She obtained a position in one of the Canning stores at three dollars a week , out of which she contrived to dress herself and Patty and send the latter to school . Her life for three years was one of absolute drudgery , yet until now she had never lost courage , but had struggled bravely on , hoping for better times in the future when she should get promotion and Patty would be old enough to teach school . But now Marcella 's courage and hopefulness had gone out like a spent candle . She was late at the store , and that meant a fine ; her head ached , and her feet felt like lead as she climbed the stairs to her department -- a hot , dark , stuffy corner behind the shirtwaist counter . It was warm and close at any time , but today it was stifling , and there was already a crowd of customers , for it was the day of a bargain sale . The heat and noise and chatter got on Marcella 's tortured nerves . She felt that she wanted to scream , but instead she turned calmly to a waiting customer -- a big , handsome , richly dressed woman . Marcella noted with an ever-increasing bitterness that the woman wore a lace collar the price of which would have kept Patty in the country for a year . She was Mrs. Liddell -- Marcella knew her by sight -- and she was in a very bad temper because she had been kept waiting . For the next half hour she badgered and worried Marcella to the point of distraction . Nothing suited her . Pile after pile , box after box , of shirtwaists did Marcella take down for her , only to have them flung aside with sarcastic remarks . Mrs. Liddell seemed to hold Marcella responsible for the lack of waists that suited her ; her tongue grew sharper and sharper and her comments more trying . Then she mislaid her purse , and was disagreeable about that until it turned up . Marcella shut her lips so tightly that they turned white to keep back the impatient retort that rose momentarily to her lips . The insolence of some customers was always trying to the sensitive , high-spirited girl , but today it seemed unbearable . Her head throbbed fiercely with the pain of the ever-increasing ache , and -- what was the lady on her right saying to a friend ? `` Yes , she had typhoid , you know -- a very bad form . She rallied from it , but she was so exhausted that she could n't really recover , and the doctor said -- '' `` Really , '' interrupted Mrs. Liddell 's sharp voice , `` may I ask you to attend to me , if you please ? No doubt gossip may be very interesting to you , but I am accustomed to having a clerk pay some small attention to my requirements .
If you can not XXXXX to your business , I shall go to the floor walker and ask him to direct me to somebody who can .
attend badgered gone know meant rallied saying send shut turned