Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-03-22
THE BARGAIN FEVER.
An Analysis Of Womanknds Most Dis.
trous Diseases.

One oil the most fatal diseases known
to mankind, or rather womankind, to
When once inoculated with the germ tn"
patient knows no rest OF mind or body
until she is able &c satisfy her craving FOR
real bargain In these days thert
alive with them. There is no escape TO.
the contagion fc: the woman who reads
regular issues of the printed ieatiet OF
the circulating periodical.
The advance stages Of the disease ar,
often rerilOuS to life and limb. There
seems to be no preventive on protection
from its rtvageS when once one has It
genuine attack o! this fever.
A recent case on record. although not
Of the deadly type. resulted in injuries
that may prove fatal. The victim Is 4
dwe!ler in one of our own suburbs.
Naturally a very careful. conservative
woman in all other things, she yet was;
threatened with an attack OF the bargain
fever. and finally succulnbcd to lis power.
The germ was rampant ana she caught
the contagion. The following symptoms
and their attending results will serve To
eXpla in the Case
Arising early. say perhaps AN hour
and a. half earlier than her wont, t},.,
patient III .. nervous and excited state
hastily prepared TO make her departure
10y the earliest car possible. She realized
Inc necessity of getting into the game
for the first round. All the way in on the
car She thought to herself: Now | Shall
certainly be there before anyone else.
All tie barvt st of that rare and wonder
iul bargain is mine. | may choose the
very prettiest patterns in the lot, aud
only seven cents a yard too. IL will b'.
great, l will get enough for two dresses
and perhaps shirt waist or two.
While thus Illuminating upon her rare
good fortune the car came Ia a full stop.
This awakened her from her musings.
which were really the first deliriiim Of TIL,
fever. She hurried as fast rs possible To
the scene of action. When she saw the
% tiIls h,t yn1 u.
Of the mercantile establishment and
formed one solid phalanx up to the Vcr,'
merge Of the bargain counter ncr pulls
reached thr6atrnncly high point. Ihi::
impetus TO the cirrulatory system served
only to quicken the action al the muscles
| and the patient made one dive to pen--
trate the phalarx. 1t was not the. work
persistent effort. Her pulls" in the me;iii-
| time was creeping slowly up.
at last she reached the inner circle.
was face to face with the actual bar
gains. In spite of her fever. her cnun-
tenance actually palsd nj IN" sight. Fh..
bargains. II such there ever had been. mac:
disappeared. Only = huddled mess 81
| greeted the eye The figures upon th'.
cloth took on all sorts of lncanny ana
iolbidding shapes, till the whole vast ar
ray was repulsive to the sight TINS VA
The second stage of the delirium The
pulse had crept up to 100.
| With strength reduced by the struggle:
me patient now trie,i to 'Xtricatc herself
from the mass of PEOPLE and beyond the
Slght of those terrible figures that were
staring at her. Possessing naturally j
good constitution and a persevtring mimi.
she at last mad. her escape, Quietly she
retired to remote corner of the store IN
order to look herself over ana eStimate
N" extent of her injurics-for by this
| time she felt thoroughly conscion: that
there must have been some. injuries.
| When once in a clear light. undimmtd y
~ at,z Il 4
counter. her eyes fell upon her wrist bag
It was dangling Imply by a single thread
OF leather: the handle WIS entirely dls,
severed The single strand of leather had
out a handle is~weli. it dcfies definition;
At this point the patients pulse reiched
me crisis. the last stage of deliflum was
| upon her
! Tho aftermath was n scene ut the
largest leather and trunk dealers IN ne
City. The bag was q costly one and Its