Evening journal., 1899-02-15
lZeDaaeeaeeeaeaaeeaaAAea
Their First Purchases.
oaeNeoaaaeaaaoeaooe

II rs a good thing I don't have to
work tomorrow" said Henry,
I'm about .uckered out already"
The young woman With the thin face
and imitation astrakhan cape slid one
OF her black cotton gloved hands SYM
pathetically into his as the elevator
dropped down into the department
store basement. and the stout woman
with the quiverng pink roses in her
black bonnet. who had them both 10
charge, laughed as if that was about
the best thing she had heard for a
long while.
you've got worse than this before
you, Henry" she said, shaking the roses
at him archly. You're only just be-
ginnin'. Wait TIL you've bin married
25 years-then you can talk"
Going up" called the eleyator boy,
rattllng at the gate.
"Here. le. us get cut, said the stout
lady, excitedly. "He nearly took us up
again. she added. with another laugh.
as they left the elevator. "Now. Henry,
have you got that list?"
Henry. who was short young man
with peudulous lower lip and heavy
black mustache. felt in two or three
Of his pockets and at last produced a
creased and soiled paper, which he
/ handed over to the stout woman. Then
he winlSed kindly AT the girl In the as
trakhan cape, who smiled brightly at
I him in return, after which they stood
and looked across the brilliantly Light
cd room with its CLEAN Of polished
brass and shining tinware among the
stacks and rows of odds and ends OF
household utensils, while the stout eld-
erly woman looked down the list with
knitted brows. spelling the words out
with some difficulty.
1--WE might as woll make q start some
where" said the stout woman at last
Il suppose we'd better get transfer
slip first. Here, I'll get II, and you 50
on over,to the tinware and be loolin
around"
She hurried off and the two youns
people looked at each other and smiles
again.
Lets CO." she said, catching him b.
the coat sleeve. I'VE want whole 10
Of tinware That's pretty near all W
do want 1 wish motherd let us do thi
all by ourselves, don't you2'
"Oh. / don't know" replied Henry
obviously. "I don't know what ther
! is we need no mone n nothiu', an ] don
b'lievs you know much more"
, Don't l? Oh, well / guess do.
few" she reioined. II know what
/ want. anyway. an / didn't want tha
bsdspsoad she picked out. / wante'
g that one with violet pattern. but yol
wouldn't back me up. Noihingll d
{ mother less it's got red IN %. II wa
r the same way about the carpets He
? mouth dropped rather pafhctically a
f. the corners.
S "You can have the other bedspread,
5 you want" said the young man. i'm
, / pulsively. Lets 60 up an get 1t now.
. "N-no. we can't afford the two.
r guess ! like the one we've got prett
e well. Twenty-Five dollars don't go sue
6 an awful long way, doesit? Sometime
r I wish we'd eot the things on the 81
F. staliment plan, but then / guess &C.
e better to get what we can now an sc
r the rest when we can. Here's on
= thing we want first thing-a dishpaI
1 You goin' to help me wash dishel
e Henry?'
I'D break 'em." grinned the youn
e man.
r. "Was you being waited on?" aske
one Of the young saleswomen.
D Henry looked sheepishly at his con
\ panion, who looked q little disconcerte
/ herself Were waiting for some one
n she explained, and looked expectantl
S around. and the saleswoman stuck hs
r pencil back in her hair and retreatel
4 When she was out OF hearing the gi
e turned 10 the young man, and tho
t stood smiling at each other for the m
+ space Of minute and half Then II
S girl said;
e Il b'lieve she took us for Instea
IS Of completing the sentence she blushe
C That blush and the half-shy look th'
I. accompanied it traushgured her rath'
Il plain face.
J. I'VE viii be this time tomorrow
II said Henry.
d Il was up In the rooms early th
d morning" said the girl, after sho
g pause. Mrs. Harden was real nice
% me. She says II there's anything she
d. got that we want well be welcome
z borrow. 1 don't think We'll want
$. borrow anything. though"
le Not If hold my job, said Henry.
g 'I see you've got tho stove all set u
10 Mrs. Harder said she thought IL was
to real bargain. Oh, met Ella Bernei
T. She's going with that Al Berrier sti
y or she thinks she is. She told me n
n body wouldn't catch her getting mt
ie ried and keeping house in a couple
be- rooms. What do you think Of thate
said 10 her: 1T don't look as thoul
nobody would and she just aipped o
.. don't--ch, here's mother. wcnd
where she's been"