Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain Read Free Book Online Page B

Boole finally came over, she began to talk, and instead of answering questions in a tight-lipped defensive way, as she had at other places, opened up a little. She alluded briefly to the break-up of her marriage, stressed her familiarity with all things having to do with kitchens, and said she was sure she could be useful in that department, as saleswoman, demonstrator, or both. Mrs Boole measured her narrowly at that, then led her into an account of what she had been doing about getting a job. Mildred held nothing back, and after Mrs Boole had cackled gaily at the story of Harry Engel and his anchors, she felt warm tears swimming into her eyes, for she felt if she didn’t have a job, at least she had a friend. It was then that Mrs Boole had her fill out the card. ‘There’s nothing open right now, but I’ll remember what you said about the kitchenware, and if anything comes up, at least I’ll know where to get hold of you.’
    Mildred left in such a pleasant glow that she forgot to be disappointed, and she was halfway down the hall before she realised her name was being called. Mrs Boole was standing in the hallway, the card still in her hand, and came toward her nervously. She took Mildred’s hand, held it a moment or two while she looked down at the street, many storeys below. Then: ‘Mrs Pierce, there’s something I’ve got to tell you.’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘There aren’t any jobs.’
    ‘Well, I knew things were slack, but—’
    ‘Listen to me, Mrs Pierce. I wouldn’t say this to many of them, but you seem different from most of the applicants that come in here. I don’t want you to go home thinking there’s any hope. There isn’t. In this store, we’ve taken on just two people in the last three months – one to take the place of a gentleman who was killed in an automobile accident, the other to take the place of a lady who had to retire on account of ill health. We seeeverybody that comes in, partly because we think we ought to, partly because we don’t want to close up the department altogether. There just aren’t any jobs, here or in the other stores either. I know I’m making you feel bad, but I don’t want you to be – kidded.’
    Mildred patted her arm, and laughed. ‘Well my goodness, it’s not your fault. And I know exactly what you mean. You don’t want me to be wearing out shoes, for nothing.’
    ‘That’s it. The shoes.’
    ‘But if you
do
have something—’
    ‘Oh, if I have anything, don’t worry. I’ll be only too glad to let you know – by paid telegram. And, if you’re down this way again, will you drop in on me? We could have lunch.’
    ‘I’ll be only too glad to.’
    Mrs Boole kissed her, and Mildred left, feeling footsore, hungry, and strangely happy. When she got home there was a notice hanging on the door, asking her to call for a paid telegram.
    ‘Mrs Pierce, it was like something in a movie. You had hardly stepped into the elevator, honestly. In fact I had you paged downstairs, hoping you hadn’t left the store.’
    They sat down, in Mrs Boole’s private office this time, Mrs Boole behind her big desk, Mildred in the chair beside it. Mrs Boole went on: ‘I was watching you step into the down car, I was admiring your figure if you have to know why I was watching you, when this call came from the restaurant.’
    ‘You mean the store restaurant?’
    ‘Yes, the tea room on the roof. Of course, the store doesn’t have anything to do with that. It’s sublet, but the manager likes to take people from our lists, just the same. He feels it makes a better tie-up, and then of course we do quite a lot of sifting ourselves, before we place a name on file, and it puts him in touch with a better class of girls.’
    ‘And what is the job?’
    Mildred’s mind was leaping wildly from cashier to hostess to dietician: she didn’t know what a dietician was, but felt she could fill the bill. Mrs Boole answered at once: ‘Oh, nothing very exciting. One of his waitresses got