The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-24
DREAM OF A LATE SHOPPER.
How He Was Haunted by Things He
Didn't Do.

Didn't Do.
| He had postponed doing it early
until the last day Down town
| through the snow the car crawled
and the man cursed at the additional
delay. He had waited to give every
one else an opportunity to do their
Christmas shopping. Now he was in
| hurry. People were talking in joy
full tones of the white" Christmas of
tomorrow. but the late shopper was
aware only of the fact that the snow
delayed the car and he was in
! hurry.
The man who didn't do it early was
sleepy and the car crawling along
didn't tend to waken him. At last it
| stopped and the motorman and con-
ductor began the work of sweeping off
the track ahead of it. And the man
dozed on. The voices of the other
passengers grew more distant.
AT last the down town district was
reached and the late shopper left the
car. He was deep in his crouch and
for time did not notice that he was
almost alone on the streets. Then he
wondered what had become of the
crowd. He thought it strange that he
met none of his friends or acquaint-
ance, but later thought that perhaps
the car was so late they were all in
their offices. Perhaps they were at
lunch. But look into the restau-
PloNtO lu0y were not Anu So,
after walking along Kansas avenue
for time, gazing at the presents in
the display windows, he saw one
which he thought he would get for
his wife. and entered the store.
Imagine his surprise to find, instead
of a store, full of fighting, crowding,
tired women. only. the clerks were
present. They looked at him in sur
prise. He stopped near the door and
waited for someone to attend to his
I IL.
forward. Funny, he thought, no one
in this store. and they did not seem
to care whether they did any business
or not. The longer he waited the
more angry he became. And the
clerks gazed at him in a surprised
bored Indifference which was not
pleasing. Was he not one of the sub
stantial men of the town" Was not
his trade worth something? No won
gers as a quiet town Still he waited
and still there was no signs of his be-
ing waited upon
Angered by the chill of his recep-
ton. the late shopper left the store.
He tried to awaken the clerks by
closing the door noisily, but the auto
matte closing apparatus on it pre-
vented this. The soft pedal seemed
to be on everything. He tried another
store and the same reception was met.
other. His time was getting short
He had to be at the office soon to
meet a man to close up an important
deal before Christmas Leaving the
third store he soon entered the Sec
ond. and again no notice was taken of
him.
Determined that he would be wait
ed upon he sought one of the clerks
and said he wanted to look at some
Christmas goods. The clerks gazed
| l,sc
face breaking into smiles, he called in
a loud voice:
Here he is
It seemed that clerks came from
every nook of the store. What
| swarm there was of them. They
crowded around the late shopper.
pushing him about, stepping on his
toes, twisting and squirmfng and
| pushing, all trying to get as near as
| possible.
Here's what?" he demanded
what am I one of? What does all
this mean? 1 came in here to get
! some Christmas presents and I am
pushed and tumbled about like I was
something wild ~
| Listen said the clerk he had first
| spoken to, you are the late Christ
mas shopper. You didn't do it early.
You waited until the last day. Every
/ one else has finished. Every clerk in
town was required to work because
/ -
| we have decided that not only will We
not wait upon you, that you are not
| to be sold any Christmas presents, but
/ that we are to be revenged upon you
| for having to work today"
Joining hands they advanced about
| him, shrieking with fiendish glee and
| tossing him about like bit of drift
| wood in the rapids of swiftly flow
| ing stream. Louder and louder they
| screamed. It was bad enough to be
treated in this manner, but what if
the police should hear the noise and
the story of his shopping trip get into
the papers. With mighty effort he
plunged into the crowd between him
1 and the door.
/ There were shouts of laughter. The
late shopper rubbed his eyes. Had
he escaped, he asked himself. He
gazed about and instead of the angry
/ clerks, men and women sitting two
in a seat, were laughing at him. Then
someone shouted:
Eighth avenue transfer station"
i Slowly he rose to his feet. What
had happened? Why. he had been
Il sitting on the foor-of the street car
|l-he had Just reached the business
district.
Huh" he snorted as people began
| to file past him toward door. swasn't
i that - of a dream ?"
i At Actual Cost.
i Rogers Pros 1S47 Knives Forks