The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-09-09
CLAY PIPE CURLING-IRoNs.
An lnQuisitive Man Finds Out That
Up-tO-Date Girls Have Returned to
Method of Their GrnndmOthers.

This is the story the puzzled tobacco
clerk told the customer:
Business was lax, and it was too
hot to work, anyway. We were just
laying a bet as to which we'd rather
be doing, Staying Spaniards with the
boys in Cuba or killing time where
we were. when all of a sudden girl
came into the shop. She was q swell;
you could hear her skirt rustic all
over, like ghost, you know. And
she was pretty, too. l supposed she
was after cigars for some poor fellow,
and was about to bring out our most
expensive and worst sort, when what
do sou think she asked for2 Clay pipes.
And she wanted the penny kind. too.
Now, we only keep two sorts-ten-
cent-a piece ones and the two for q
cent. But she wanted only one, and
nothing could induce her to take two
"It's no economy to burden your
self with something that you have no
use for,' she said. Economy doesn't
mean cheapness. but utility
"Those were her very words. They
kinder knocked the argument out of
fellow. OF course, it's policy to
make as much out of q trade rs pos
siblc; but | wanted her to get the
worth of her money. But she had o
more, she broke the bowl off the one
that she took and asked if she might
leave it with us. as she only wanted
the stem. And she put that stem into
her purse-a gold purse it was, all
done up in pearls, and went out. Now.
what I'd like to know is, what did she
want with that stem? She couldn't
smoke with it or use it for soap bub-
bles. Is it some new fad for lemon
AIDE stick?"
1t is not always wise to give an opin-
ion when you are ignorant. so the
customer kept silent. but he thought
very hard, and by and by when he
passed hairdresser's establishment
he was blessed with an inspiration
He entered and inquired If there was
anything that fashionable girl could
use clay pipe stem for.
''Well. not fashionable girl" vouch-
safcd the owner; mot if she was one
of those up-to-date ones. But if she
WASH" there an expression of pity
ing boredom came on his face-'if
she wasn't she might possibly use it
to curl her hair with"
The customer thanked him and
went out. lie had taken only q few
steps when It was his good fortune
to meet an up-to-date girl with whom
he was acquainted. He did not wish
to be rude. and he did not banker
to let her suspect that there are
few things that man doesn't know.
but would like to know. At the same
time he couldn't let an opportunity
slip by. So he began:
"You have wonderful hair. Nat
urally curly, OF course" and went on
to tell her what the hairdresser had
just told him.
"All nonsense" she averred. "He
doesn't know what he's talking about.
Now. it's the up-to-date girls that do
curl their hair that way. Our grand
mothers did it, and what beautiful
soft curls they had. Lately some one
made the discovery that clay pipes
gave n softer and more natural wave
and curl to the hair than irons did,
and it's now the latest fad. IT'S cheap.
too, and awfully convenient, for you
can put q pipestem in the smallest re-
ceptacle. l always carry one in my
purse. You insert a hairpin in the
large end of it, You know, and make
handle; then you heat it and wind
your hair around it. You see, we
moderns can't improve SO much upon
the ancients. Old things are best"
He gasped family and lifted his hat.
He felt sure that the tobacco clerk
would gasp also when he knew the
secret.-N. Y. Sun.