The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-09-23

lts veracity Is attested blythe hoOr
walkers and salespeople of blg dc.
partment store, who told 1t to the Phil
adelphia Inquirer, and BY the thou
sands OF customers who were witnesses
to an episode tragical.in its intensity
| significant as once more demonstrating
the resolution aud firmness that lie
stored In the feminine mind and heart,
indicating the ancient and time-proyen
! adage;
When a woman Will. she win. you may de-
pend ont,
And wher. she won't, she won't-and there 8
an end ont"
The massive doors OF the store had
swung back on their hinges at eight
o'clock in the morning when the per-
spring crowd ofwomen shoppers, early
birds, in pursuit Of the bargain worm
crashed into the avenue leading to the
counter where unheard-of opportunity
Of saving tbes nimb,e dime had been
appropriately and seductively adver-
tised. The storming Of Sebastopol
wasn't patch on the enthusiasm with
which this besieging brigade of de-
'termined women made their assault
upon the devoted heads of the saIespeo-
pie keeping watch and ward over the
fabrics piled high upon the bargain
counter in alluring irritation.
At the very forefront of the invading
host that swarmed so fiercely toward
the coveted goal were two fair matrons
before whose energetic rushes their
weaker sisters had been fain to give
way. Confronting each other with the
light of set purpose glancing in their
bright eyes the twain laid hands upon
the loveliest of bargain suits, and in
trice the Others in the throng were'
treated to an alteration that begun in
this wise:
''It's mine"
'Tain't," came the answer, very
hotly. Il had this first and you delib-
erately snatched the skirt from me-
"Why, did not. The saleslaid told
me that was mine, and she had no
sooner turned away when you took that
waist"
Hard as it may be to believe, the
fact remains fixed that these two
daughters of Eve, notwithstanding the
remonstrances of their sisters and the
pacific efforts of clerks and foorwalk-
ers, kept up sharp fusillade that only
ended when the two Amazons calmly
took seats in adjoining chairs before
the bargain counter and while the busi-
ness of the great mercantile establish
ment pursued its wonted course they
glared at each other with unrelenting
animosity, each holding a portion OF
the coveted suit in her tightly -clenched
hand.
Hours waxed and waned, and with the
approach of the noontide the pangs of
hunger lent their subtle influence to
the persuasions of the salespeople, that
one or the other should yield. mo sur
render" was depicted upon the Inca
ments OF the contending matrons. And
what they said they meant. When the !
sun began to cast slanting rays through |
the windows Of the store the would-be |
purchasers Of the biggest bargain or
the bunch steadfastly maintained the
positions assumed in the early hours
OF the fray.
Then when evening began to fall and |
the salespeople found their arguments
still falling on ears that were deaf
to persuasion the head fioorwalker ef-
fectually intervened by ordering both
contestants to surrender their spoil Of
the bargain counter, declaring that the
FIRM could not afford to keep the store
open all night pending settlement of
this remarkable and unreconcilable dis
pute.
1t was a drawn battle, but each of
the women wended her way home in
he consciousness of victory won and
iignity maintained.
The bargain is still Chicago