The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-07-29
Cheating Uncle Sam.

l
with whom / was staying and myself
were idling in her library, when a ring
at the door.bell was followed by the
ushering in of a woman enveloped In a
| waterproof cloak, and carrying basket
| covered closely with rubber cloth.
Her salutatiOn was in broken English,
and her inquiries concerning the health
of madam and the children showed she
was well known to the lady Of the house.
After a remark or two about the
weather, the woman threw Significant
glance at me, saying:
"Would madam like anything to-day?
1 have some very fine things"
"Let us see them," was the reply. fI
know my friend would like to look at
them"
The woman stepped into the hall and
took of her cloak; returning she opened
her basket, and spread out on the green
cloth of the table numerous handsome
laces.
OF course we were in ecstacies over
them. A set consisting OF collar and
cuffs OF cobweb gossamer-like texture l
coveted, while my friends attention was
fixed on an elegant founce almost half a
yard wide.
"How beautiful this would make my
lavender silk look tor the charity bal" !"
she said, holding one end of it up to
view.
"and it is only -" naming a sum thai
NV friend laid 1t down. "I should
never get it paid for" she said, ''and
am still in your debt for thst berthel'
"Tnat is noshing-nothing at all, mad
am; it would make yOnf dress lock SO
lerely, and 1t is tres cheap; you would
have to pay as much again Tor 1t at Stew
Then she mentioned several women of
wealth and fashion, to whom she had
sold fiounces not near so fine.
"How comes it you can sell these
things 30 cheaplyW
She shrugged her shoulders and began
putting the pieces back in her basket,
an but the fiounces: "My brother is in
the trade in Paris, and sends them to
me-"
"Madam will keep that" she said, as
she began tieing her covers on. 81 must
20; 1t is q wet morning, and the ladies
will have time to look at my things, and
the ball comes off next week."
My friend resisted, although sorely
TEN pted, and the founces returned to
the basket. The woman was evidently
chagrined, but ere she closed the door
she said, politely:
"Shouid Madam change her mind. or
if L can accommodate her in any other
way, she knows where to find me-"
ifWhere does she get these things ?' !
asked, ere the hall door closed on her.
"Smuggled," was the reply. "She is a
very useful person, and sells such things
great deal less than you can get them
anywhere else. She has the run of cer-
tain fashionable houses, and half the
costly laces you see have been through
her hands. You give her little note,
and she will wait almost your own time
for the money; and il you are hard
pushed she will take any jewelry that
has become old-fashioned, velvet dresses
or mantles, IN part payment. Sometimes
she loans founces or berthes for occa-
the risk is great, for should the article
be in the least injured you are obliged to
keep it at her estimate"
''Do the ladies know the goods are
smuggledW
"Of course they do, although never a
word passes in regard to it, and it is
tacitly understood that neither she nor
her business is to be mentioned to htis-
bands. When Mrs. w died she owed
her nearly thousand dollars. Mr.. W
demurred about paying the note. There
was quite time about 1t; but all Mrs.
VS. family dealt with her, neither
side wanted. an expose, and 80 the mat
ter was compromised.
"There is no such great harm in It.
The Government is rich enough. Men
are not SO rigidly righteous but they
shirk their taxes in every possible way.
Why should not we women shirk those
put upon articles which are our peculiar
wearw
afterward met this woman with her
basket at house where they counted
their fortune by millions, and was con.
strained to believe what my friend told
me was true.-Chicago Times.