The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-25
INPECUNIOuS LOVERS.
They Buy Engagement and Wedding
Rings on Credit.

Contract to Pay On the instaIIEaent Plan,
and the Fair Sweethearts Never Know
About It-An Interesting Talk With a
Confidential Clerk.
An engagement ring contracted for
on the installment plan is now as COM
mon business transaction as the fit
ting up of boarding house on the same
easy payment plan. There are several
New York jewelry firms which do a
prosperous business among prospective
bridegrooms ON the credit system.
One of these is located on promi-
nent down town street. Engagement
rings and wedding rings are here sold
on credit, the weekly payment being so
cents. At this store the other day a
bashful young man asked the chief
clerk to show him some rings suita BILE
to present to a young lady.
Engagement ring, eh?'' said the
clerk in a confidential undertone.
Here you are, sir, the very latest.
Forty-fve dollars-exquisite stone
payment in 10 months. This shell ring
is our own design. Any girl would have
fits over it. See that dainty spiral
thread of gold about the setting? That
emphasizes the gem and makes it ap-
pear worth more than it is. You can t
better yourself, sir. Pay cash and
you'll get discount of So
The young man seemed much i'm
pressed. He gave the measurement of
the little finger of his fair charmer and
left his nane and references.
In his pocket as he went out he car
ried stupendous contract printed in
red ink, which stipulated that in case
of nonpayment according to the terms
of contract, etc.. the ring must be for
feited.''
"That's a fair sample" said the
clerk in answer to a question. THAT
fellow represents certain element of
middle class society. Most of the hard
working young men buy rings for their
sweethearts that way. The girls would
never get any engagement ring at all If
the money had to be paid outright. -
Another shy young man was ushered
in, and the clerk motioned him to a pri-
vate room adjoining the main Office.
There they were closeted for several
minutes, and then the clerk emerged to
seal contract with the new customer.
The necessity of the private audience
room, it seems, is because financial en-
barrassment, coupled with native modes
tv, prevents lovers in the first stage from
divulging the terms upon which they
wish to pay for ring. They prefer to
state their case unheard by any one ex-
cept the head clerk, who, in the course
of his business, has cultivated a pro-
found sympathy for the entire race Of
sweethearts.
ooh, they tell some pathetic stories, ="
said the clerk. "They let me into all
their secrets gratuitously. One very
devoted young lover told me the other
day that he earned 81 a week, but
couldn' t get married until he had been
raised to S.. When advanced to this
position of opulence, he thought he could
afford to buy diamond ring on install
ments of so cents a week.
''But it is in the case of lapses that
hear the most pathetic tales. AS a rule
our customers are straightforward and
honest. AS long as young man has
work we have no difficulty in getting
his money. When he loses his position,
he usually let's US know, and then if
the fellow is honest we ease up on him
just little
but what if the girl and the ring dis
appear simultaneously? he was asked.
'sOh, the young man always pays up,
and if the girl has thrown him over
you can bet he never tells any one
about it.
''There are lots of we'll to do young
men who spend $50 or $40 in night
for pleasure and who do business with
us because they prefer to regard jewel
ry as luxury ard pay for it on time.
'Here, for instance, is ring made
to order for broker down town." and
the clerk held up diamond ring val
ued at $3.50, which had been made to
fit the finger of some metropolitan belle
who may never know the "terms of the
contract
II don't know of single instance
where girl has had to forfeit her ring.
In case she had dishonest man or a
sneak for lover the case would be
rather embarrassing. But as rule the
blushing bride elect knows nothing
about the installments, for our custom
ers come promptly to the Office and pay
up every Saturday.
There are some cases where we have
to unbend a trife, as, for instance,
where there has been death in the
family. When sad faced young fell
low steps into my private Office and
tells me confdentially that he has lost
his father and must help pay the flu
neral expenses, or that he has spent all
his available capital in celebrating
Thanksgiving or Fourth of July the day
before, then he can usually count upon
the sympathy Of the firm.
"Of course we run great risks, but
we never sell to anybody without look
ing up their references.
The investigation blank, which, wher
filled, establishes the purchasers in.
II u 49,