Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-02-02

watering place that summer, was really
stronger than she had any idea Of
Mrs. Penrith Duke had declared that
no lady was a lady without real CASH
mere shawl. Mrs. Penrith Duke had
praised Flora's slim, pretty figure, and
declared that it was the very form to set
off the scented folds Of an Indian
shawl.
She had mentioned, incidentally, that
q camel's-hair was like diamonds, Or
rare oil-paintings-a lifelong invest
ment. She had wondered, in her soft
voiced. pretty way. why every lady did
not buy Valley cashmere.
And Flora, listening, had become
infected with the yearning desire to
possess one of these almost unattain-
able luxuries.
Mo- Margin street was dirty
little house, in a dirty little row, close
to the docks. Flora had never been SO
far west before, and the aspect Of
things did not strike her agreeably.
Rough-looking men, in tarry jackets
and coarse boots, slouched past; knots
Of half-grown young rufians stared at
her as she went by, and untidy women,
with children in their arms, disappeared
into dark doorways, like rats into their
holes.
s'Is this the place where they sell
India shawls p she hesitatingly asked
a young girl, with unkempt hair and
sullen face, who leaned out of one OF
the side windows of No.-Margin
street.
"Don't know anything about it, said
the girl, indiferently.
"Can't ye spake the lady dacent,
Meg?" snarlingly interrupted fat old
woman, looking out over the girls
shoulder. "It's Through the alley,
miss, dear-up two pair o. stairs-the
little room under the skylight. Ask for
Mr.. Conforto. niss-to say-capt'in.
Shure the shawls is great bargains,
betoken there amt been no duty paid
on 'em, miss !" with a grin which dis
played few gnarly stumps of teeth in
q sunken jaw.
Through the alley Pup two pair
O stairs l''-a 'little room under q sky
light |" Instinctively Flora recoiled,
and the old woman perceived it at
once.
"Shure, miss, I'll go wild yez an show
yez the way" said she.
And not knowing how to refuse this
offer, Flora unwillingly followed her
waddling footsteps through d ark and
dismal alley, across q paved court and
up two narrow flights Of stairs, to a
gloomy, half-lighted room, where a
short, vulgar man sat, smoking black
pipe, in the midst OF boxes, bales and
bundles.
Bargains. miss ?" said the short,
vulgar man. jumping up. Cheddah,
Bhurlpore, Lacca, Valley Bokharah -
which will I show you, miss ?"
Flora hesitated and colored, under
his brazen stare.
81 had not made up my mind to buy.
she said, eand-"
"Oh. but you must buyi" chartered
Captain Conforto. .sYou shall buy
You can't help buying in place like
this. when show you what we've got. =
And, jumping around like an over
grown kangaroo, he unfolded some
coarse, high-colored, striped shawls,
one or two with rivulet Of white SEEM
ing to meander over dull red grounds,
and some that seemed to have been out
in storm at sea and got thoroughly
stained with salt water.
Flora, however, uneducated in techni-
calities, was an artist at soul, and re-
coiled from these gaudy denominations.
Ell don't quite like these" she
hesitated. ssI do not think will pur-
chase to-day"
''Not like theml' echoed the sea-cap-
tain-if sea-captain he was. ssNot-
like theml Nobody ever said that be-
fore to Leotari Confortol amt used
to be talked to in that there way. But,
if the lady don't like 'em, she needn't
to bny 'em. ! amt obliged to put nay
bargains down peoples throats, that
amt r.
And he bustled around, muttering to
himself and tossing the things about,
brushing past Miss Fountain very dis
agreeably once or twice as he did SO.
Flora turned to go, but her fat guide
had unaccountably disappeared, and
she was obliged to retrace her steps as
best she could.
s'At all events, she said to herself,
ssTm glad I am well out of that place. y
Making the best of her way to Third
avenue, she entered a car to ride home /;
but when she put her hand in her
pocket to pay her fare, the little purse
into which she had SO carefully packed
her money was gone.
It flashed over her then, all in an
instant. Her pocket had been picked !;
and probably by Captain Leotard Con-
forto himself.
"Never mind the fare, miss. " said the
conductor, stout, fatherly old man,
who doubtless had daughters Of his
own. "Pll see that It's all right, and
you can pay me any time you please"
So Flora got home just in time to
hurst ont crvinp on her fathnrsr