The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-03-13
REvENeE o. A Mex Man.

~ NOOA A1C SOAlG ll11Gg lie SdlQ. NO
learn how to get along in the candy
store at the Sign of the naughty La
dies l am a meek man, not given to
boasting, and uncertain sometimes in
the hour of seeming victory. So I rare
ay talk of my successes. But l believe l
did astonish one of the naughty ladies
into something like a temporary ac-
commodating mood.
Il had been used to the sort of treat
mcnt everybody gets there. L had re-
-ceived over the soda water counter that
stare colder than the hardest clot of
ice cream that ever dropped into the
glass. But all this time a scheme had
slowly been forming itself in my mind.
After awhile I had a chance to test it.
Idropped in AT the Sign of the Haugh-
ty Ladies' late one afternoon. Few peo-
pie were there. l stepped up to a coun-
ter, behind which stood one of the
proudest of the ladies. She was talking
to a friend, and they both became in
tensely interested in the crowd pass
ing up and down Broadway as o as
/ appeared. They looked out of the
window in a far-off way and talked
in undertones. ! thought OF, giving it
up, as l had done before, and beat
ing a retreat. But the recollection of
my scheme came into my head. l took
courage and spoke.
"'Will you be kind enough to give
me two pounds of mixed?9' 1 said with
the utmost politeness, almost with OBJ
sequiousness. &
Nobody ever would have thought
either of them had heard me, except for
a quick, sharp look which the two
girls gave me. Then one of them
turned her back and began to look
for a two-pound box. All the time she
kept on talking to her friend. After
awhile she found the box, carefully fit
ted it with CREASED paper, and then,
turning toward me, seized a pair of
tongs and slid open the glass case which
contained the candies. Then for the
first time she looked me squarely in the
face.
"'Chocolates?' she asked, as savage
ly as though she were compelled by
superior force to part with her own
most valuable possessions. But I was
prepared for her. 1 was going to try
on my scheme.
THANK you very much, 1 said. 4
should really be extremely indebted if
you would be kind enough to put in a
few. They are very nice always in a
mixed box
"She put them in rapidly, but not be-
fore she had cast a quick and searching
glance at me. She was suspicious, but
the first effort had made no impression,
as I could plainly see when she closed
the case with a bang and stopped long
enough to say between her front teeth:
"'Marshmallows?' She jerked the
word out as though a syllable more
would have choked her.
Eyes, if you please 1 responded
with the same melting politeness of
tone, if it isn't too much trouble to you
and won't take too much of your time.
I hate to detain you, so just put in as
many IS you have the time to. Don't
trouble yourself too much. A few will
do
again she darted a questioning
glance at me, and again she slammed
the door of the case with a vicious bang.
/ thought she took me for a maniac I'M
til l heard the door of the case go with
such an unnecessary expenditure of
force. But there was something like
cancellation in her tone when she said:
Burnt almonds?'
"Her voice sounded almost sympa.
thetic. / answered her with increasing
p~oliteness. Half a dozen times 1 re-
sponded with the same saccharine, eX-
~cessiye courtesy. / was deferential,
subservient, almost Bringing. By the
time we had reached caramels her tone
was tender. She handed the box over
the counter and actually pushed it in
my direction. Usually they merely hold
it somewhere approximately toward
you and look over your head at the soda
fountain opposite. She was undoubted-
ly conquered, but 1 was relentless. l
was determined to force my scheme to
the end. 1 took the box and paid.
"'I regret more than l can tell you,
] said, that circumstances nave placed
it within my power to walk into this
store and disturb you simply because I
happen to want to buy some candy.
4 SuppO 4 III u DEuUS W 40 IL. Maybe
a man oughtn't to take such an advan-
tage of a defenseless woman, especially
after she's been worried all day by
customers of her own sex. But l prom
ised my wife that 1 would bring her
home a box, so 1 came in here and dis
turbed you.'
"'She gave me a look that contained
the most complete contempt and offend
ed dignity 1 lave ever seen. Then she
sailed toward the back OF the store,
and the expression of her shoulders
overwhelmed me. l grabbed my box
and fed"
did it do any good the next time
you went back?" asked a man who
had never had the courage or original
ity to devise such a scheme.
1T didn't" the speaker said, regret
fully. ''The next time l went back none
of them would look at me. / waited 20
minutes and then got out."-N. Y. Sun.
Oyster ChOwdeE.
Two thin slices of fat salt pork, cut
in very small pieces and fried brown