The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-15
In the cool falling shadows Of even,
CARRY'S CUSTOMER.
BY uELEN roRREsr GRAVES.

CAKkl'S CUSlUMElt.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
"My first day at the store!" said Car
ry Wallingford, with y curious thrill
through her, as if an ice cold stream
were trickling down the line of her spi-
nal column. "Oh, l wish were a rich
girl, and didn't have to work!''
Work is honorable. my child" said
old Uncle Wolsey, who, with his specta-
through the illegiblc paragraphs of the
daily paper. muttering to himself that
''cither they didn't print as good as
they used to. or else his old eycsight
was falling
Eyes. I know" fluttcrcd Carry; "but
I'm very willing that some one else
should have the honor this tin,e.''
Uncle Wolsey turned his glasses, with
mild reproach. upon his niccc's pink
and white balsam of a face.
MY girl, said he, you're not afraid
mo, uncie!" Carrie family, m.
awcrcd; "but you know it's all SO
strangc!'
sit won't be strange, long, checrily
encouraged the old man. .Its wonder
full how soon the good Lord accustoms
us to things, when once we set about
our duty -
II wish could be as brave as you.
Uncle Wolsey!' said Carry, as she tied
the crimson strings of her little capotc
under her round chin.
Old Wolsey Wallingford had shelter
cd his little lamb by his hearth fold all
her lifetime until now. He was Jew
cler by trade, and he had kept his un-
pretending store open as long as posi-
BILE. But the tide of fashion went BY,
and left him stranded on the unfrequent-
cd side street where the sign of the tar
nishcd silver watch attracted no further
attention.
And one day, when he had sat all day
in the window with his magnifying
glass. working at some impossible old
time piece, whose owner had died and
never called for it, tho twilight crept
aarkly over his eycsight and his
heart. He laid down his tools.
"All day long" said he, ''and never
a customer! Well-a-day! it is time for
the old man to shut up his store at last. ~
He went out and put up the wooden
shutters, with II heart that was heavier
than they, and from that time thence
forward, the wooden imitation of the
silver watch swung no longer over the
door.
Uncle Wolsey had been conquered in
lifc's battle, and had laid down his
arms, and now it was that Garry re-
luctantly threw herself into the breach.
How could she let the dear old man
starve? And Mr.. Pickrcll's fancy and
dry goods store on Sixth avenue was
really q very creditable establishment,
and Mrs. Pickrell herself had promised,
from the severe heights of the cashiers
desk, to "keep an eye" upon old Mr..
Wallingford's niece, and if her services
proved desirable, there was no sort of
doubt but that her salary would be in
creased in time.
So Carry buttoned up her sack, drew
on her neat lisle-thrcad gloves and took
the little basket, in which, wrapped in u
napkin was packed her lunch Of apple
pic and cheese, and went forth to meet
her new career, little reckoning how
brief it was to be.
| utoU ~ W do 1OU SCly plCdSduls
The store was small and stuf1y, with
gorgeous piles of cretonne and chintz
ut the door, and festoons of laccs, silk
handkcrchiefs and colored jerseys flap
ping against the heads of the girls be-
hind the counter, of whom there were
three besides Carry-bold, high-voiced
damsels. who wore their hair down
over the bridge of their noses, and gig
gled necessarily.
Customers came and went, change
was made, and paper parcels cxpedi-
tiously wrapped up.
Mr.. Pickrell walked the floor with his
hands in his pockets, ordered away
small girls whose noses were flattened
too pcrsistently against the windows
outside, and smiled benignly on old la
dies who stopped to examine the quality
of the chintzes and flannel suitings.
Mrs. Pickrell reprilnanded the young
women with the banged hair for gig
cling too loud when there were Gus
toners in the store, and called to Carry
to ..mind what she was about" when q
box of ribbons fell off the counter upon
the floor.
Carry grew very weary, her head be-
ran to ache, and she wondered how
long it would be before "shutting-up
time"
At last tall, brown-faced young
man came in, wearing foreign-look-
ing coat trimmed with fur, and some
how bearing in his aspect the indescrib.
able stamp of belonging to some other
country.
One of the bangcd-haired nymphs
was eating her lunch; the second had
rushed up the street to get change fol-
a tcn-tlollar bill, and the third was en-.
gagged in matching an impossible shade
Of ribbon for young lady who
anything.
:.Carry!" shrilly signaled Mrs. Pick.
rell.
And our heroine advanced valiantly
to the rescue.
what can show you?' she asked
timitlly, of the new customer.
"Silk, please" said the young man.
And when Carry perceived that he
was considerably more embarrassed
than herself, she took courage.
What color?" said she.
II don't know" answered the custo'
mer, THAT is. l haven't quite made ur
my mind. Perhaps you could sug
gcst-"
"What is it for?'' Garry asked, witt
mild moderation of his evident Devil
dermcnt; and at the same time she
could not help pcrcciving that he was
very handsome, witt wayy black hail
and liquid eyes, long lashcs, and pleas
ant to look upon.
'.For Dress"
"a dress? But is it for young lady
or an old one?''
II don't know" acknowledged tho
gentleman. young, that is, not old
She can't be over forty. To tell yor
the truth, and he smiled in spite o.
himself-''I've never seen the lady
But she is cousin of mine and want
to make her present"