The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-04-10
HOME INTERESTS.


@At Underhoff's."
what. that store! IalnQost wonder at your
going there, Bessie; you know they do not bear
the reputation of being over and above honest
"I know it, John, and had not theleast idea
of buying my dress there / merely went into
tho store to buy some knick- knacks at the scent
counter and, happening to see piece of black
silk on the shelf, thought would just ask the
price of it, when he seemed to take il for grant
ed wanted to buy 1t, and. although in the first
place he asked me dollar a yard for the silk
he finally said if I would take it he would give
me all the trimmings"
"How much are the trimmings worth that he
gave you, Bessie"
He did not give me all he intends to. He
said would be entitled to all my dress maker
wond need for the dress. [ am going to see
her tomorrow, and get her to cut it, and will
then make it myself"
During the above conversation Mr.. Landers
sat examining the goods, and pulling out threads
at the end and was now prepared to give his
opinion as to it's value and, on looking uD at
his wife rather dissatisfedly, she faiteringly
asked:
We'll, what do you think of it, John?"
Rather coarse, and not more than third
cotton, he replied
His wife, knowing that he was good judge
of dress goods, having once been clerk in a dry
goods store, felt all her fears realized; for, al
though the man declared there was not thread
of cotton in the piece, she had, since the pur-
chase, feared that he had deceived her. Some
how tne silk looked very different in the store
from what it did after she brought it home.
She had tried to persuade both herself and hus-
band into the belief thatshe had made good
bargain; still she all the time felt al inward
dissatisfaction, and now she could no longer
conceal it.
Then / have been duped?" she concernedly
asked
Well, never mind; it will make you some
kind Of dress, and you know you could not get
q first class silk for that price at any of the
stores, 1t did not cost q great sum any way"
Mr. Landers said this soothingly, and with
the hope Of cheering up his wife's spirits. APP
preciating hls motive, she rather cheerfully re-
piled:
Well, Underhoff said if did not want to
keep the silk, he would take it back and let me
have any other piece he had in the store. Of
course l would have to pay the difference IN the
price of the goods"
Don't do that" replied her husband; in
the first place he persuaded you to buy this
piece, in view Of having the trimmings thrown
in; in the next trade he would doubtless
hold forth some other inducement that would
be equally as tempting and finally succeed in
getting about as much more money from you as
you have already paid him. without giving you
a much better quality of goods"
will do as you say, dear John, said Bessie
Landers. 81 ought not to have purchased the
dress without having you with me, you are 80
much more competent to judge of the worth of
goods than I am. But as you say, must try
to make the best of the matter if l have got
cheated, and know better next time than to be-
ieve all am told"
Bessie's mind, however, was not quite at ease.
The following day she took the silk to Miss
Johnson, her dress-maker, engaging her to cut
the dress.
How many yards did you get?" asked Miss
Johnson, as she sat examining the silk.
"Twenty- five, Bessie replied.
You only need twenty for the style Of dress
you say you want; the underskirt will be mostly
cambria; the princesse overskirt will be sewed
down to the underskirt, and only the trimmings
on chat skirt will be seen"
"Then will have five yards left; oh, what a
pity got so much"
At what place did you get it?" asked Miss ].
"At Underhoff's"
"Ah!" looking up knowingly into Mrs Ian
ders' face, as much as to say, Very well; that
Bessie knew her thoughts; at least she
thought she did. but she ventured to ask,
What do you think of the silk"
I should have thought you would have
wanted one of better quality" was the reply.
But only gave 81 yard"
Dollar a yard" replied Miss Johnson.
Here is piece that came from Adams, only
81 yard; let us compare them" Why whata
difference BessIes sank into utter insignifi-
canoe in comparison. There was not the least
particle of ulster on hers and how coarse it
looked beside the other piece.
But he threw in all the trimmings, or will
if you will tell me what you want, Miss John
an oil ri
find in this trying moment and she repeated,
Only tell me the amount of trimmings and /
will go and get them. He gave me two yards
and half of cambria, eighteen buttons, two
spools silk, spool thread, and one yard and
half of waist lining"
THAT is not nearly enough. You want five
yards more of cambria, two dozen more but
tons, three spools silk and two yards instead Of
one ward and o half for waist lining"
With these directions, Mrs. Landers went
over to Underhoff's. Il have come, she said to
him, Ito get the rest of the trimmings for my
dress" He gave her all but the buttons, and
declared if she wanted more than dozen aud
q half she must pay for them. The extra cam
brio was given with much reluctance After
she had finally got it, she told him he had
cheated her on the silk and, now that he had
refused to give her all the trimmings she
needed she would do all in her power to pre-
vent any of her friends and acquaintance from
trading with him, and, of course, she would
never enter his store again SAX
After she returned to Miss Johnson's shop,
and again looked at the silk that came from
Adams, she felt more down-hearted than
ever. @Now, if had bought twenty yards of
that, :" she said, "then paid for the trimmings,
which would have been about So, might have
had handsome dress for less money than
shall have paid for one that shall be ashamed
off, sz8 v4s
3But you will have the five yards left"
gested Miss Johnson sl1g
eyes, but the coarse, cottony stuff will be of
little use for trimmings, and I would not think
of making sacque or any other outside gar
ment of ii, said Mrs L.
"Ithought you were o pretty good judge of
all kinds Of dress goods" said Miss Johnson.
Il thought I was middling good, too, and how
that man came to blind my eyes in the way he
did is something cannot see into. 1t cannot
be he gave me different piece from the one
selected can it?"
Il wouldn't wonder in the least if he did"
said Miss Johnson sit is store / never go
into, and I know nothing about the man only
what / hear; but do not recollect hearing any
thing greatly in his favor. I never trade only
at Adams, Mills, or Barker's At those three
stores one is apt to get reliable goods"
81 know it" said Bessie "and | meant to