Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-12-30
.THoUGHTLEss SHOPPERS.
Ono Who Lost a Clerk $500 In Sales
While She Looked Around"

l
Talking about cranky shoppers,
said the salesman in the jewelry
and silverware store, reminds me
of customer I had last year, two
or three days before Christmas.
About 1880 one morning, just when
the store was packed with shoppers,
a lady came in and asked to look at
novelties, also silverware. She was
interested in only the expensive
goods, and took pains to show her
fully our best line. Several parties
whom I am accustomed to serve
were in the store while she was
there, but l let others wait on them
and devoted my time to her. fat
ter myself that 1 am good sales
man, and, moreover, that I can tell
pretty quickly the shopper who
really intends to buy that day and
the chopper who is only looking
around. This lady, after examining
everything closely, pricing, COM
pairing, getting my ideas and occa-
sionally referring to the proprietor's
taste as he came round, taking up
an hours time in the busiest part of
the day, remarked carelessly that
she had son who was then on a
hunting expedition in the south.
He expects to be an usher for q
wedding in June, che said. I will
write him about these things have
seen, and very likely when he comes
back he will look in himself.
In June, madam!' / could not
help exclaiming. Are you looking
at these things now for wedding
in June and all these people wait
ing to get things for the day after
tomorrow
Why, yes, she said, seemingly
not whit embarrassed. i thought
all of your prettiest things would
be out of their cases now and that
it was a good time to get sugges-
TONS
Suggestions for a June we'd
ding, I whispered to one of the men
as my customer swept out to her
carriage, and then the laugh was on
me, because all had expected to hear
of $1,000 sale at least. l counted
up and found that had lost exactly
$500 worth of sales while that
thoughtless woman was in the store.
''We have people in here some
| times who do such odd things that
to tell about them sounds like exag-
geration," he went Oh. "See this
brooch?" pointing to a small gold
leaf with vivid glowing berries.
"We sold one like it to lady who
lives-well, not 100 blocks from
here, and has the reputation of be-
ing wealthy. If those berries were
rubies, the brooch would be costly,
but being garnets it is worth only
$40. The day after the brooch was
sent to the purchaser, tall, self
collected, stern looking man came
in and addressed himself to me-
You sold this brooch to my
wife, I understand, he said, hold
ing out the brooch. told him that
was the case.
II want you to take it back and
refund the money
Anything wrong about iti' I
asked. s..
No. But you had no right to
sell such an expensive piece of
jewelry to my wife without first
finding outfit she bought it with my
consent. Idos not choose that she
should buy goods all about town in
this fashion; when l wish her to
have personal ornaments, will get
them for her. Besides, you over
charged her because she was a wom-
an
HE was SO in earnest and berated
me so roundly that really felt I'M
comfortable, although Iknew it was
all ridiculous. I explained that the
sale was made, that the lady had
paid for the article, and that the
firm did not take back goods under
such conditions. He got into tow
ering passion, argued with me to
the top of his bent, although there
were other customers listening, and
then, when he found that it was no
go and that we would not take back
the brooch, he pitched the case out
through the open door into the mid
die of the muddy street and took
himself off.
what did we do9 Why, one of
our boys ran out and picked up the
case from under the very feet of a
cab horse. We packed the brooch
carefully in a new case and sent it
round-to the lady's address. What
was it that made the man act in that
way9 Crankiness, pure and simple
He is one Of the kind that objects to
his wife's making any disposal of
his money without consulting him.
He is not close listed, either. That
very Christmas he bought her a