Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-10-26
BENNY STANDS FOR b,
The Interesting Dialogue in New York
Shoe Store.

The Interesting Dialogue in a New York
Shoe Store.
II want pair Of girls Shoes" said a
man to the fioor-walker of big Sixth av-
enue shoe store day or two ago.
| Last isle on the left, sir, il you please. -
The man stumbled over q door mat,
struck his shin against the sharp edge of q
settee in his effort to avoid running against
a diminutive mother who was helping fit
| a large-sized child with a pair of shoes,
said something inexcusable not far enough
| under his breath to escape the ears OF the
diminutive mother; she said. "Oh, INV l'to
| which the man responded, Don't mention
it, pray. tipped his hat, hurried along and
finally got within one of the last isles.
To him sub.hoor-walker said: 'Been
| waited2 Meow, han't." with dash
OF sarcasm that passed undiscovered.
Miss Terwilliger, wait on this gentleman"
Miss Terwilliger was pretty little blonde
and the sarcasm vanished from the mans
tones. She looked up a long way to the
mans eyes and asked: What kind OF shoes
do you wish, sir?' She looked as full offun
as last week was of weather. He said: II
want pair Of girls school Shoes"
What size, please?" .. ,ts,s.4
"Numter Ak Bennie."
The word "Bennie" acted like an intro
duction from their best friends on all the
salesgirls within earshot. 1t was fired off
with good lung pressure, and half a dozen
who knew what it meant looked up and
laughed and cast pleasant glaaces at the
big man.
Little Miss Terwilliger laughed and turned
away quickly to a dumbwaiter connecting
with the stock roo m in the basement.
Send me up six pairs OF girls AZ Bennie,"
she called, and then turned her head away
TO conceal her mirth. Presently she re-
turned, with pair OF shoes, size AZ B. The
man said, s"These are too narrow"
But you called for Bennie. did,.'t your"
Yes. but didn't know what il meant. |
l heard one OF the sales girls call for a |
.bennle, anG an overpowering curiosity |
TO md out who 'Bennie' was or what BEN. |
ME- meant led me to call for it. I saw by |
the commotion made that you have a |
shop meaning for it. I suppose tBennie' |
is your love name for B, isn't it?''
1t ls the name we use in the store for B |
widths"
well, then, what does C stand for?"
"Charlie.
"And D2" ..-....E
''Dayie."
''And E?"
'Eddie.''
''Rennie, Charlie, Davie, Eddie. And A.
loes that stand for Andie?"
mo; A stands for itself. You see. all
jhe other letters have the e sound; and in |
falling through the speaking tube for them .
We had the same trouble in distinguishing I
between them that you have over the tele.
'hone. So we invented names to distin- :
uish the widths OF the shoes that CORE {
pond in their first letter with the size let. I
ers." \
"But why did you give them boys' D
ames? Why didn't you call them Bessie .
md Clara and Dolly and Emma?" La
"Oh, they come along quicker when we I
all them by boys names" This was de. v
vered as parting shot, but the mischiev- i,
US little clerk remembered that she A
adn't sold her shoes yet. SO she added: I
What size dc you want, sir?"
"Well, you see my daughter had the mis-
'rtune to be burn out West-in Chicago
on know"
Then yon want AZ Eddie, suppose,a
le salesgirl interrupted.
1.-THE same."-[New York Times.