The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-25
A Happy Afternoon.

| The obliging young man IN the IRON
mongery shop had never done anything
to offend the school girl of Is who was
! gazing meditatiye1y into the shop window
| He had never even 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.
81 should Ike" she said, Ito see some
| corkscrews.
This brought out all the young mans
| best qualities. He was sauve in his reply,
| deferentiai 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 I 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 intelhgently. 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 90. and
the cork comes out We sell great many
of these"
IT can quite understand that" said the
girl; at looks clever. Is II dear%
the Same thing IN a better quality at"
20. thanks" said the girl. IT think the
quality of this Is beautiful. May 1 see an
other one7'
Certainly, mss" said the young man.
Now, this is a clever little thing. on the
lever principle; no pulling or violence re-
ouired. You just
''May try it?"
She was by no means bad looking girl
and fh0iir-h II SCRATCHING q point
the assistant drove an old cork into an
empty bottle, and allowed her to draw 1t
out again.
Yes" the girl said, chat Is charming.
like that much tae best. What price
is it?"
This is a little dearer. Two and four.
Wen say two and three, as see slight
speck of rust on the handle. which, how
ever. will easily clean off.
He began to wrap It UP in paper brisk
The girl looked at him with sad. wonder
ing eyes.
why are you wrapping it up like
that2'' she inquired.
well, miss, 1 supposed you'd sooner
carry It wrapped up. If you Ike to take
it as 1t is and slip il into your pocket OF
course"
'I don't think ] ought to do that" said
the girl. "You see, it's not my corkscrew.
don't think you ought to suggest that
I should steal your employers goods. It's
not honest, is 1t? OF course, don't want
to preach; 1 have several faults myself.
but
Here the young man broke in frigidiy-
"I was under the impression that you
were buying that corkscrew.
"Why?" asked the girl II have said
nothing about buying. I don't want to
buy any corkscrews. It's not nice of you
to pretend that do What does girl OF
my age want with corkscrews? I don't
drink. I just want to look at the clever
mechanism, and so on. and I think you
showed them off nicely. ought to have
thanked you before. I'll do 1t now. Thank
you"
Here" said the young man, with the
intense calm of the exasperated. You
may think 1t a funny thing to come in
here. turn over the stock, spoil II by hand
ling, and waste my time; but let me tell
you that people who don't come in here s
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 it doesn't affect me, bs,ause, you
see. came n as a customer. il doesn't
follow because 1 don't want to buy cork
screws that don't want to buy anything
else. You're so hasty. That is how you
get wrong"
"1s there" said the young man. "any-
thing which you want to buy? Not want
to see, mind; want to buy
YES" said the girl. there II. But
must I buy it without seeing 1T II
doesn't seem to me to De the usual way
Of doing business, out 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. I
want a packet of that blue-gray Silurian
note paper with envelopes to match, and
some chocolate nougant."
You'd better get out of the shop" said
the man. You know perfectly well that
this is an ironmongeTs not a stationcr's.'
You really are much too hasty," said
the girl. II m only following your own
directions, and you can't buy chocolate
nougat at a stationers. There's a card in
that window which says: II you don't
see what you want in the window kindly
step inside and ask for IT. ! don't see any
Silurian note paper in that window, so
l kindly stepped inside and
"Will you go?" said the young man, los
ing his self control.
"Not Immediately If I've been misled
it's your fault. for putting notices In that
window which you don't mean. Why do
YOU do It? You shouldn't. There are
other things want as well. wsL:
penny box OF tin tacks."
'Will you go?"
Yes. But I think you ought to serve
me first without being impolite about it."
She turned round to the proprietor, who
at that moment appeared behind the coun-
ter.
do you think" she said, 'you could
persuade this young man 70 soil me a
penny box of tin lacks? I want them, -Snd
1 have got the penny. Whenever ask
him for them, he roars out: ''Nill YOU
goP"
she comes IN here"-5he young man be-
gan.
We'll, he can see that for himself"
said the girl. But 1 don't wan: TO talk
about II any more. II, in q big irOnmcu-
gers shop like this, two grown me-; can't
sell penny-worth of tin tacks, I'd bet
ter try somewhere else. Good morning
So she spent penny on n tram ride liz
stead, and laughed the whols of the way,
TO the amazement and disgust OF The con-
ductor and fellow passengers. To-day.
SentcntiOus sayings.
About two-thirds OF the bread cast up
on the waters isn't returnAble.
A girl seldom objects to 8 young man
stealing something from under her very
nose.
When woman reaches the age where
she is not worth looking at she is old
enough to be worth listening 10.
But few men who fud themselves be-