Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-06-28
AT THE EXCHANGE DESK
Experience in a Bargain Store Pictured
An Example of Serene
Composure.
the blue ribbon Of the Aquatic "

IL you want TO stamp upon your nina
the beauty of serene cOmposure buy a
bargain in haste, repent at leisure and
return 1t To the exchange desk of the
store whence it came.
Present yourself before the little Win
dow and wait until the young person in
side becomes aware of your presence.
This Will take some time. On the whole,
il you are not n person of unlimited
leisure you had better announce yourself
distinctly. showing your package violent
ly forward.
Do not imagine you will receive the
slightest attention. The exchange girl is
absorbed in CONCENTRATIONS in cOmpari-
son with which yOu are as dirt beneath
her feet. She does condescend to unite
the parcel, however with the tips of her
fingers; she glances at it, losses it behind
her. and proceeds to write. \ bored cX-
preston sits upon her face, but she says
nothing.
You suggest that you prefer the re-
turn of your money.
She is as silent as the sphinx.
1ou repeat your suggestion little
louder.
This affects her somewhat. The i'm
FEASIBILITY of her countenance is family
tinged with scorn, but resolves instantly
into its fixed indifference.
Maybe she is deaf You shout an IN
ouiry as 10 whether it is the custom
Of this store TO refund customers
Her lips open They close. They open
again. and close sharply on humble
which may he interpreted as Some
times" if YOU choose TO be hopeful.
After more scribblng she open her
Inns wide enough to snap. Name,
rieasc' which YOU tell her right cheer
fulIy. heiue unselfishly glad to know she
is not actually dumb or tong-tied.
The slip is filled out, torn off and laid
an the desk. and she calmly returns to
bpr own medtations. 1T is early in the
tlay and no one else has yet lntrlded
Shifting from one foot to the other Just
RI vary the monOtOny of waiting you
wonder by what process.
That slip is being converted into LIS
rs il lies on the desk. BY and by You
ask if YOU will have TO wait long.
No answer.
You repeat.
She does not lift her eyes. She says
something Jelly about "A boy and her
tone scores you for presUmptuous fool
thar YOU should seek to understand the
mysterious wonders she performs.
II is ten minutes before a boy dawns
an the horizon In that time you discover
the futility of disturbing the even tenor
of her way. She is the moon, and YOU
may bark away like fool Of dog. but
Won cannot Iuilic HeI ptlip0Sult VI NliIS
a word from her lips.
You feel cheered to see the boy step off
In sprightlv fashion with the tiny slip
of paper. Twenty minutes you wait for
his return. No hoy, no paper, DO money.
The sphinx is unaware of your exist
ence.
You consult your watch and demand 10
know il there is any method OF hasten
ing that hoy's temperance
"Eo." she says abStractedly.
You inquire what he is supposed 90 be
doing.
She opens her lips TO reply. hut recon
siders and shuts them tight. Her indif-
ference is whitening. You subsidc. Fiji
teen minutes pass. In heavens name,
where is that boy:
You could bear it better if she evinced
the slightest concern. But she does not.
4 fly on the wall would attract a large
measure of her interest.
Fret and fume if you like 10 feel small
in the face of her serene eomposure. You
get nothing but n Scornful, icy contempt.
If YOU have a morning paper. go sit
down somewhere and read. Within an
hour and quarter from the time YOU en-
tered the store you may safely return TO
the desk and receive your money.
You so away wondering if il would not
be quite as expeditions aud vastly less
exasperating if the young persons in
charge of exchange desks were supplant
ed by genuine wooden dummips.-Phila-
delphia Evening Bulletin.