The times., 1899-08-20

you have anything, and put me down for
the red kersey cloth cloak. | must have
that and she takes leave in excellent
humor.
Madam puts down much important men,
oranda during the day. Mrs. X. at the
family hotel wants a wide-skirted silk
velvet gown, something good but as reas-
oDable as possible. that she can cut up into
coats and hats for her two little girls.
Never mind how frowsy or soiled the waist
is; the skirt breadths are the main thing
Miss Smallwages. the typewriter. wants
real sealskin wrap. Later in the day pen
and ink artist, married woman, who IS
hard up. comes in to sell the pawn ticket
for her sealskin sack that has been in de-
tention for two winters. The two needs
fit in as If made fer each other. People
In search of imported corsets, of silk un
derwear, cf tea gowns. skirts and negligees,
come to the exclusive accommodation"
fat to find them. Some patrons are OF the
sort that the uninitiated might think out
of character with "second-rate" transac-
tions: some are curiosity seekers. who ex-
anime the goods critically and buy only
some inconsequent trinket as pledge of
good faith; others are OF the humdrum.
plodder and toiler class, looking for sub
stantial, good wearing bargains, and moth
ing for show or smart effect. One young
woman looks in for an outing costume;
another for plain gray travelling suit.
and they are willing to overlook a few
wear-and-tear marks if the cut is fash
ionable. Nobody asks for the cheap, conf
mon class of wares. They know well from
the location and madam's methods that
] she caters to discriminating trade, has
I Just the things, for instance, that the poor
relations family would have thanked her
! for. 4o ~ 81
The professional packer and unpack-
| er and the professional house-opener
| and general overhauler entrusted with
the charge OF making shut-up house
| ut for occupancy against the coming
of the home brood, is main plank in
| the cast-off clothing agents success. 1t
! IS the professional unpacker and airer-
out who neither knows nor cares about
the poor relation. and who studies her
| own individual interest in furnishing gar
ments and souvenirs from the great rich
| family belonging to the enterprising
! clothes broker This slightly worn but
| rich-textured velvet mantle, with the fine
| passementerie, might as well be included
| in the mass of wanted things, hust-
led into the big clothes basket for the
mistress careless inspection. That child S
| costume made by X, the children s
clothes specialist, is slightly worn at the
wrist, and may as well go along with the
rest; and that silk and linen mixture
morning-goWn, so rumpieu In the skirt,
would do good service when smoothed
out and furnished with new ribbons. The
professional packer has rare chances. and
the clothes agent. notebook and pencil in
hand, is on the spot TO see that she neg
lects none. The gieanings OF the two
are worth more than the auction sale tc
the accommodation fat
The storage house left-overs are anoth-
er resource for the second hand dealers tc
tap. Very elegant personal effects are
frequently to be got by simply paying the
amount loaned on them. The people who
deposited them, and who meant to pay a
the time, are hither, yon, and everywhere
over the world. not knowing nor caring
what becomes of their things. Wholesale
firms, retailing skirts and Jackets a
manufacturers prices for their own FUR
poses, are another source to be taken ad
vantage of; also things detained in the
custom house over-long, or that have beer
worn once or twice and brought through
the custom house by special agents travel
ing for the second hand trade. Ladies
tailors offer ew choice garments at low
prices to their patrons nowadays, and the.
carry a side line of silver and jewelry II
, addition to the legitimate business.