Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-06-26
SHOPPING N LONDON,
Methods Of the Big Stores In the
English Metropolis.
TRICKS OF THE mlLLlNERs.
A Ruse That Was Met by a Clover
Counter Russ-Ths As;tstins Ex-
perisnees Of an American Woman
Who Was Looking For Bargains.

$Sonker nuke-tnc tGtSauno Ex-
perisnees Of an American Woman
Who Was Looking For Bargains.
aud the customer are separate entities.
The frm displays It's wares: the buyers
examine them and purchase or not. as
they see 1T
In London IL Is different The mo-
ment you enter the door or a shop you
are accepted as part and parcel OF It's
interests. a member OF the family. as
IL were. Then a shopwalker pounces
upon you and insists on knowing what
you want. IL you hesitate as TO your
reply. he plants himself squarely In
front OF you and waits. When. in
sheer desperation flor you had intend
ed happy. aimIess sort OF looking
about. you say gloves" he grasps
Your arm. firmly marches you to the
glove counter. seats you at II and de-
tails salesperson to wait upon you.
All this happened to- me. and In an
exasperated frame Of mind | bought a
pair or gloves merely TO keep peace In
the family. but the bland aud gentle
manly glove seller had no notion OF let-
ting me Off so easily. lie took IL for
granted that that FIRST pair was simply
by way OF preface, AMI he Displayed
gloves OF my size OF all styles and col
ors. The very forcgoneness OF his con-
clusion that | would buy them all irri-
tated Inc. and. briefly announcing that
I wanted no more gloves. I paid him
for the pair | had bought Surprise
ana Srieved beyond expression. he
beckoned the shopwalker. and together
they cross examined me as TO why
refused TO buy more gloves. Did the
colors not suit mef Were the prices
not reasonable? Disdaining TO answer
these questions, endeavored to stalk
haughtily away, but this was not al
lowed More In sorrow than In anger
they told me l must walt for my bill
AS the gloves were to be sent aud
had given the exact change deemed
This unnecessary. but l soon found IL
10 be one OF their incxorable laws.
Bills. signed and countersigned. must
be waited for. no matter how trifiinC
the purchase.
The next thing | learned was that
the price asked is far from being the
i
cringed at the thought OF Offering =
guineas for seven guinea hat. but
soon learned that IL was expected OF
. customer and that the marked prices
were merely amounts from which to
begin the dickering.
And the ruses resorted TO by these
wicked milliners, In Mayfair Is one
or the most fashionable millinery shons
In the world. Over the door gilt let.
tiers spell one OF the most famous
Partisan names. To this shop | went
for hat. Being very canny. I ex-
pressed great interest IN several hats
which ! knew l should not buy. At
last carelessly inquired the price of
hat which had really charmed me
from the first. The price was guineas
As IL bore four magnificent ostrich
plumes. this price was not exorbitant:
but. Knowing the game. largained.
First ] asked II they would call IL
pounds instead of guineas. This meant
reduction In price OF only shlllings.
but the indignity Il discovered was
beyond all words. With a scathmy
glance the saleslady Informed me that
they never sold by pounds In that shop.
and I stored away the KNOWLEDGE for
future use in swagger establishments.
Determined TO beat them nj their
own game. then offered q guincas
for the hat This was met with an
propriatc expressions OF Mortified sur
prise, and rs great concession a.
guineas was proposed remained
firm I'm my six guinea offer. and. after
feint Of leaving the shop without
buying a hxt, 1t was reluctantly ac-
cepted.
Then followed what | considered q
ruse OF extreme cleverness on my part
L had been told that IL l left n new hat
10 be sent home the milliner would
change the trimming for others that
looked the same. but were OF inferior
quality. l had been advised, therefore
on purchasing n hat to carry it away
with me in order To prevent this. So
1 remarked on paying for this hat that
as | wished 10 wear IL that very after
noon ] would take It with me. the
large bandbox being easily managed in
my hanson cab. The saleslady kindly
agreed TO this plan and sent the hat
upstairs 10 be boxed.
After waiting fifteen minutes for the
hat 10 return 10 me I began TO grow
suspicious. and when Il did come I
deliberately united the box, removed
the tissue paper wrappings and ex-
amiEed the hat. Sure enough. the four
long. rich ostrich plumes lad been re-
moved and renlaced by four others OF
the same color. but OF n distinctly
cheaper grade. | boldly declared this
fact. but the saleslady hnughtily de-
MED IL.
But" said |. ''look in the hat See
the stitches. hastily put in to hold
these feathers. They We're not there
when the hat left me-"
'.Ah." she said. merely few
stitches to fasten bit OF trimming
that was looser'
And nothing remained for me but to
take the hat and depart. 1 could not
prove my case. could get no redress.
But l learned. when buying a hat. to
pin IL firmly on my head and walk
away. leaving my own old hat to be
sent home.
think such ansepisode would not &C.
cur In any reputable shop In America.
Carolyn Wells in Woman's Home
Companion.
Mans Precious Rib.
A young lady having asked a sur
geon why woman was made from the