Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-07-28


ing in the great departmental school.
Whenever you see three or four shop
girls gather in bunch and jingle their
wire bracelets as an accompaniment to
apparently frivolous conversation. do
not think that they are there for the
purpose of criticising the way Ethel
does her back hair The meeting may
lack the dignity Of the deliberative
bodies of man, but 1t has oil the i'm
portance Of the occasion on which Eve
and her first daughter first put their
heads together to make Adam under
stand his proper place in the house
hold. 1t is woman's conference for
common defense and exchange of stra-
tegical theories OF attack and rcpulse
UPON and against the world, which Is
stage, and man. its audience who
persists in throwing bouquets there
upon. Woman, the most helpless of
the young of any animal-with the
fawn'S grace. but without its tieetness;
With the birds beauty. but without its
power Of fight; with the honeyb"e s
burden of sweetness, but without its -
oh, let's drop that simile. Some OF us
may have been stuug
During this council Of war they ps>s
weapons one TO another and exchange
stratagems that each has devised AID
formulated out of the tactics Of lifa.
81 says to 'im." says Sadie, "ain't .oa
the fresh thing! Who do you suppose
| am, to be addressing such remark
to me? And what do you think he
says back to me:"
The heads, brown. black. aaXen, red
and yellow, bob together. the answer
is given. and the parry to the thrust
is decided upon to he used by each
thereafter in passages at arms with
the common enemy man.
Thus Nancy learned the art of de
fense. and to women successful de
fense means victory.
The curriculum Of department store
is wide one. Perhaps no other col
eye could have fitted her as well for
Ter lifes ambition-the drawing Of Il
| matrimonial prize.
Her station In the store was n IA
vored one. The music room was near
enough for her to hear and become fa-
miliar with the works of the best COM
pOsers. ut least to acquire the famil.
hrity that passed for appreciation in
the social world in which she was
vaguely trying to set tentative and
kspiring foot. She absorbed the edu'
rating influence of art wares, OF costly
Ind dainty fabrics. Of adornments that
nre almost culture to women.
The other girls soon became aware
Of Nancy's ambition. Here comes
your millionaire. Nancew they would
call to her whenever any man who
looked the role approached her coun.
ter. 1t got to be habit Of men VINO
were hanging about while their wom-
en- folk were shopping to stroll over to
the handkerchief counter and dawdle
oyer the cambria squares. Nancy's I'M
lItation high bred air and genuine dain'
ty beauty were what attracted. Many
linen thus came to display their graces
before her. Some Of them may have
lbeen millionaires. Others were certain
Ily no more than their sedulous apes.
Nancy learned to discriminate. There
was a window at the end Of the hand
kerchief counter and she could see the
rows Of vehicles waiting for the shop
pers in the street below. She looket
and perceived that automobiles dine
as we'll as do their owners.
Once fascinating gentleman bough
four dozen handkerchlefs-and wooet
her across the counter with KIM
Cophetua air. When he had gone ON
of the girls said:
whats wrong. Nance. that you di'
hot warm up to that fellow? He look
the swell article, all right. to me-
"iim?" said Nancy. with her coolest
sweetest. most impersonal Van Alstyn
Fisher smile. Not for mine. say
him drive up outside. A twelve horse
power machine and an Irish chauffeur
tnd you saw what kind OF handker
chiefs he bOught-silk! And he's 20