The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-27
NUMBER 26.
Matching q Pattern.

4 One uf the fascinating young men tn
I an uptown dry-ROods store lhays the
San FrAncisco PosO Is in trouble. tits
the custom in the establishment from
which he has just been dismissed, 30
discharge a man who fails 30 sell 10 one
/ of three successive customerR. Swap
ping" is the expressive technical term
[ by which this failure is known IN the
4 dry-goois business. The rule In not
universal, but il is by no means excep-
tionAl in dry-good stores. However
unjust il may be, it has wonderfully
stimulating effect ON the elegant young
men amenable 20 il, and when they can
not sell goods, il Ia a Bafe inference that
| the customer is either supernAturaliy
Obduraie, impecuniOuE, or misefly. The
young mAn referred 10 had =" first call
! last Friday morning; that Is the first
customer who entered the store was by
the rule of rotation his exclusive victim.
Next morning this privilege would fall
20 fine lot Of some other clerk, and 80 on
t0 the end Of the list. The hnt cus-
toner "svapped" him and then went
ont without investing cent The second
was in M equally unpropitions state OF
mind, and retired without eGecting q
purchase On the decision Of the third
hung bis fate. His ample cheek blAnched
as she darkened the doorway, for more
unlikely purchaser could with difficulty
have been found. An old striped shawl
was thrown carelessly over her Ehoul-
ders. aud partially concealed q roll OF
calico. which the palpitAtory heart Of the
clerk instihctivefy felt that she came 10
have matched. Now II there is anything
in the dry-goods business more harrow
ing than another, il is 10 match goods.
The exact shade and texture has 20 be
found. and last but not least, the price
must correspond. A feeling OF sickening
despair permeAted the heavlng breast OF
the unfortunate clerk As he asked,
Well, ma Fam p
She laid down Ave yards and half OF
calico Of an eccentric pattern, and inti-
mated that the success Of \ great dress
making enterprise hinged on her fortune
in finding another yard and half OF the
same material.
The eyes Of six eHpectant clerks were
upon the doomed man. He felt that the
crisis Of his peril had come. With an
appearance Of cAlmness that belled the
turmoil Of his feelings, he dived under
the counter and handed out endless
rolls of calico, varying from the radiant
strawberry and mOss-rose- marked, 10
the soberest gray. But he came not
within thirteen supplementary colors OF
the required pattern. He burrowed IN
tie cavernous depths Of lower shelves,
and ransaacked upper ones from the
top round Of a giddy step-lndder, bat be
found il not. An hour and q half had
gone by, and his stock was nearly ex-
hausted. The proprietor Of the store
and the bookkeeper and porter had come
10 witness his death struggle. Six times
had the wearied lady started for the
door. and SIX times he called her back
and resumed his frenEied search. The
last calico was unrolled, and he was
about 10 drop his hat and gracefully
step down and out, when n happy
thought struck him.
Excuse me madam, said he !;
there's one piece j overlooked Let
me see that goods" and he took her
bundle and diving under the counter.
hacked of q yard and half with the
energy and promptness OF re-hndled
hope.
Here It's madam; exactly what vou
7 required, I" said he confidently, spread
I ing out the purloined goods.
She looked al il attentiveiy for i've
minutes. alt does look like the pat
tern" said she, "but still think it's
not what / want It's good deal coars-
er than mine III can't get anything
nearer 30 the pattern I'll come back and
4 take il. Good morning
! She did come back in an hour, but
( not TO buy the goods. He tried 30 dodge
| behind the counter, but with the keen
sighteiness of womanly revenge, she
spotted him, and he was ignominiously
hauled ont and arrAigned before his EN-
ployer. The worst Of il was thst the
latter. in view that the Improbable en-
ergy shown in his attempt 20 effect q
sale. had concluded not 10 discharge
him. With the evidence Of his guilt un-
mistakahle. however, il would be fatal
10 the discipline of the house to keep
him. and he was promptly dismissed.
Until the old lady succeeds in getting a
warrant for his arrest his name is CHAIR
3 4nblw Hnuprpaaed