Read Online Anne Douglas by The Handkerchief Tree - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: The Handkerchief Tree
Ads: Link
job.’
‘Oh? What sort of job is that, then?’
‘It’s in a flower shop in George Street. Maybel’s, it’s called. “Maybel’s Flowers”. Someone told me there was a notice in the window asking for a junior assistant.’
‘Maybel’s? That’s a lovely shop, isn’t it?’ Miss Ruddick opened the office door more widely. ‘If you’d like to come in, Shona, I could perhaps help you to write something out and show it to Miss Bryce tomorrow? Would that be any good?’
‘Oh, yes! Yes, it would! Miss Ruddick, that would be grand!’
Shoulders up, her face all smiles, Shona took a seat while Miss Ruddick provided paper and pencil and told her she should write out what she wanted to say first, then make a fair copy in pen and ink.
It sounded so easy, but faced with the blank sheet of paper Shona’s eyes were huge with anxiety, and turning the pencil over and over seemed to bring no relief.
‘Come on,’ Miss Ruddick said patiently. ‘What do you think should go at the top? Wouldn’t it be “Application for the post of Junior Assistant at Maybel’s Flowers”?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Shona, blushing, began to write. ‘And then my name, and age?’
‘And address, Edina Lodge.’
Shona hesitated. ‘Think they’ll mind I’m from an orphanage?’
‘No, definitely not. Miss Bryce will make it clear when she gets in touch with them that you’re a very bright, hard-working girl. Having been brought up in an orphanage should not matter at all. What you have to do is convince the employers that you’re really keen to work with flowers.’ Miss Ruddick smiled a little. ‘You are, aren’t you? Somehow, I can tell.’
‘I’m keen,’ Shona agreed, and as her pencil seemed to take on new fluency, she began to write of how she’d always liked plants and trees when she’d lived in the Dean Village, and of how she’d then learned to love flowers in the gardens of Edina Lodge. Though she had no experience of working in a florist’s, she was very willing to learn and hoped very much that she would be considered for the post with Maybel’s.
‘There!’ she cried, laying down her pencil. ‘Think it’s all right, Miss Ruddick?’
‘I do, it’s very good. Perhaps you might add that references will be provided? From Miss Bryce, of course, and maybe one of your teachers?’
‘Oh, yes, the headmaster gives references if we need them.’
Some of her euphoria fading, Shona gazed at Miss Ruddick. ‘I’m very grateful for your help,’ she said quietly. ‘But it might all be too late, eh? There might be no job to apply for.’
‘We must look on the bright side,’ Miss Ruddick answered briskly. ‘I don’t think myself that they will have appointed anybody yet. But now I’ll get you pen and ink and another sheet of paper – I’m afraid you must write your application out all over again.’
The deed was done, the application carefully written in Shona’s best handwriting and left for Miss Bryce to study tomorrow and then do what she thought best.
‘Probably she’ll telephone the shop and check that there is still a vacancy,’ Miss Ruddick told Shona at the door of the office. ‘If there is, she’ll say something to recommend you and send off your application.’
‘You think she’ll do that?’
‘I’m sure she will. It’s part of her job to see that leavers are settled into work.’ Miss Ruddick gave Shona’s shoulder an encouraging pat. ‘Off you go now – you must have missed most of the recreation period already.’
‘How shall I know if Miss Bryce does what you say?’
‘She’ll tell you, of course. Next thing you know, you might be getting an interview.’
An interview? Shona, searching for Cassie, was delighted at the idea, but then was firm with herself. No thinking about that until it happened. And even if it did, an interview was just that, not a job offer.
‘You’ll get an interview,’ Cassie said with the cheerfulness of one whose job had already been secured.
‘Oh? What sort of job is that, then?’
‘It’s in a flower shop in George Street. Maybel’s, it’s called. “Maybel’s Flowers”. Someone told me there was a notice in the window asking for a junior assistant.’
‘Maybel’s? That’s a lovely shop, isn’t it?’ Miss Ruddick opened the office door more widely. ‘If you’d like to come in, Shona, I could perhaps help you to write something out and show it to Miss Bryce tomorrow? Would that be any good?’
‘Oh, yes! Yes, it would! Miss Ruddick, that would be grand!’
Shoulders up, her face all smiles, Shona took a seat while Miss Ruddick provided paper and pencil and told her she should write out what she wanted to say first, then make a fair copy in pen and ink.
It sounded so easy, but faced with the blank sheet of paper Shona’s eyes were huge with anxiety, and turning the pencil over and over seemed to bring no relief.
‘Come on,’ Miss Ruddick said patiently. ‘What do you think should go at the top? Wouldn’t it be “Application for the post of Junior Assistant at Maybel’s Flowers”?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Shona, blushing, began to write. ‘And then my name, and age?’
‘And address, Edina Lodge.’
Shona hesitated. ‘Think they’ll mind I’m from an orphanage?’
‘No, definitely not. Miss Bryce will make it clear when she gets in touch with them that you’re a very bright, hard-working girl. Having been brought up in an orphanage should not matter at all. What you have to do is convince the employers that you’re really keen to work with flowers.’ Miss Ruddick smiled a little. ‘You are, aren’t you? Somehow, I can tell.’
‘I’m keen,’ Shona agreed, and as her pencil seemed to take on new fluency, she began to write of how she’d always liked plants and trees when she’d lived in the Dean Village, and of how she’d then learned to love flowers in the gardens of Edina Lodge. Though she had no experience of working in a florist’s, she was very willing to learn and hoped very much that she would be considered for the post with Maybel’s.
‘There!’ she cried, laying down her pencil. ‘Think it’s all right, Miss Ruddick?’
‘I do, it’s very good. Perhaps you might add that references will be provided? From Miss Bryce, of course, and maybe one of your teachers?’
‘Oh, yes, the headmaster gives references if we need them.’
Some of her euphoria fading, Shona gazed at Miss Ruddick. ‘I’m very grateful for your help,’ she said quietly. ‘But it might all be too late, eh? There might be no job to apply for.’
‘We must look on the bright side,’ Miss Ruddick answered briskly. ‘I don’t think myself that they will have appointed anybody yet. But now I’ll get you pen and ink and another sheet of paper – I’m afraid you must write your application out all over again.’
The deed was done, the application carefully written in Shona’s best handwriting and left for Miss Bryce to study tomorrow and then do what she thought best.
‘Probably she’ll telephone the shop and check that there is still a vacancy,’ Miss Ruddick told Shona at the door of the office. ‘If there is, she’ll say something to recommend you and send off your application.’
‘You think she’ll do that?’
‘I’m sure she will. It’s part of her job to see that leavers are settled into work.’ Miss Ruddick gave Shona’s shoulder an encouraging pat. ‘Off you go now – you must have missed most of the recreation period already.’
‘How shall I know if Miss Bryce does what you say?’
‘She’ll tell you, of course. Next thing you know, you might be getting an interview.’
An interview? Shona, searching for Cassie, was delighted at the idea, but then was firm with herself. No thinking about that until it happened. And even if it did, an interview was just that, not a job offer.
‘You’ll get an interview,’ Cassie said with the cheerfulness of one whose job had already been secured.
Similar Books
