more 11: iii half the shares in the business and aas formerly taken no active interest in ;t. Hd wagged his forefinger excitedly.

"Well, well, well! I suppose you've just returned for a holiday. . . . Or do you plan to live in this country now that your poor mother's death no longer makes it necessary for you to live abroad ?"'

He waited apprehensively. Somehow tin- length of silk-stockinged leg which .lean displayed, and her carefully carmined lips looked incongruous in hie gloom v <i(lice.

She dropped the bombshell, lightly, carelessly. "Oh. no. I'm here for good." They talked for a while. Anyone who knew Mr. Forbes would have told von that the number of times hie pince-nez travelled from nose to case and back again meant that he was decidedly worried. There was worse to come. . . . "I'm going to take an interest in tin* business. Hut I want it to be anonymous to begin with."

Monday was always a distressing day for Hugh, for on Mondays his first job was to look over Hickman's Sunday advertising. Invariably this led to a stormy scene with his father, during which ho vainly pleaded for a larger advertising appropriation. He wandered moodily into the advertising room and crushed to the desk where the Sunday advertisements were ready for him. The same old story. Hickman's had taken twice the space and used it ten times art tellingly. He stormed out of •the room and half collided with a girl who was entering at the same moment. "Why the devil —" he grumbled, and stopped short. Familiar green-grey eyes under auburn hair looked into his with a hint of a smile, in their depths.

'•You!" lie stuttered in his amazement. . . . Where did you spring from?" The smile persisted. "I beg your pardon. Mr. Forbes. But I'm the new assistant in the Advertising Department. Mr. Forbes, sen., engaged me . . . just after our last meeting. . . " Again that tantalising sinile. Hugh began to feel that working as merchandise manager for Forbes and MeSwev ii, even with limited powers,

was going to be a fur more interesting

job from now onwards. "... I was just) getting a little local colour before my interview. I'd been making fake purchases in u number of departments. So sorrv if I seemed to waste your valuable time." Was there distant mockery in her tone? Hugh felt absurdly embarrassed, and cursed himself for it. "See you later. Miss . . . ?" "Miss Robertson." He tried to make his voice sound important without any considerable success. He pointed ruefully to one of Hickman's advertisements. "We need new blood in the Advertising Department, goodness only knows." He checked himself hurriedly. This was no way for the merchandise manager to talk to a ridiculously young recruit to the staff. She looked so absurdly young and trim and smart. During the next week. Hugh found it necessary to make a surprising number of visits to the Advertising Room. There were few mornings or afternoons during which it was not urgently necessary to discuss something with .Tean. He called her that after exactly three days. What was more surprising was to tind someone who exactly shared his feelings about the way the firm was J going, someone who shared' his own knowledge of up-to-date store methods I overseas, someone who agreed with him on almost every point when he expounded his scheme for the downfall of the ever-encroaching Hickman. Someone who nevertheless maintained an impenetrable reserve when it came to talking about herself, even though she let him take her out. And someone altogether adorable. . . . Fear of Hickman's was succeeded by another kind of fear; fear that Jean would turn him down when he asked to marry her. Already he fancied she despised him for knuckling under to his father so much. He thought he had noticed a faint contempt in the grey-green eyes when announced that some pet scheme which she had enthusiastically approved had

to be turned down because of objections from Forbes, sen. He proposed one moonlit evening while they drove recklessly up and down the street in a taxi after the theatre. His words flowed incoherently as stray wisps of her auburn hair tickled his chin. . . . "You see how things are, darling," he concluded rather lamely. "Hut if you say 'Yes' I'm going to put my ideas at the meeting. And if the old man doesn't bow to the inevitable I'm going to quit." The intoxication of the moment made him feel as if he could move a moun-

tain. . . . "You'll do that?" She caught her breath. "I will," he answered stoutly. "You'll insist on wider and better newspaper advertising?" "I will."

"And on additional lifts?" "Additional lifts." "And on a bargain basement to compete with Hickman's?" "Good Lord, Jean. The old man'll go stark staring mad. . . . But I'll insist on that, too." "And you'll make him send you on a buying trip to France and Germany and Italy." In the darkness of the taxi he did not see her smile. ." . . "I'll even do that, Jean, although I'm afraid it'll give the old man apoplexy. Now give me a kiss and say it's a bargain. . . ." It was agreed. Jean's price was his promise to assert himself. The ostensible purpose of the annual meeting of buyers and executives at Forbes and McSweyn's is to give the lesser luminaries a chance of a say in the policy of the store for the forthcoming year. Practically, however, it degenerates into a monologue from Forbes, sen., who tells his attentive dependents what the policy will be. ...

As Hugh looked at his father's face and then at the circle of Amazons and male 3 which comprised the buyers, his heart turned to water. What chance was there of impressing this crowd?

To his surprise, Jean was. present, trim and alluring, with pencil poised above an open notebook. His eyes must have betrayed their surprise, for his father said, rather uncomfortably: "Miss Robertson is taking down the minutes of the meeting." - It was going to make things harder than ever. . . . Up to a point the meeting went smoothly on its time-honoured course. Then, slowly at first, but with increasing fluency Hugh uttered his amazing ultimatum. Inwardly, he was sick with apprehension. But all the time, as he saw his father turn first red, then purple, and the amused sniggers on the faces of the assembled buyers, he was fortified by the occasional glances from the j green-grey eyes opposite. When he sat down, he saw his father rise to speak; he knew he had failed. He could have wept. . . . Then the miracle happened. He could hardly believe his eyes when he noticed that "the green-grey eyes were no longer level with him. Or his ears when he heard her opening words. . . . "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a little secret to divulge. I must confess that I have been working among you under falsa nrAt.enoAS. hut with a nnrnnne."

iaise pretences, dui witn a purpose. Her voice was quiet, butwhad a steely determination . . . "conservatism can be overdone . . . we need new methods to combat new competition . . . and as the largest shareholder and virtual controller of this business, I must add that I entirely and emphatically agree with Mr. Hugh's recommendations. . . ." Hugh didn't really hear. He was overwhelmed —but not nearly as flabbergasted as Forbes, sea., who could do nothing to save his face but adopt Hugh's proposals almost in their entirety. Hugh had his brighter and better advertising, his extra lifts, and his bargain basement. Also his tour of France, Germany and Italy. Jean went, too, and they made it a combined Bbying trip and honeymoon.