The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-10-18
Pols sEs=s To smartsst girl in the

0GOk0I
II should have lost my place II I
hadn't clearedit offthe shelves some
how" compiacently observed Fanny.
eyes, I think myself it was pretty
neatly DONE"
"Only," said Lizzie Loomax, "the
poor old woman that the silk dress
was for!'
That's none Of my lookout" said
Fanny Pole.
And she began to talk about the
ball which she expected to attend in q
night or two, in company with a GER
tain young foreman in printing
Office, who had been especially at
tentive to her of late.
~ shall getahead of you all!' Fan
ny said, triumplantly, to the other
shop girls. '.pd marry q chimpnnzee
to get out of this place. But Henry
is no chimpanzee. He's the hand.
soonest young fellow you ever saw,
and he's earning good round wages,
too"
"And the other maidens sighed with
one envious accord.
Fan gets all the luck"
Old Peter Gale logged home with
his purchase in the twilight, and the
next day he laid the neat package
on tine sitting-room table.
"You amt GO years old every day
in the year." said he; land here's
your present mother"
"rhe spectacles dropped off Mrs
Gales nose.
"A-silk-dress!" cried she. "Well,
do declare! How ever came you tc
think of that, father? Well, I'm sc
pleased!"
Five minutes later she called tc
him as he stood in the sink-room
sorting over garden seeds.
"Spotted with grease!" herepeated
ooh, get out! Guess you've gotsome
thing on the glass of your specks
old Indy. l bought it spick ant
span new at Snipwell & Birch's."
"Where?" said Henry, the tall son
who had come from tho city to hell
keep his mothers birthday, anc
brought her big print Bible, sc
large and substantial that il needed
a whole table to itself.
"Snipwell & Birch's," reiterated til.
old farmer. "That big, marble-iront
ed store on Ontario street, We know
Hal. ! wasn't goin' to buy you
mothers silk dressa no cheap place
where I'dlikcly to he swindled."
"But you have been swindled, ia
ther," snid Henry, gravely exarhin
ing the blacksilk folds. Mother i,
right. Some sort of grease had beer
spilled on this, and some one has at
tempted to clean it of, apparent,
with very Indifferent success"
at hain't been took outen the par
Gel sence bought in," said Mr.. Gale
shifting his hand on the table. "Ant
look-the papers US clean and nea,
as Sunday Observation-Disclosures"
eyes; and the CREASED spot is folded
clear on the inside" said Mrs. Gale.
"Who sold you this piece of silk
father?" said Henry, intently survey
ing it 81 know one of the girls n
Snipwell & Birch's, and Ishallcertain
~ investigate the matter"
IA gal with real yellow hair, ant
eyes as blue us II larkspur's bloom,
said Mr.. Gale. 1.-THE prettiest Spoken
little creetur you ever seen. Sh,
wouldn'ta-cheated me, l know"
GLOW foolish ami" he thought
lis there only one stair-haired, blue
eyed girl behind Snipwell & Birch'l
counters?"
And the mud-splased old Wagon
rumbled into town again that da,
and took up it's station among til,
elegant carriages that were there; fol
the sun came out at last, the sky wa.
radiantly blue, and spring shopping
was in its full tide of success.
"I'll go with you, father" sale
Henry Gale, "Iknow some one there
and l am certain that they will dc
their best to see you righted in thi,
unaccountable business"
But Miss Pole happened to be ab
sent ut that minute. She was dowr
in the stock room helping q new
hand to become initiated in the mys
teries of her business, and Miss Lo
max was in temporary charge of tn,
silk counter.
She turned red and white rs Farm
or Gale fiungdown the roll of blacl
silk on the oiled walnut expanse, witt
the abrupt words:
"Young woman, I've been cheated
in this ERE dress pattern. It's dam
aged goods. and I mean to be at TIN
bottom of the business, or I'll knoy
the reason why"
In an instant the foor-walker, ON
of the members of the firm, half ,
dozen girls, and a sprinkling of cash
boys had collected around the coun
ter.
"What is it," said Mr.. Birch
"There is no dishonorable dealing
here. Ifyour silk is damaged, sir, j
must have happened since you lef
the store"
GLOW is this, Miss Lamox?" sal,
Mr.. Parkins, quick to observe tn
varyingcolor ofthe young attendant
"Did you sell this dress?"
"No," said Lizzie, in q low voice.
"Do you know who did sellit
Fanny Pole" unwillingly admit
ted Lizzie.
"Be so good" interposed til
awful Birch himself. cas- to tell u
what you know about it,"
Reluctantly enough, Lizzie told tn
whole story as she had heard it.
Old Mr.. Gale stood staring at hcl
"That young gal?" said he. can
as pleasant and soft spoken as sll
was. too! Who'd a'believeit? Why
it's up and down swindlin'"
"Father hushl" said Henry Gale.
"Ask Miss Pole to step up here, Nc
o." said Mr.. Birch, to the most open
! eyed of the curious "cashes."
And in moment or two Fanny wa
confronting her customer Of the da
before-yes, and Harry Gale, til
foreman in the printing office, too.
She could only burst in tears an
= confess her guilt.
81 could have stood it out" sh
declared. afterward, ''if it hadn'
, been for that Lomax girls mean tai
, Ting! I'll never forgive her-never!
but what else could she dor" sal
George Miller. "Would you hav
her lie, up and down, as you did?"
"They asked me a plain question,
T said Lizzie. Il am not a liar!'
> Mr.. Birch replaced the damage
. article with Is yards of the newest
, freshest black silk in the store, an
Miss Pole was discharged, with tn