The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06
Comedies of the Hooser Capital asS msa w. GO wegd

eyes and woolly curls, wagons and engines
and games OF all descriptions, and little
cows and sheep and horses that either
squeaked when handled or else literally lost
their heads or legs or some other parts Of
their anatomy.
Just the place to find n splendid present
FOR Johnny" said the buyer of Christmas
things. Out came the list from the shop
per's pocket and he gleefully looked over
It, something for Johnny" was written on
the paper 1t would be great fun getting
something for Johnny. he thought. But
after he had pushed his way around the big
department three times without being able
to make single selection he began to turn
his thoughts to other names on the list.
thinking that perhaps it might be wiser to
let Johnny's present go until the last. He
halted to study his memoranda beside
counter heaped high with toys and over
which a large placard announced that "all
the articles on this counter are 10 cents
each" He little knew that. waiting in am
bush to spring out at the first possible vic
TIM was sharp-faced young woman who
received IS cents a week more than any 9TH
er toy clerk because of her ability to compel
people to buy. Once in her clutches escape
for a customer was out of the question and
a man was little better than putty in her
hands. The shopper hesitated at this
counter-and was lost.
The girl was at his side in the twinkling
of an eyelash. ''Something?" she demand
ed, in a tone of voice that dared him to
give a negative answer.
The man, in some confusion, picked up
the most outrageous looking toy on the
entire counter-a flabby. wooden jumping
Jack painted all over with hideous purple
and yellow stripes.
I'll work him for your cried the clerk,
and, grabbing the thing from his hands,
she jiggled II before him, jerking a string
that sent its legs and arms and head a.
going in all directions. The dignifed shop
per felt very omfortable-especially
when he became aware OF the fact that
several women standing nearby were get
ting considerable amusement out of the
incident. He would have given all the
money he had with him to be rid of this
clerk. who persisted in dangling the mis-
cradle, loose jointed manikin in his very
face He handed her dollar bill and said
that he would take the thing.
Anything else?'' she called out, as she
clutcneQ the Crisp Ddnk-HOle lOOh
at this!'' And, picking up a little square
box, she pressed spring which sent it's
lid open with bang and set free nasty
little toy snake that jumped up and hit
him in the nose and almost scared the
life out of him. "And we have monkeys
that climb sticks and tin acrobats that
turn somersaults and funny bats that fly
about through the air and At this
point she broke off to blow horn in the
ear of the unhappy man. who by this time
was looking wildly around him for means
of escape and making up his mind to dash
away without the change that was due him
from his dollar bill. But there was no
getting away from the girl. She kept him
penned in amongst the toys until he final
ly blurted out that he didn't want to buy
anything else, and then she gave him his
change and his jumping-jack, the latter
wrapped up in a piece of thin paper, and
proceeded to pounce upon another victim.
When the Christmas buyer got out of
the toy department he didn't stop until he
had reached the sidewalk outside the store.
To his surprise the sun had gone down, and
the street was aglow with electric lights
1t was after o'clock, and the afternoon
that he had put aside for Christmas shop
ping had been wasted. No, not wasted ex-
actly-he had bought a jumping-jack, and