The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-01

Not until he was positively assured that the woman did not want a situation, would the manager of the auction rooms consent to talk business.
 If you don't want a position" he said suspiciously, what do you want?" ITO find out something about the women who already have them" was the reply. T presume that there are women auc- tioneers"
 The manager wrinkled up the left side of his nose. Yes" he said, there area few, but there ought not to be any. They're no good.'
 Dear me-" said the visitor; "why not!' The manager struck a cynical note. Fri marily because they are women,' he said. Then, of course, there are specific req sons. In the first place, amateur auc- tioneers of the feminine gender are too impatient They want tog hurry things through too quickly. Now. that can't be done to advantage. In a sense. of course. expeditiousness is to be commended. An auction room is not a place for serious meditation. and the fellow who has his eye on a particular clock or a set of wine glasses will find no time to compose an ode to the moon between bids, but with all its activity sale, if conducted prop erly. will allow the buyer occasional op- portunities to repent of past errors and count his change. But when a woman takes charge of things he doesn't find time to do even that. He must bid on the in- stant or he is lost No matter how badly he wants the article for sale or how much money he is willing to spend on it, he doesn't get it if for one minute his mind wanders and he fails to call out Me, in answer to the auctioneers ques- ton. Who bids next?'"
 Then the manager related an incident illustrative of the impetuosity with which women auctioneers transact business. That particular woman was the first one he had ever been inveigled into employ ing in the capacity of auctioneer. He did not want to employ her. but he couldn't get out of it without being rude and the manager. being a much younger man than he is now. did not like to be that. So he said he would give her a trial. The woman proved to be fastidious. T am a little particular" she said, "as | to the character of the work in which I make my debut as an auctioneer. Will you let me look over the list of sales you have scheduled ahead so I can see if there is any class of goods l should par ticularly like to handler"
 The manager handed her his table of dates, respectfully. If you don't find anything there that suits you he said ] obligingly, ''I might be able to get up l something special that would appeal to you"
 He meant that to be sarcastic. but if it was the woman magnanimously over | looked it. "Oh, I wouldn't think of put ting you to all that trouble" she said. | And, anyway, 1t won't be necessary. l see that you are down for the sale of the stock of a bankrupt jewelry firm on the 22d of the month. I should like to under take that. I am very fond of jewels l ! know all about them. 1 wore s 900 worth at one time once myself, and think I ought to be able to sell diamonds and things at good prices.''
 The manager was not quite so sure of her ability. T don't know" he said. how the members of the firm would like to have a woman for an auctioneer. Before promising you a definite engagement should like to confer with them. They are my employers. and I should not like to run counter to their wishes, even If they are in hard luck"
 The woman read the name of the firm again. "Oh. you needn't bother about that" she said, coolly. That will be all right. The junior member used to be my husband. and since he got married again he is so sick of his second wife that he will do anything I ask him to do. Be- sides he has no right to kick. He ought to help me along. It is his fault that l have to earn my own living, and he cer- tainly wouldn't be mean enough to knock me out of a job
 That was an argument that not even the managing auctioneer could combat. Very we'll" he said. T will speak to the company about it.
 | He spoke to them that afternoon. The junior member groaned. You might as well let her go ahead" he said. 'I know Hattie. If she has made up her mind to be an auctioneer. she will be one. She never yet set her heart to anything that she didn't get. Anyhow, she will prob | ably get as much out of the stuff as any body else
 | So the manager gave the young woman chance. In the beginning she gave promise of success, and if the manager could only have curbed her exuberance of spirits it is likely that with experience she would have acquired the persuasive arts of the auctioneer But she was ob- sessed by the fatal spirit of hurry. Her first rush sale was a diamond ring val ,;ed at $2UO. She let it go for $15 A man in the rear of the store wanted the ring He was ready to raise the price to $20 and he protested hotly when denied the privilege of doing
 ''I was just going to bid $2O." he said.
 Gone at S15." repeated the woman. Why didn't you bid s20 if you wanted tor.
  complained, had to stop to breathe"
 You shouldn't have done that" said | the woman You should have attended to that before you came in here.'
 The junior member looked worried. I'm | afraid" he said to the manager, that Hattie is running things with too high a | hand"
 The manager was of the same/Opinion, so after the young woman had sold sev- eral bracelets and brooches and jeweled combs at ruinously low prices he induced her to yield up the hammer for the day, and he disposed of the rest of the goods without her assistance.
 While discoursng in a pessimistic vein the manager recalled his experience with another woman who was afflicted with hypersensitiveness She resigned of her own accord because the people who have the auction room habit were lacking in respect. The manager had had high hopes ~N