The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-12-22
MATCHING PATTERN.

Ono of the fascinating young men Of
San Francisco. in n drv goods store is in
trouble. 1t is the custom in the establish
ment from which lie has Just been dismiss
cd TO discharge a man who fails To sell TO
one ofthree successive customers. -, ap-
ping is the expressive technical term b.
which this failure is known in the dtv
goods business. The rule Is not universal,
4 but it is by no means exceptional in d.y
goods stores. However unjust it may be.
II has wonderfully stimulating effect ou
the elegant young men ameuablc 10 it. aud
when they cannot sell SoudS 10 is a safe in
ference that the customer is either super
naturally obdurate, impccuuiouS or O. ser
iy. The young man referred 10 had first
CALI last Friday morning that j.. the
hist customer who entered the store was
by the rules of rotation his exclusive VIC
tim. Next morning this privilege would
fall 20 the lot Of some other clerk. and So
on the end of the lis. The first customer
''swapped" him and went ont without in-
voSting cent. The second was IN an
equally unp:opitiuus state uf mind. aud re-
tired without eifecting a purchase. On
the decision Of the third hung his fate.
His ample check blauchcd as She darkeued
the doorway. for n more unlikely purchaser
could not without difficulty have been
found. An old striped shawl was thrown
concealed = roll or calico which the palri-
tatOry heart Of the clerk insiinctively felt
that size came to have matched. Now If
there Is anything in tho dry goods business
more soul narrowing than another IL Is to
match goods. The exact shade and tex
ture have to he found, and last, but not
least, the price must correspond. y feel
ing of sickening despair pcrmeated the
heaving breast OF the unfortunate clerk as
he asked, "Well, nla'am -
She laid down five yards and n half Of
calico of an eccentric pattern. and iutiml-
ted that the success of a great dress max
ing enterprise hinged on her fortune in
finding another yaId and a half Of the same
material.
The eyes Of six expeotant clerks wore
upon the doomed man. lie felt that the
crisis of bis peril had come. With an ap-
pearance Of caimness that belied the tur-
moil Of his feelings Ire dived under the
counter and handed out endless rolls of
calico. varying from the radiant strawber-
- and mnsS-rose- marked. to tine Soberest
gray. Bus be came not within thirteen
supplementary colurs of the required pat.
tern. lie burrowed in the cavernous
depths of lower slGlves, anG Iausaoked mp
per ones from the top round O! giddy
step-ladder, but he found It not. An hour
and a half had gone by. and his 81 oc!, was
nearly exhausted. The proprietor of tic
store and the book keeper and porter had
come ont to witness his death Struggle
Six times the weaTicd lacy started for he
door, and six times he called her back and
resumed bis fgeuzcd search. The last
calico was Unrolicd, and lie was about 80
drop his hat ami gracefully step down aud
ont, when a happy thnught struck him.
''EXcuse me, madam. said he ''thurcs
one piece / overlooked. Let me see that
goods - atfA ite t+t,'Az her bundle and, div
ing under the counter. hacked OF ydII
and Il half with the energy and pToDpincss
of rekindled hope.
Here tits, madame . exactly what You
required" said he. confidently, Spreading
out the purloined goods.
She looked at him attentiveiy for five
minutes. at does look like the pattern. -
said she, ''hut still | think its coarSer
than mine. II can't get anything nearer
to the pattern / Il come back and take il.
Good morning."
She did come back in an hour. but not
to buy the goods. lie tried 10 dodge be-
| hind the counter, bat with the lleen-sight-
CdneSs of wOmdnly revenge she suntted
him, and he was ANONYMOUSLY hauled ont
and arraigned before his employer Tie
the Improbable energy showu in his at
tempt To effect a safe. had concluded not to
discharge him. With the evidence of his
gull. unmistakable, however, it would
be fatal to the discipline of the house to
keep him, and lac was promptly diSm iSSed.
/ Until the old lady succeeds in getting Il
warrant for his arrest his name is char Ia.
| bly, suppressed.