The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-04

purchaser over to her, so that he might
be directed to the next place.
LOSES HIS COURAGE.
Did a man ever so into store and
be waited upon by one of those fair ones.
dressed in flaming red waist and Scotch
plaid skirt and tan shoes, that he did
not lose all the courage he ever had!
He remains there standing ike statue,
with his tongue tied and hands twitch-
ing nervousiy, as if they were working
overtime, trying to collect his thoughts,
while the girl eyes him thoroughly with
resignation imrat ience- and pity witt
ten in every line of her face and over
1t all an expression of keen enjoyment OF
the victims embarrassment and an al
most uncomfortable desire to laugh In
the meantime she gave sly wink to
her fellow tOrturers, and what could the
poor man do? The newspaper man did
lust what any other man would have
DONE He made one supreme effort to
gain the mastery and in a moment OF
victory blurted out that he wanted a yard
of four cent-ribbon. He didn't care Wnat
color, just SO it was ribbon.
Cash, Front. Cash. called the fair
torturer, with that rising Infection. and
a voungster pushed his way to the coun-
ter.
Here you is: what yer want?
In
carefully taken pencil. which served for
the double purpose of pencil and hair
pin, and with few deft tiourishes out
lined a landscape on a small pad. This
work of art is known to the profession
as the Check The check. ribbon and
money We're turned over to the cash boy,
who mysteriously disappeared. The re-
porter, however, overcome by feeling
of curiosity. mustered UP enough cour-
age to ask the pretty Miss behind the
counter what became of the younsster
and his charge.
HrCIV 1T IS DONE.
You see, he takes it to the cash desk.
There the cashier takes the money and
check 90 X the latter and turns over
the check and the charge to the cash
boy. who in turn takes the check and
the goods to the wrapping counter There
an inspector again measures the pur-
chase to see that no mistake mas Dee,
made, and finding it all right, checks
the ticket and passes both to the wrap
per. Then the
lust at this juncture "cash" reappeared
on the scene, bearing the purchase in a
neatly-wrapped package, and the correct
change That the end of the s.ory,
said the saleslady." cash has finished It
for me. Anything else?
The reporter. however, grew interested
in the proceedings. Next he wanted to
know how purchases were prepared to be
sent out. In his desire to gain informa-
ton he grew extravaSant and invested
another four cents, requesting that the
purchase be sent to his address He had
grown reckless and never thought of
the consequences. He watched carefully
and found that his name and address
were sketched along with the purchase
and The price on the check, which. with
the money, was placed In steel COX.
and attached to a rapid-movinS cable,
with a whiz it disappeared Then there
was a sharp click, and reaching under
the counter, the pretty maiden, Hermann-
like. produced that same box Touching
a magic spring the lid flew open and the
check stamped cashier. o. X. and
the change were extracted. The goods
and the ticket were passed to another
young lady who appeared to BE- b9xed-ln
on the top Of the shelving. Anxious to
learn the fate Of the package, the re-
porter still hung around
THE PACKAGE BOY.
He had not long to wait, for just then
face appeared on the scene, Juggling
basket almost as large as himself
Package, package" he yelled.
The reporter saw his ribbon and check
tossed into, the basket The package boz
moved on, but the reporter followed him