The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-04-07

and presto as in a fairy tale. in a trice
the long. iannel rolls disappear, torn
from unwilling hands.
Tlc two disputants. like Il pair of
bantam ducks. still tiercclv grasp their
seductive gray worm. Are You going
to take that piece queries the sales
girl: 1t will cost YOU twenty cents
now: the flannel sale is over.
Then the two, sinking personal ami
mostly, attack the villainous, mislead
ing. dishonest principles upon which a
Catchcm x Flcecems deceptive hour
sales are conducted. But the deep
chant: This way, ladies. all this sea-
sons newest hat, latest styles, wolth
from fifty cents to five dollars; take
Your choice of any one of en- for fifteen
cents, This way, ladies! Only one
short hour ittr these wonderful bar
gains. floats across tie bcwildcring
tumult. and the two. drawn by this
Irresistible magnet. drop. hy common
consent, the limp little ray, and three
minutes later wax friendly and conf
dental over tie relative merits of walk
ing-hats and tiops. The forsaken frag-
ment of flannel labelled BEST thirty
cent flannel, yd., l5c.," will be placed
tomorrow in the remnant basket,
where some keen bargain-hunter will
ferret it ont and delight her heart there
with-until she measures it. Even
then she will not despond, since, by 4
little mathematical calculation
15-1Gx3O=2s5l s5l-she will see that she
really did get thirteen and onc-cishth
cents worth for nothing,
Over-drawn? Not bit oft. These
things take place almost daily in our
own city. Disgusting and pitiful, |
grant you, and something for which
every self-respec.ing woman should be
ashamed; but nevertheless they do oc
cur, and they wW so long as women
are found who not only encourage
them, but glory in them.
1t is incomprehensible, this growing
craze, this mad rush to get something
for nothing something for nothing"
What that something is, is Of small
consequence, so that one gets it gratis
Is it of any use? Is it ornamental?
Does it interest, instruct, nay, even
amusc you! No. why should it? But
pray admire it, and, above all, admire
nc, for | got it TOR nothing!
Miss b., famous for her bargains,
was perpetual object of envy one
summer, on account Of her varied as
sortment of beautiful hats. They were
eight in number, and cost. all told just
ninety three cents-in cash, that is
Miss B. never concerns herself with
other than cash calculations), for she
!
terials secured ut fire and water sales,
in which her city was particularly rich
that year.
But Miss b. leaves out of her COM
putations the time she wasted before
those eight creations were pronounced
complete, and that is no inconsiderable
item, assure You. The day she got
that blue tip Cher post cherished bar
gain, reduced from Sl.25 to l0c) she
was down town fighting for it till past
two o'clock, thereby missing one Of her
| singing lessons, at which she was due
at eleven. and for which her father pays
forty dollars a term.
Thee are also to he considered some
small matters like the loss of gloves
and handlerchiels. one or other Of
which is always missing when she re-
turns from bargain battle: and the
day she succeeded in capturing that
roll of crinkled chilfon-threc cents
yard, and she secured 4 piece with only
one tiny spot in it-she lost her gold
trimmed eyeglasses in the fray; but her
brother made good that loss. so that
the JOY in her bargain remained unim-
paired.
One of my friends has a neighbor
who spends the whole of every Friday
(Which is hargain-day in her city, in
the shops.
Life. for her. consists Of one 9 glorious
succession Of Fridays, with six dreadful
days of depressing dulln, SIS to be lived
through between them. This little old
ladvs greatest cross is lack Of means
wherewith to indulge her passion,-
such it is. as soul-absorbing as drunk
} enness or gamhling,-and happy indeed
, is she when some kind neighbor favors
her with Il commission. How she
: cNerts herself to snrpass all previous
records. and how she trcmbles with joy
Ahen her purchase is pronounced Il
vcrtahle bargain!
How proud she was one fine day
when, having cajoled the sum of ten
!, cents from my friend for bargain pur-
poses, she returned at night, flushed
with triumph, and spread before her
awc-strucIl ncighbor Il black straw bon
nct-shapc, a comb, paper Of needles,
and Il penny Of change.
The comb was rough and tore the