The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
A K%LEpToMANIACS START.
CONFESSION OF A WOMAN VINO TRIED
TO DO SOME SHOPPING.

the Handkerchief Got Into Her Mun
Speaking OF kleptomaniacs.' said the wor
man with the blue eyes. Il was one once. No
dent go out Of the room. all OF you. II wasn'
intentional. 1t was purely accidental. II
happened In this way. / went shopping. There
we're a lot OF things l wanted. l had them all
down in a little memorandum book. The
first item was a belt. l asked this floorwalker
where TO find the belts.
" Go down this aisle said he. until you
come to the handkerchief counter. then follow
the aisle to the left. keen riRht along until you
see the necktle counter. which Is In the third
room from this on the same floor. 90 into the
fourth room. walk along the second aisle OF
that room until you come to the leather coun-
ter. and at the end Of the leather counter fac
ing toward the nfth room you viii find the
BELTS
You have read fairy stories. haven't you.
when you we're children? These directions
were something like those: Keen right along
o little path till you come TO q wood. then go
right along through the wood and you will see
q little house. Knock at the door of that house
and a fairy will come out and give you q wand.
Then you keep right along with the wand in
your hand until you come to a lake. On the
lake you will find q lot OF beautiful white
ducks. Wave the wand and say: " Huddle
duck. huddle duck huddle ducki" Then the
ducks will all huddle together and you can get
on their backs and 20 across
Il followed the instructions implicitly as
possible and in about an hour and q half !
brought up at the leather counter. found the
end OF the counter facing the fifth room and
the leather belts. Before the counter stood
many women in double rank and file. They
were I'm winding belts. measuring them with
their eyes. winding them UP again, and laying
them back on the counter. TIL shop girls vol
u~nteered a remark now and then to these wait
ing women while they busted themselves with
selling belts to a few favored ones who had ar
rived before breakfast and refused to leave
until they got what they wanted. I stood out
side the row until at last somebody went
away. Then I moved up and looked at the
bolts myself.
II should like a patent leather belt with q
silver buckle I said timidly 10 one OF the shop
girls who passed at that oment, She was
waiting on some one else.
we had a special sale OF patent leather
belts the day before yesterday said she. and
sold them all out. We won't have any moro in
till the middle of next month. Ca-s-s-s-s-shl
Ca-s-s-s-s-s-sh. hereP
Il was not much surprised. That was just
my luck. Invariably arrived two days after a
special sale or a week too soon.
SOu u RE0Gu ledLl0T DtlJ. JnbnG i
murmured. more imidly than ever. with a
gold buckle?'
No said the girl. we haven't. Ca-a-a-shl
Our stock of belts has run down. Ca-a-a-s-shl
And we won't have in a new supply till spring.
Ca-s-s-sh! Ca.a-a-s-s-sh. here'
Then that settled the question Of the belts.
1 would have to wait until spring. Mine was
old. The buckle was furnished and the leath-
er was worn. but there was no help for 1t. Well.
anyway, l could congratulate myself upon the
fact that l was economizing. and I could tell
all my friends that circumstances over which
1 had no control prevented the purchase of a
new belt. and explain the circumstances II
they had any penetration at all they could
easily discover that 1t was not my fault. I
consulted my little book. The next item on
it was gloves. 1 deferentiallY approached the
foorwalker.
" Where shall I find thu glove counter? I
inquired. At the same time my countenance
broke into q propitiating smile. He gave me
directions that sounded like a recipe for
plum pudding. but. finally ravelling them out.
found the, counter and the gloves. But find
q long way from it. as I was TO discover later.
Before this counter stood a row of women
even more formidable than the one At the
bided my t.me. As at that counter. at last
some ono vacated and l took her place.
tuIed
She turned her head critically sidewise and
I think you must be mistaken said she.
Your hand looks as II you might wear a six
and = quarter II not a six and a half
IL had been buying gloves for that hand for
any larger size. / am sure / don't Still.
when she looked at me like that. I wasn't so
0enVOrnd 10 nut on a brpV va from Ct kpnu 7 |
wear a number six ! reiterated. why. once
II even wore a five and three quarters.' BY
suppose you know best she said coolly.
In nat a toPe which Implied that she knew 1 didn't
-" Gray I replied at a venture. Really, 7
didn't know whether I knew what color l want
ed or not: was also beginning. in spite Of
gard TO the size; She vanished beneath the
counter fora brief Moment. drew out a large
face. opened the box and took out a pair Of
fbo, tbov l was somewhat amazed TO discover
'"a WHAT SESs S sfaea' F shs' a IlS Spt once mao mor asked for
derine whether she thought | had given place
me hepeiessiy; muddisd f IN re HHsf d't to tSe 81 sia ee'
II know I Interrupted her. 1t looks large.
quite !s1 Large GeaI put wear a six,
VIII you, try them on for meY'i Inquired.
49,, NO. said she In a tone OF determination,
We don't try on dollar-and- a-half gloves: only
gloves; from that on up.'
" ON | exclaimed. from that on upu And
somehow the phrase kept repeating itself in
weary brain. From that on upr
Now, the question was. were those gloves
too small for me or not? | was sure, or Ind
been sure. that ] wore n six. To be quite sure
| took off one OF my old gloves and looked NJ
the number; Yes. there In letters faded and
worn but fairly discernib!e. was the number
" See said I, holding the glove up for her
inspection.
mouth came to again. that 10 a six TIL
word. that had a curious infection. Hooked
hastily at the glove. What had | paid for il?
A dollar and a half surely, but that that
sounded as II | had bought It at a fire sale for
about Is cents. But she continued. this
glove, though we are. selling 1t ut a dollar and
\ hall. ID an entirely different glove. | am
sure, II would be too small for you because It
stretch
!" And you won't try L on for me?'
" No. she replied. Not at that price,
How am | going to tell anything about itY'
asked In despair. II you know II won't stretch
l am not SO certain now that | some to
mink OF IL that ! do wear a skip
she was probably accustomed TO witness
he despair OF her customers. She was entire
y nmoved
" I am sure | don't know she answered
n so Indifferent 2, tone that my blood con-
sealed and cold chills ran briskly up and down
ny spinal column.
Then am afraid I can't take Them said |.
fShn fnl1Ah RhA Iowa In thA t-u. -