The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-29
CLEANED BY A GIRL.

81 went shopping today" said one of
the girls, land l won't be able to go
again for quite a while"
did it tire you as badly as that?"
asked the ore who is always ready to
jump at conclusions.
mo. the physical part of it did not
hurt me at all. Indeed, 1 rather enjoyed
that, but
"Oh, it was the mental or perhaps the
moral side of the AFFAIR.""
Just wait till l tell you. In the other
room there is an empty pocketbook be-
longing to me-and this is only just the
day after payday, too. Now, like any
prudent person, before venturing upon
a shopping expedition, / always look UP
the paper and see what the prices of
things are. Well, 1 found what
wanted, all there In print and calculated
the cost, congratulating myself on man
aging so nicely. Then I got ready and
Joyfully started down to the stores with
the whole Of my weeks salary in my
purse. They were selling some shirt
waists at the first store l entered for
sixty cents and 1 intended to purchase
three to wear while working. L saw the
waists and was pleased with them before
the clerk came up to wait on me. She
bad sympathetic, pretty manner which
l liked and when 1 told her what 1
wanted, after a quick glance at me, she
led the way to some high-priced waists
some very pretty ones at 81 each.
Now, what do you suppose I did? 1 felt
delightfully."- f1attered that she seemed
to think / didn't care for anything
cheap and 1 did not have courage enough
TO go back to the sixty cent waists, but
took three of the high-priced ones, though
[ felt all the time that l was buying
to please the clerk more than myself.
L got a pair of shoes, too, which cost
nearly twice as much as L could afford
to pay for them, and there were several
other things that 1 paid for as freely
as II L had a large bank account just
because the salespeople seemed to expect
it Of me. The next time I go shop
ping-if ever do again-Tll dress myself
In the worst old things l have and then
I'll be shown the cheap things first
Yes. and them warned the girl with
the calm. Madonna face, you'll do equal
ly as bad, for you'll resent that as much
as. you enjoyed the subtle fattery you
were given today. But then, If 1t will
console you any, must tell you that you
are not the only one who has a weak
ness In that direction. One day last week
[ was very busy down town and could
not get home until three hours later than
my usual dinner time. 1 went into a
restaurant. intending to get just a mere
bite to eat as I had but little appetite
and not a great amount of money to
spare. l sat down at a table, and soon
two friends of mine came III. They are
friends in the sense that always try to
appear as well as possible in their eyes.
They came to the table at which 1 sat
and gave their orders for d full course
dinner, and then, to abe sure, followed
their example, and kept worrying about
the price all the time they were eating
and chatting. / could not eat a mouth
full, but what mattered that so long as
my pride was satisfied?"
They were very vulgar people, but they
would have been highly resentful If they
thought that you thought they were
even ordinary" There were three of
them-a mother and her two daughters,
and they had a thin veneer of polish
which usually shows itself in extremely
fashionable gowns, smattering of music
and languages and what they termed
art whatever they meant by that.
One afternoon a neighbours child had
come to visit, and to use one OF their
! own expressions, they were pumping
the baby caller, who looked uncomfortA-
BILE under the fire of ross-questioning to
which she was subjected. Ali of the little
cne's family affairs were inquired into
with minute eXactness. and the child an
swered In hesitating. reluctant way.
There was pause for few moments
and then one of the tornent0rs said
sweetly: And what did mamma tell
you before you left homer
She told me that I must act nicely"
lisped the child, "and that I mustn't ask
many questions. cause that isn't po-
lite" II e. q e;eE
There was a longer silence this time.
and the baby was ignored until the visit
was ended. Beth.