Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-02-17
MISSING GIFTS.
SORROWS OF THE COMPLAINT
CLERK.

Il want to find out about some flow
ers / sent to my best woman friend,
said woman when 1t came to her
turn. Every friend ! sent things %
wrote a note of acknowledgement Sac
hasn't. am afraid she didn't get her
flowers"
The clerk took the name and adj
dress. "sit down few minutes" he
said politely, "and | will trace them
for you"
Yesterday" said tired girl, The
told me to wait a few minutes and
waited three hours" Then TO the
clerk: Have you found out about that
bottle of rum yet we ordered for the
punch? Everything else got there but
the rum. The punch was ruined"
we haven't been able to trace II
yet" replied the clerk politely. Rum
Is so easily lost during the holidays.
Shall we pay you back the money!"
'If we had wanted the money" re-
piled the girl, stubbornly, 1--WE wouldn't
have paid 1t for the rum. What we
want is the rum. 1t took me two hours
to await my turn to buy 1t. 1t was q
special brand"
IF you will sit down for few min
utes," said the clerk politely, I'VE will
try to trace IL again"
Another three hours" sighed the
girl, as she took seat on topply dry
goods box nearby.
They seem to get a little angry,
don't they?" said The woman of the
flowers.
They do acknowledged the COM
plant man. "but as for us, we've got
to keep our tsmpers or lose our jobs.
Still IL isn't so bad as II has been.
There are 1000 fewer complaints this
year than last"
Il didn't get those 69-cent ieggins
they bought me for Christmas pres
emit" said short-skirted girl. will
you exchange them for 9S-cent ones?"
Yes" said the clerk, send them
back and we will send you the 9S-cent
ones and collect the balance"
And you won't send me the e9-cent
ones back and collect the balance,
too?" asked the little girl anxiously.
No. said the complaint clerk, with
a wouldn't that jar you"look toward
the woman OF the flowers.
Then came pale-faced, middle aged
woman. 81 bought six pictures" she
said, and only four of them came.
Where are the other two?"
I'VE viii try and find them for you.
madam. What sort of pictures were
they? You will have to describe them.
you know
We'll, remarked the pale-faced
woman. 'the first four were pictures
of birds and flowers for the dining
room and the ones that were lost"
yes, urged the complaint clerk.
mindful of the long row back of her,
the ones that were lost?"
The ones that were lost" frowned
the palefaced woman; well they
were just pictures"
IF we cant succeed in finding
them, sighed the clerk, shall we re-
turn you the money!"
II don't want the money" stormed
the pale-faced woman. 81 want the
pictures. 1t took me two hours to find
a clerk who had time to wait on me
and another hour to pick out those
pictures. | want those pictures"
"They seem TO lose their temper oc-
casionally," remarked the woman OF
the flowers, as the pale-faced woman
rushed away. The complaint clerk
nodded assent and beckoned with his
long lead pencil
1--WE have traced those flowers of
yours, madam" said he with a win
ming smile. I'VE have found that they
were never sent out or received. The
girl at the desk must have forgotten
them"
The woman's face flushed. "You
mean to say" she cried, that she took
my order and my card and my money
and then didn't send them?"
I'm afraid 50. madam"
DO you mean to say" stormed the
woman, that all the other presents
went to my other friends. and this. to
the best friend | have in the world.
you neglected to send, and she must
have known all the rest got presents
and she none?"
I'm afraid so, madam"
You have lost me the very best
friend | have in the world" the wom-
an walled, and would have wept but
for the fact that four dozen people
were looking at her.
The complaint clerk poised his pen
ell in midair Shall We return you
the money. madam" he asked. in. &C,
customed phrase.
Money" she stormed. Money!"
What good will the money do, I'd like
to know? Give me an order for more
flowers quick, and let me take them to
her and win back the friendship you
have lost for me, IL can"
The complaint clerk followed her
with an observing glance as she swept
out.
Some OF them do lose their temper
duet l. a