The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10

Everybody seems to be busy" / said as
1 entered the library at Betty's home and
found her brother Jack with pile of books
on the table beside him and Phyllis and
Laura writing as If they had a thirty
minutes test crowded into a quarter of an
hour. Betty, herself was engrossed in a
book
1.-Two tests tomorrow. and 1 don't want
to funk" replied Jack to my salutation.
''An essay to write and some expert
ments in physics and chemistry to detail
for inspection by the professors" said
Phyllis
TESTS coming and a belated essay to
worry over" Laura remarked without
looking up, land 1 have to choose my own
subject for the essay" she added.
These be strenuous days for Irvington
students" Betty explained. Commence
ment is only month away. Phyllis and
Laura think they make better progress
here than in their own rooms, and 1 am
glad to have them come"
Betty, can't you suggest a subject for
my essay?" asked Laura
How long must it be?"
Fifteen hundred words is the limit"
Il heard you were in the city a few days
ago hunting bargains at the stores. You
might relate your experience and state
how much money you saved in making
your purchases said Betty, with a smile.
Good idea! Phyllis shouted and then
began laughing.
Joke concealed somewhere" said Jack,
looking UP and seeing the flush in Laura's
cheeks. Tell us about it, Phyllis or Betty"
Laura can tell her own story better than
either of u.s. and Betty turned her eyes
coaxingly toward the flushing girl.
There was nothing humorous in my ex-
perience, although Phyllis. Martha and Isa-
bel think it was funny enough to repeat.
Three stores in the city had advertised
bargains in laces and few other things
I wanted, and thought could save lit
tie money by taking advantage of crt
prices. One store had dollar-a-yard lace
marked down to IS cents, another had 20
cent goods at IS and third was selling
S0-cent lace at Is. 1 visited half a dozen
places and finally purchased two yards of
the qS-cent lace after spending two hours
in search of what 1 desired 1 felt tired
because the stores were crowded, and be-
fore starting for home refreshed myself
with a mint glace and an egg phosphate.
That is all there is to say about my bar
gain-hunting trip" And Laura resumed
writing.
You forgot to tell how much profit you
made. I'll do the figuring for you," and
Phyllis picked up a pencil from the table.
1.-Two yards of 81 lace at IS cents. That
makes $780, a saving of 10 cents. Two
street car fares, 10 cents; refreshments, Is
cents; two hours of wear and tear on dress
and sole leather while shopping in crowded
stores estimated at, say, so cents. We will
omit the last item and count only the cash
outlay, which was Is cents in excess of
your saving 1 am afraid you won't get
rich that way, Laura
But her experience and the satisfaction
of getting what she wanted interposed
Betty, were certainly worth something.
know that, from financial viewpoint, bar
gain hunting is not always profitable. but
it is part of a woman's education, and /
think Laura's lesson was cheap
Martha and Isabel came into the room
as Betty concluded.
Still studying campustry?" asked Jack,
as he greeted the visitors.
"You are a hateful boy, Jack" replied
Isabel. Martha and dropped campustry
because some of the other students were
permitting it to interfere with more impor-
tant studies. When Madge funked in
chemistry last week the professors init
mated she spent too much time on the cam
pus. All the girls, therefore, are now try
ing to avoid like censure by giving their
attention wholly to the prescribed studies.
Martha, however. has been reading a great
deal about chiromancy, and 1 am afraid 1t
may become a fad with her.
"a harmless pastime,'' said Betty, who,
I knew, was no mean amateur chiromancer
herself.
''Chirognomy also is harmless" said
Jack as he scanned the dictionary for the
word "chiromancy." "In fact" he con-
tinued, find that none OF the "chiros' is
bad. But 1 hope Martha won't become a
professional chirosophist advertise her
self as a chirographist. because she might
be compelled to pose as a gypsy in order to
be successful in her art
Perhaps you would like me to be chiro-
gymnast," and Martha playfully boxed
Jacks ears until he said he felt sure her
hands already had the muscle and hardness
of a gymnast.
Martha plays tennis and as she some
times scorns gloves the racket makes
her hands slightly callous. Whether
this had anything to do with her
taking up the palmistry fad.
do not know, but l am certain
Martha has. the requisites for playing her
part. When a girl with soulful eyes. grave
demeanor and directness of speech ex-
amines the palm of your hand and,tells you
what the lines mean. you cannot help be-
lieve her. Whether she unconsciously
hypnotizes you or 'casts a spelp'-be-
witches you as the fairies of old are said
to have done-I leave for others to decide,
for Betty once said l was too impression
able to be a good subject.
Martha read all our hands, her prophe-
cies being received with running fire of
comment AS she was about to leave with
Isabel she remembered she had a 2.50O-word
essay to write on May day."
You might say something about the
May day frost had and how 1T killed
the fruit" suggested Betty.
And the May pole and the May queen"
added Phyllis
And the Italian May, the May apple,