The daily tribune., 1906-03-16
"THE DECIDER"

"THE DECIDER"
A New Trap for Women who Heel
tate About What 20 nuy.
An ingenious attempt is now being
made In some a the big department
establishments to assist the opinions
OF undecided women who come to shop.
Every salesman and every sales
woman knows the woman who haunts
the bargain sales, flutters from count.
er to counter, is shown goods until the
attendants are driven to distraction,
thinks she will buy everything. and
finally inveats in u yard and a half of
| pink ribbon, simple because she Is
absolutely incapable of making up her
own mind as to what sho wants.
Diapers have long tolerated this
form Of mental weakness. Now they
have revoltei, and the day Of the DE
cider" has come
The Decider is an American insti-
tuition. and Cibsonian at that. She Is
beautiful as to face and features. and
always gowncd to perfection. Her
duty is to induce the doubtful to buy.
t. the customer she appears as a
Gus. ,r'er. with the earnest intense
"sa,, fa1e" that one now sees every
day in the big stores,
She secs customer a little worse
dressed than herself hesitating over
the purchase of dress length Of chif
fon velvet. The shopman has done his
best to persuade the lady that II is the
superlative bargain OF the season.
"You ought to take it at once, mad
am" he says. eagerly; "if you leave
it to think the matter over, you will
regret It,"
~ suppose so" the lady says, but
want to look about flrst; It Is so hard
to decide-an evening gown Is SO very
important And she surveys the
dress length again from three different
angles.
Entrapping the Victim.
1t is now the Decider's moment to
step in. Pretending to have noticed
the chiffon velvet. for the first time,
she thrusts out a perfectly. gloved
hand, and eagerly catches hold of an
end of the material. She hangs 1t UP
against her fingure. and looks at it
admiringly. The doubtful lady looks
annoyed, gives the chiffon tug, but
the Decider holds on.
IF you are not going to buy this
dress length" she says, II will take it.
1t is the only one | suppose" she adds.
turning to the attendant, and Ia told
1t Is.
Meanwhile the genuine customer has
observed the exquisite turn OUT Of
the eager "sale-hawk," as she Inn
AGNES the Dccdcr TO be. If 81 ele-
CANT a person is anxious to buy the
stuff 1t must be worth securing, she
argues, so without further doubt she
says sharply;
But | am going to take It," The
transaction is closed. and the seeming
ly chagrined Decider disappears.
Having settled this little business of
the chiffon velvet she sails of to the
fur department.
Here she fixes on sallowfaced
young wife. who has brought her hus
hand to help in the choice of set Of
furs.
DO you like 1t, dear?" the lanky
girl-wife asks. holding up white boa.
rs $22 too much for this, and the
mum"
She has $40O a year Of her own. and
he has his pay as lieutenant in the
~ ut ut'ib'o W b' t,i"'ao"'
NO. $22 isn't too much" he re
plies. but isn't the whole thing bit
too light-for-" he stops.
Then another Is brought out but he
objects to 1t too. II hate these ashy-
colored things he says petulantly
"Oh, take ii off,
well. dear. what am / to do? You
think the first one is too light and
the other one is too ashy." The tone
Is despairing.
"Try this one on again madam"
says the saleswoman, and the wife
turns to take it but it is gone. She
finds herself confronted with the ele-
CANT figure of the Decider. who has
arrayed herself in the boa and Dol
ster muff.
The young wife looks at her hus-
band and sees his eyes fixed on the
charming vision OF bright hair, bright
eyes. cleaning teeth. and warm com
plexion, set of by the fuzzy softness
of the boa and mum. Entirely for.
getful of her own sallow appearance.
she quickly makes up her mind to
have that boat is SO very becoming.
II think de~-" she says to her 'hus-
band, that this is Just what I want
husband is still gazing at the pretty
"Decider" arrayed in the boa, and
answers her jerkily.
"Yes. It's pretty" he says. absent
mindedly. lawfully becoming toto
yes. It is so clean and fresh.looking,
Isn't IT." You can't do better: have
IT," In another second the boa and
nun are both in the shop girls hands,
and the pale wife is giving her ad'
dress.
The Decider is liberably paid. She
draws a regular salary. and In ad.
dition receives commission on all
sales effected through her interference.
The profession opens up new vista
for attractive women whom circum.
stances have forced into the labor
market.