Evening star., 1909-03-07

| fit Of wfnks and laughter. and while they
were cutting uo their monkey shines the
4 sensible man person walked on.
| What we're they having their fun about
Just reviewing stand swung SO high In
the air as to give one f1dgity fear OF
results. 1t was securely upheld. OF course.
but from across the street the supports
| looked periiously flimsy. And az II with
| view to possible contingencies In case
the thing fell and broke its occupants to
pieces, was a sign-long. and white. and
| large lettered:
Artificial Limbs"
Which small incident simply shows the
| difference between q sensible man person
and couple OF happy youngsters. ready
| for any fun that comes along while wait
and give their blood for flag.
i've just had dealings with q cash reg
lister. and I'm SO inflated with knowledge
| that / feel like tied-down balloon. Do
1 go on with the experience or 10 this
where I subside?'
The woman who asked was taking life
comfortably in rocker in the reception
room of a department store. The woman
who answered was sitting in a straight
front pose on chair.
"Oh. keep on. II there were fourteen
days to the week, you'd have fourteen ex-
perlences instead OF seven. I'm accli-
mated. Proceed
seriously, old girl. this is important
have always wondered what would hap
pen If ever 1 came face to face with pro-
fessional arithmetic-and now that it is
over. l don't know whether am wearing
laufels or sitting in a corner with a Ounce
cap on my head"
II don't see how you can have a doubt.
Any woman who has to add with her fin
gers and trust to a real estate agent to
figure out the interest on her notes
Don't bother yourself with details-be-
sides, cash register does it's own figuring
mostly. OF course, If a customer gives
you. say, two-dollar bill when his check
calls for only 35 cents, you have that sink
ing feeling, but when a man hands over
for
Man. Meal ticket! Ann!"
''Uh. huh. You see 1t was Just after the
parade was over and I had slipped into
cause I knew the place nearer home
would be crowded. It's g. nice cafe and
the young proprietor and his busy little
wife remind me of two children playing
at doll baby housekeeping. They haven't
been there long. and I've heard them talk
ing together about the inaugural rush.
Well, the rush was on hand. all right, but
the two waiter girls had quit in the mid
die of everything, end there were those
two just swamped from the overflow Of
customers who kept on surging in. Well,
1t seemed to me that they ought to have
help. So they let me have q try at the
cash register, though dishwashing was my
expectation: Well. I stayed there for
to go. l wasn't much help, / reckon, and
the customers who failed to turn over the
exact change must have wondered why
the boss let me stay on the job. but. any
how. tried my level best: And I got my
experience. 1 tell you what. it's a great
thing to take occasional promenades into
other peoples lives. 1t makes you better
satisfied with your own. Getting out OF
yourself is like getting into new coun-
try. You learn things worth knowing.
OF course, 1 didn't make a hit in my new
line-just as l was getting the hang of
the thing I had to leave 1t, but to the
day of my death I'll have a fellow-feeling
for the women who have to play fan
a heart-to-heart talk with q young man
who showed me a box Of candy he was
taking to her. With the exhibit went q
confidential explanation that he had been
with him to see the parade. and ad-
vised him to try and be nicer than his gift.
Oh, it's all right. the way men talk to
waiter girls. I didn't use to think they
should allow it, but it's Just friendliness.
that's all. And l cut a pie. and sold two
sandwiches, and almost got to the point
of drawing a mug of coffee, except that
the .colored dish washer nabbed what
feel will be my only earthly chance. Yes,
ma am, and considering that come from
colonies and lords and things before that.
didn't do so bad with my first venture
into trade"
''Of course. there's no use scolding you.
Ann, but as I told you the night caught
you carrying that negro woman's wash
basket"
That wasn't trade. That was manual
labor. You always do overlook nice dis
tinctions, hon. It's one of your serious
faults. Besides. she was tagged out and
the woman made her wait for her pay.
Gee, that was q heavy basket!'
"And, as I remarked at the time, there
are conventions to be observed"
II know 1t. All my life I've been afraid
to make myself handy when the need
came along. merely because / was Ann
Blank and had family and fine friends to
consider. But now that walk the world
alone, can afford to make myself USE
ful-the best friend couldn't call me Or
namental.
You are all right, honey. I'm not
questioning your good Intentions"
"Oh, they don't count. 1 know a place
that's paved with them. What believe
In is results. in practical deeds that do
some sensible good"
well, so do I, but you know as we'll as
do that society has Its unwritten law
that forbids us to do certain things"
And you know. as well as l do, that
there Is another law. written In eternal
letters, that commands US to do certain
other things, but no matter. All I'm let
ting you know is that I've had my set-to
with cash register, and I'm trying to
settle 1t with my subconscious self wheth-
er I'm wearing bays or q fools cap"