The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-06
A Hnnnx Afternoon.

mongery shop had never done anything to
offend the school girl Of 10 who was gazing
meditaIively into the shop window. says
To-day. He had never seen her before.
He hopes now that he Will never see her
again.
She entered, looking shyly around her,
took the seat to which the obliging young
man waved his hand, and sighed
Il should like,' she said, ito see some
cOrkserews"
This brought out all the young mans
best qualities He was suave in his reply.
deferential in his smile, and quick with his
fingers AS he unwrapped parcels and let
loose different breeds of corkscreWs, one
after another, he inquired If she had a
preference for any special kind.
Yes" she said the corkscrews 1 want
to see are patent corkscrews; those with
a dodge, or trick, or catch, or lever, to
make the cork come out easily
Certainly, miss Quite So said the
young man, intelligently. Il have several
neat little inventions of the kind. This one,
you will observe, is simplicity itself. No
pulling, no violence, required. Screw into
the cork so, turn the handle so, and the
cork comes out. We sell a great many of
these"
Il can quite understand that" said the
girl, lit looks clever. Is 1t dear?"
zone and nine pence, miss. We have
the same thing in better quality at"
80, thanks" said the girl. Il think the
quality of this is beautiful. May 1 see
another one?"
Certainly, miss" said the young man.
Now, this is a clever little thing, on the
lever principle; no pulling or violence re-
quired. You just
May 1 try it?"
She was by no means a bad looking girl.
and, though it was stretching a point, the
assistant drove an old cork into an empty
bottle, and allowed her to draw it out
again.
Yes" the girl said 'that is charming.
| like that much the best. What price
is it?'
This is a little dearer. Two and four.
Wen say two and three, as I see a slight
speck of rust on the handle, which, how
ever, will easily clean off"
He began to wrap it up in paper brisl1ly.
The girl looked at hiR with sad, wonder
ing eyes.
Why are you wrapping it up like
that?' She asked.
well, miss, 1 supposed that you'd soon
er carry it wrapped up If you like to
take IL as it is, and slip it into your pock-
ct, of course"
Il don't think ought to do that" said
the girl. You see, it's not my corkscrew.
l don't think you ought to suggest that 1
should steal your employers goods. les
not honest, is it? OF course, 1 don't want
to preach; have several faults myself,
but"
Here the young man broke in frigidly-
I was under the impression that you
were buying that corkscrew.'
''Why?" asked the girl. Il never said
| anything about buying. 1 don't want to
buy any corkscrews. It's not nice of you
to pretend that l do. What does a girl
M m 9uA nj with 7
drink. l just wanted to look at the clever
mechanism, and 50 on. and 1 think you
showed them off nicely. 1 ought to have
thanked you before. I'll do it now. Thank
YOU
Here" said the young man, with the
intense calm of the exasperated you
may think it a funny thing to come in
here, turn over the stock, spoil it by hand
ling, and waste my time; but let me tell
you that people who don't come in here
as customers come in here as trespassers,
and by the Law
She did not look quite so frightened as
he had hoped
"Yes," she said 81 know all about the
law, and IL doesn't affect me, because,
you see, l came in as customer It
doesn't follow because L don't want 10
buy corkscrews that 1 didn't want to buy
anything else. You're so hasty. That is
how you get wrong"
thing which you want to buy? Not want
10 see, mind; want TO buy?"
Yes" said the girl, there is. But must
1 buy without seeing it? 1t doesn't seem
to me to be the usual way of doing bust
ness, but daresay you know best"
The young man sighed.
You can see any article which you are
| intending to buy
"Well, you should have said that before.
You contradict yourself you know. 1 want
a packet of that bue-gray Silurian note
paper, with envelopes 10 match, and some
chocolate nOugat."
you'd better get out of the shop" said
the man. You know perfectly well that
this is an iron monger's, not a stationer's s. -
You really are much to hasty," said
the girl. Il m only following your own di-
rections, and you can't buy chocolate nou-
gat at a stationer's. There's a card in
that window which says: If you don't see
what you want In the window, kindly step
inside and ask for it l didn't see any
Silurian note paper in that window, so 1
kindly stepped inside and -
''Will you go?" said the young man, los
ing his self-control.
mot Immediately. If I've been misled.
it's your fault for putting notices in the
window which you don't mean. Why do
you do it?2 You shouldn't. There are
other things wanb as well. 1 want a
penny box of tin tacks."
VIII you go?''
Eyes. But I think you ought to serve
me first, without being impolite about it."
She turned round 10 the proprietor who
at that moment appeared behind the coun-
ter.
DO you think, She said, you could
persuade this young man to sell me a
penny box of tin tacks? 1 want them
and have got the penny. Whenever I
ask him for them he roars out: viii you
go?'
she comes in here"-the young man
began.
We'll, he can see that for himself" said
the girl. But don't want to talk about
it any more. If, in a big ironmonger's
shop like this, two grown mem can't sell
PENNY worth of tin tacks, I'd better try
somewhere else. Good morning."
So she spent a penny on a tram ride in
stead, and laughed the whole of the way.
to the amazement and disgust of the con-
ductor and fellow passengers.
The Dravest Sailor of All.
From the New York Sun.