The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-26
THE IpyL OF a PINK SILK WAIST.


| before she found one that seemed to SUI
her At this she stared. Then she car
ried 1t out 10 the door for closer inspec
ton, fingered it. folded it and finally
glaring at the embarrassed girl. snapped
DO You mean TO tell me, young woman
that this is a fast color?"
Miss Peterson was frightened. There
was menacing challenge in the stout
customers raucous voice
Please, ma am. IN go and ask the
manager. said the denure girl.
'Humphi There's seine doubt about Il
then. is sthere?" sneered the fat woman;
then wen let II so. I thought il looked
cheap
and the indignant customer iounced out
of the store, leaving little Miss Peterson
with tears in her eyes and q trembling
sense Of her own ineniciency.
When they ask you things like that
tell EN- yes" said Mrs. Gillian. the star
saieswoman of Benton & Browns dry
goods emporium; "al these goods are
guaranteed. We haven't got any snide
stuff in the store
But little Miss Peterson was getting
discouraged. She managed TO run her
sales Up TO IS. IS the second day. but when
Saturday night came the manager paid
her off without a word or smile, and
she was painfully aware that he WASN'T
satisfied.
Go after the men," advised Mrs. Gill
lam one day, when she saw Dorothy hang
back while another girl captured a spruce
looking male purchaser; the men are
easy. They buy quick. and If you can
help them out a Bit they'll never forget
1t. Don't be so bashfui. Dorothy
But it was along in May nearly two
months after her arrival in Red Cliff that
Miss Peterson began to suspect that. af-
Ill -. Ia. ,f,-f Tr.r
business. She was busy with a fidgety
cid woman. who consumed precious min
utes inspecting the cheapest handker-
chiefs, when a young man came in and
stood by the counter.
Something today?" smiled Mrs. Gillian.
busting up to him.
iii wait for this young lady," he said
politely, indicating Dorothy.
Here was q little victory. indeed To
be preferred TO Mrs. Gillian. whom ev-
erybody knew as the most agreeable and
the best informed employee in the store,
Little Dorothy blushed crimson and her
heart futtered with sacred delight.
z 'Td like TO look at silk waists he
said, drumming nervously on the counter.
ter.
IT don't think we have any mems
waists, at least not in silk. She was
afraid to look at him.
"Oh, want iady's waist, please" he
laughed softly, but without any hint Of
impertinence, its for my-mother.
What size, please?" A moments ST.
lenee. When he did not answer she look
ed suddenly into his handsome face and
repeated, size. please?"
'I-er-that Is. I'm not certain, but +
er-think about your size"
Poor Dorothy was so fiustered by this
unexpected reply that she didn't hear the
rest. She ran around to where Mrs. Gil
lam was slipping new boards into some
dress goods and said: Measure me, Mrs.
Giilami There's a man round there
wants a silk waist for his mother, and he
says she's my size" The motherly Mrs.
Gillian couldn't help laughing at the in
genious excitement of Dorothy, but she
measured her quickly and whispered.
''Thirty-four, honey. Don't look so fab
bergasted'
He bought the waist all right. waited
respectfully for his parcel and walked
out without further embarrassing the
girl. When he appeared again next morn
ing Dorohtys heart failed her. She had
already exchanged two of her sales of the
day before, and she suspected that the
waist didn't fit. after all. The young
nan saluted her whit quiet courtesy ana
bought a belt, a beautiful silken thing,
pendant purse. And thereafter for near
ly two weeks hardly day passed that
he did not come TO buy something for
his mother. Dorothy found herself
harried with ell sorts Of guesses about
him. He was certainly very handsome.
He must be well off. What a good son he
must be-always getting pretty things for
his mother. And good sons" she
thought. always make good" She was
live ell q
with his musical good-morning and I'D
like to buy some silk gloves for"
Your mother?' said Dorothy, wonder
ing at her own audacity.
yes, please, miss. I think your size
will fit her exactly"
She thought IL a little odd that he
couldn't ask his own mother what size
of gloves she wore. but she got out her
array of flmy hand covers and he bought
That was a red-letter day
FOR Dorothy. She sold her biggest BILL
nearly SO worth-and the other girls and
women began to envy her this gallant.
prodigal young customer. To make mat
tiers more interesting for the first time
he now ordered his purchases sent" and
for hours after he was gone Dorothy.
greatly excited and pleased. she knew
not why, kept repeating his name and
address-"George II. Sherrlck, 207 Butte
street.
"sherrick? George H. Sherlock oGoth
Mrs. Gillian when Dorothy told her the
secret. why he's the foreman up at the
Golden Chicken mine. He lives with his
mother up in Butte street-old ladys an
invalid. rheumatic or something. They
came out here from Boston about the
same time you started III at the store
Butte street, like most bf the eRvirOns
OF Red Cliff, was q narrow. gorge-iike
with few houses. Dorothy,
perhaps by the merest accident. strolled
out that way often when the May Sun
day afternoons grew hotter. but one sui
try evening while she was r mile or so
above the SherTick cottage. watching the
scurrying among the rocks,
a sudden storm broke like a cioucouTst
above the canon and drove her down the
road like a scared rabbit The d0wnpour
caught her before she reached his house.
and as she was passing il, blinded by
the rain and deafened by the thunder,
she felt & strong hand laid gently on her
arm and in her ear weil-remernoered
voice. saying:
You must come in. Miss II you please.
Mother saw you running from the storm -
Thus resssured and night glad Of shell
ter, she permitted Sherrlck 70 lead her
INTO the c0zy house
My mother, Miss - he paused FOR
her name
Dorothy-Do Peterson" said the
girl But looking VI, and vaguely mind (
mi that his mother vas just her size.
The saw in the invalid chair portly. /
vvhite-hairei old lady, OF AZ least % 4
pounds. The kindly voice Of the mother. 4
however. drove all speculation from the 4
ziyls head and she took the little wicker 4
hair b. the tes-tabie. and began 70 4
irearl Of the old days back East when 4
her own raother was alive, as tender and &
almost as rldcy as this soit-Yoiced Young 4
mans.
But afterward. when the storm had 4
,esss5 and he xas taking her home, they I
lad walked nearly a block Il happy 81
ence before be said: