Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-05
THE CRAZE FOR BARGAINS.
People Rs1sh into q Crowded Store and
Don't Know What They Buy.


People Rush Into q Crowded Store and
Don't Know What They Buy.
Clara Belle in Cincinnati Enquirer
I have always considered myself superior to
. craze for bargains. But yesterday broke
the record Of . lifetime. Maud coaxed me
into dry goods store. 'sThey are selling
some justtoo-lovely bath suits for SO cents"
said she, land must have one."
"Yoa aren't going to the seashore?"
mo; but one ought to have bath suit in
the summer" returned Maud, in such Of
course-you-know-that tone that it didn't occur
to me to find fault with her assertion. / stuck
FIRMLY to my decision not to go with her to the
counter where the suits were sold.
Il will sit right near the door," said I, '.and
nsyou are too long shall simply march out"
While l waited I watched the struggling
tumnlt Of frantic femininity in front of me. A
long extra table had been set in the aisle
women were crowded three deep about it.
ihere were two salesgirls to every twenty-five
would-be or hought-they-wanted-to-b Gus
TONER'S began to wonder what was on the
table. A big placard showed above the bobbing
oonnets OF the women, but l could read no
furthur than .Seventy-three cents-this day
on!y-best quality" Wondered what on earth
selling at seventy-three cents could be so pop
uiar, so important. so perfect as to induce a
thousand or SO women to risk their necks. bend
their bonnets, and dslocate their bustles to at
tain. began to fear that perhaps was losing
the chance of a lifetime From the moment
that idea entered my brain was lost woman.
In less than no time found myself struggling
with the rest OF them. All interest in life be-
came concentrated upon an insane effort to get
TO the edge OF that table. Iwrestled and ragged,
walked almost over one woman's shoulders, all
put; crept between another's high heels, and
Ill.
At last l was there. chung to the edge of the
table, as one does to the undertow rope at the
sea shore.
MY FEET SORT OF WAVED TO AND FRO
as the crowd moved, but held on tightly.
Dressing sacks, of course. Heavensl for 70
cents, and 1 had never worn dressing sack;
but felt that at last kind Providence had in
terfered to bring me to higher condition of
happiness and dressing sack. / screamed how
much were they? Ibid that because every one
else did. The girl screamed back: Seventy
three cents" / hung on with one hand and
Wildly rummaged among the mass of mus
Inns. felt as if / were one of the
French women at big public trough washing
linen with hundred other women. The sacks
seemed to be of different Sizes Think of that!
different sizes, and for 70 cents. OF course,
the bigger size l chose the more would get for
the money.
stop What was that beyoqd9 Chemisesl
by my hands. When reached the chemises I
screamed: How much?" till the girl screamed
BACK: 'Seyenty-three cents" had not lately
worn chemises. Like most women in these
times wear my corsets over little shirt and
n corset cover next. But realized then what
bowling error it would be to continue so per-
nlcious practice when l could get chemises
Tor seventy-three cents. I knew l wanted
chemise instead of a sacque, because there
was so much more stuff in a chemise than in o
sacque, and for seventy-three cents.
All OF sudden while was pulling over the
pile, shrieking at intervals, chow much?' my
brain left me entirely. My last recollection is
sudden determination to fight my way fur
Their along the table. What induced the deter
mination 1 can't tell. When came to, don't
know how long after, l realized that
HAD SELECTED SOMETHING,
that in my effort to make even change had
dropped six or eight dimes and that had
knocked my head through the crown of my
bonnet trying to recover the coin. wondered
how my bonnet looked worn around my neck
like collar, and felt dimly grateful when in
vestlgatlon proved the crown remained bal
anced on the top of my head, just where the
rest OF the bonnet left it. must sew them to-
gether when I get home, thought /. When I
get home? Why wasn't at home now? Oh,
yes, my parcel hadn't come back There, that
was the girl-the one with auburn hair She's
had taken the bundle. began to shrek:
"Ihats mlne-thats mine-even change
seventy-three cents"
Nobody seemed to care much except me. I
collared the girl in time, secured my package
and plunged into the picnic of getting out
At the edge OF the crowd found Maud NY
bonnet was queer, but it wasn't anything to
hers.
What have you been doing?" she gasped.
II don't know" gulped.
We were both pretty quiet on the way home
At the door l asked: Did you get your bath
suit?"
She seemed to evade the question and with
an air OF hitting back at me inquired: "what
did you get?"
1 had been feeling uneasy long time.
looked her straight in the eyes and answered:
Il don't know" then, as tears dimmed my sight,
but I'm going to find outcome up and help
me-" Her heart softened into a weak-minded
confidential condition.
Il tell you right now" she said 81 bought a
bath suit three sizes too big, Just because it
lad row more braid on it than my size had"
l couldn't treat the matter lightly. Goodness
only knew what had done.
IN SOLEMN SILENCE
we united my package. sort of closed my
eyes as Maud shook out the garment therein.
Then she said in hushed voice:
"Clara Belle, have you got baby?".
shut my eyes tighter and replied: "Maud,
as l value my hope Of salvation, I VOW to
you"
IAN right, dear, but do you know any one
who has baby?
''No. Maud; not among the girls you
know"
"Or is going to have a baby?"
"Maud! No! Why do you ask the horrible
questions? Speak! The suspense is awful"
"Open your eyes and see," said Maud.
I had bought an infants robe to fit q child
about three days old.