The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-13
ONE PAIR.
A Sale Made Mt the Stocking Counter
to a Poor shopper.

to a Poor shopper.
He looked good tempered, even affable,
and his immaculate dress, carefully curled
must ache. and carefully turned up trousers
betokened him we'll balanced individual
likely to do nothing precipitate, even under
stress OF circumstances.
"These-ah, this pair with the all-over
red tops, they will wear well?'' he asked Of
the shop girl, who was unfolding yards Of
stockings for his inspection.
Good, lightweight, all silk" quoted the
girl in the tone Of a person VIII has said
the same thing often that the words
have lost significance.
The red topped stockings were dropped
and pair with orange and green UP and
Gown stripes staring enough to set the OBJ
serving faculties on edge was taken in
hand and examined narrowly.
Are stripes worn much just now?' he
questioned he ran his hand down into
stocking and stretched out his fingers
critically.
Quite a good DEAL answered the girl.
do you like them?"
For some people l like them," was the
answer, but for any one who was slender
l would not advise Then she stopped
and ever so faint pink rose in her cheeks,
half inclined, half opposed.
The shopper toyed with the stripes as if
half inclined, half opposed.
This pair in blue with silver bars and
open work checks. They are nice; ST. %"
suggested the girl.
Bars running round and round" mur-
INJURED the customer. do you advise
them?'
Il don't know anything about it, was
the answer. l only know what's pretty
The silver bars were pulled transversely
just as the other patterns had been, and
then the man dropped them and stuffed
both hands in his pockets, running them
deep down as to ger hold of some hard
tO-be- arrived-at conclusion.
Much Obliged he said, affably. ''Now,
would 1t be too much trouble for you to
show me the plaids, the all-over plaids?"
rather like them
without black feet, 1S71a, come this
way
He carried his carefully furled umbrella
four yards further up the store aisle and
settled 1t against a projecting box opposite
where the girl was setting out the plads.
A gay pair in peacock blue and checked
green and gold took his eye, but this time
he did not run his hand down into the
stocking though to look for holes; he
took it up double, just below the top, and
tested the width.
do these give much?" he asked.
Il think So said the girl, with another
influx of pink in her cheeks That is they
are elastic as most well made silk stock
ings
The man pulled the width of plaid to it's
utmost and regarded it critically. Then he
took up pair wrought in old rose and
delicate blue and tested the width of that
also near the top.
If l thought they would do" he said
with a speculative air.
Here's pair with more black in the
PATTERN spoke up the girl, who began to
realize that her sale, perhaps, hung in
jeopardy Two or three women waiting to
get stockings looked on interestingly
"Oh! the patterns do all right" said the
'Dut-' he
blue, green and gold pair again and tried
the width at the top.
These are the usual size?" he asked.
You wished them for No. shoe;
those are the usual size was the reply
with the pink in the pale cheeks rapidSy
growing carminc.
The customer again dropped everything
to dive deep into his trousers pockets.
There was agony of doubt on his exnres-
sion and attitude
Really. on my word he said, II don't
like to trouble you much but I'm both
cred about the size.
Car be exchanged if they don't suit"
urged the girl.
oh! l know the feet would AT ;, proye,
ing and grinding in the depths Of his
pockets for resolution, but you see I'm
not very good shopper, and if you don't
mind now, would those tops be uncomfor-
table for lady. say, of your size?'
The red in the girls cheek mounted to
her brow and receded but she stuck to
her guns bravely.
Il think they would" she answered
bravely. The stocking is in good proper
ton l quite sure"
Then give me one pair" came the de-
cision. Those with the broader gold bars
in the plaid
The girl picked out and folded over the
purchase; but as she bent over her register
book to jot down the sale, the carmine
still stained her cheeks where it had set
tied in two vivid spots after the ordeal
and her hair had the appearance of a per-
son who had been fustered.
Did you make that saie!; asked another
stocking seller as the man took his parcel
and his furled umbrella out Of the way.
blooming idiot. All that fuss for one
pair snapped the girl.