The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-02-14
HE HAD HIS TROUBLES.

A big, broad-shouldered, good-na-
tured young man, whose home is in
Vancouver, paid visit to Portland
yesterday morning. AS usual on
such occasions, says the Portland
O1egonian, the family gave him nu-
merous commissions to look after for
them, and he made a written memo
randum of their various needs. At
the last minute, and just before he
started for the station, his pretty sis
ter suddenly bethought herself of
something else she wanted.
"And, Jack" she said, "buy for
me half a dozen doilies. I want the
plain ones with patterns marked on
them for home embroidering."
Jack made the necessary note and
hurried away. The moment his sis
ter spoke he had sense of apprehen-
sion, and this grew upon him as he
boarded the boat. He was an honest
minded youth, who had roughed It
all his life, and he was not we'll in
formed in either feminine or house
hold affairs. So, as he studied the
last entry in his notebook his brow
wrinkled.
"Now, what the deuce" he asked
himself, ARE doilies? Where does a
woman wear 'em? I'm likely to
butt into dry goods shop where
there are nothing but girl clerks. an
when 7 aSk for 'em-D
He rubbed the gathering perspira-
tion from his face and looked about
to see if there was any familiar ac-
quaintance among his fellow-passen-
gers. There wasn't. He put the
notebook in his pocket and stared
with an interest quite unusual for
MIN at the women in his vicinity.
But he gained no sort of information
from this scrutiny, and when he ar
rived in Portland he had begun to
consider himself sort of martyr 60
ing blind1y to his fate.
And when he had made all his
other purchases he went to it. The
sight of a man clerk in the big de-
partment store raised his spirits, and
to him in a confidential whisper Jack
told his needs.
"Doilies?" said the clerk. ""Turn
down the second aisle to your right,
third counter on the left.
"Thanks," said Jack, coldly.
He was in for it now, he knew,
and he marched on, backing into the
second aisle and noting with kind of
desperate indifference that Titan
haired young woman was presiding
at the third counter on the left. He
ranged up in front, and found his
tongue with difficulty.
"Doilies," he said. "Half dozen.
Want em to be home embroidered.
Patterns on 'em,"
"What size?" queried the girl
Jack grew cold between his shoul-
ders, but his face was red and very
hot.
"They' re-they'r for my sister,"
he answered hoarsely. She's IS
years old, and-and not quite so tall
as you are
1t was full half-minute before the
girl could control her countenance
sufficiently to ask with all gravity:
"What has that got to do with it ?"
Jack took a stagger toward the
door, mumbling that he would send
his sister in to complete the transac-
ton, and once in the open air he look
ed eagerly about him for the nearest
place. He came out of it somewhat
refreshed, and leaned against fire.
alarm box while he waited for his
car.
"Never again p he said to himself
over and over again. "Never again !"
And last night he told his astonish-
ed sister that the Portland stores were
all out of doilies, but that they would
have some new stock in on Monday,
when he would be glad to finance a
trip for her to the city to make her
own purchases.