River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-10-09
WHEN SOME WOMEN SHOP.
The Trouble They Give the Tracer
of Lost Parcels illustrated by
One Instance.

Who can fathom a woman's fancies
or predict what she will do next?
She advertises her pretty apartment
for the sake of the persons it brings
to her door and she spends days in
purchasing articles for which she has
no money to pay.
A well-dressed woman will look
perhaps at handsome silks, apparent
by with an idea of purchasing. After
great deliberation she finally decides
upon one, asks the clerk to cut off
four or five yards, as the case may
be, gives the man an address and
requests that the silk be sent c. o.
D. Next morning the delivery wag-
on goes to the address given and
finds a vacant block or perhaps no
such number in the block. The re-
turned goods become remnants, and
the little game goes on, relates the
New York Herald.
Quite as surprising episodes take
place in the ready to wear depart
ments. A woman will enter and ask
for a reception gown, something
handsome. She tries on a number of
them, finally decides upon one at,
say, $780, The girl who has succeeded
in making the sale is pleased at her
good fortune and takes no end of
pains about it. Alterations are need
ed, and the customer asks that the
gown may be sent to her by special
messenger, as she wishes to wear
it that evening. The girl who has
Il II eta,s h
taking a personal interest in it, and
as the customer has an account the
gown is sent. The next day she re-
turns, asks for the saleswOman, and
says: 81 wish you to send for the
gown I bought yesterday; it does
not fit and I shall not keep it's 'But,
madam" the girl exclaims, ''you
tried it on yesterday, and it fitted
perfectly" ST insist upon returning
it," is the answer, and after seeing
various heads of departments she
does return it, much the worse for
the wear she has given it the pre-
vious evening.
Perhaps in no department are
there more peculiar experiences than
fall to the lot of ''the. tracer" the
man whose business it is to hunt lost
parcels. Such an accurate record is
kept of each article that it is an
easy matter to trace a parcel to it's
destination, if it ever reaches there.
Then the trouble begins. A parcel
is known to have been delivered, but
the purchaser never has received it,
and insists that it has not been sent.
Servants are questioned and know
nothing of it. The mistress of the
house asserts that her maids have
been with her many years, and are
both truthful and honest. The tracer
is sent to the house, talks the mat
ter over and asks if he may look
about a bit himself. He thinks of
Sherlock Holmes and determines not
to give up.
An idea occurs to him, and he asks:
"Has any one looked in the refriger-
ator?" They are shocked at the sug
gestion. "Of course not" "Would
you mind looking?" To satisfy this
persistent man, some one goes, and
to his establishment, in the back of
the refrigerator is found the missing
roll of goods. When explained it
seemed credible enough. The cook
was preparing dinner, the housemaid
dressing. The bell rang, cook an
swered it, took a parcel from the
messenger and, intent on dinner, she
noticed her refrigerator door open.
Absent-mindedly she placed the par
eel inside as she closed the door and
the article seemed lost.
Is it any wonder that big shops
have stringent rules or that good
natured employees are at a premium?