The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-26
Wben 4 c Bargain Not z Bargain 7
Alurng Attractions of the Bargain SaeWorse Than Center Rush at Football Game-Fought, Bled and All But
 Died, For Something They Didn't Want
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

embroidery. so let's get in the shHffle."
 And so saying, we moved up a step or two, and got into the thick of the fight The crowd of women were burrowing like beavers and upheaving and delying and roofing among those remnants of embroid- cry, with a fevered energy that would have seemed to vanish these poor fem mine creatures into thinner air than Ham, let's fathers ghost But not so! Two of them got hold of pieee of embrod- cry and such a pulling and tussling you have never seen. Each was pulling 1t her way, when all at once a sigh pierced the air and half dozen cried out:
 She's fainted." and immediately there was making way for the first victim who had collapsed at the bargain sale. One woman whose hat was sitting over on her ear, and great beads of perspir- ation standing on her brow, said That's what l say about coming to these sales. Your clothes are. torn off of you and it costs you more than it's worth"
 All this time the two bargain hunters , who had hold of the embroidery never once let go of their prize but each was fighting for dear life for what she claimed as hers. Finally one of them reln- quished the end she was holdiag, not
 in the noble spirit of renunciation you
 would imagine. but because she had found a flaw in it and the nerveless fin- gers of the other woman bore 1t off in trumph-never realizing that she had picked up anything but bargain.
 "It seems that each person has more confidence in her neighbor's judgment than in her own, doesn't it?" gasped Bet tina. as we were swept into the midst of the crowd.
 1 Tt does look that way" I said as we neared the goal-whlch, by this time. i, we had been waiting nearly an hour to reach.
 A woman with little tiny baby in her arms was struggling to pull one of the embroidery lengths from underneath the pile of goods on top of 1t and as she finally succeeded heard her say:
 I'm glad I came. Just think of this fine stuff for 89 cents yard! Why. the children can each have a dress of em- broidery this summer!"
 Bettina and l had watched with sus- pense each one bounce on that partic- uar choice of embroidery and one would pick up a piece and lay 1t down, others reached out for it and proceeded with their quest like unto a consuming fire.
 Now and then a couple would back out with great armfull of embroidery and stand to the side, examining it and meas uring to see how much it would take for the waist or dress as the case might be.
 They held 1t up and frisked about ask ing each other how 1t would look, and after at least half hours consultation, they decided-not to buy and returned 1t to the table.
 The tug of war lasted for hours and Bettina ana I were well worn out with waiting and watching for our turn and finally when we "arrived" everything had been picked over and our roseate hopes of gorgeous Swiss embroidery of which | we would have Irocks and waists ga- l lore were a mere pipe dream. Well. Dolly" said Bettina. Answer me a question"
 with pleasure" said I.
 When is a bargain not a bargain?" she propounded.
 "I never could answer riddles" I promptly replied. But in my humble opinion, if all of them are like the hunt we have been on this morsing, a bar gain can't be much of bargain when you lose your temper, strength, energy, false hair, part of your clothes, and very nearly everything you possess, but your reputation"
 My idea exactly said Bettina, And having escaped with our lives, let's go and have a cafe parfait and register a solemn VOW not to come again-at least