New-York tribune., 1910-01-02
PETTY DISH0N ESTY
Little Tricks Sometimes Played
on Helpless Merchants.

Just before the curtain rose in one of
the New York theatres, the other night,
keen faced man strolled in and took
orchestra chair near q box occupied by
certain fashionable woman and her party.
If any individual had taken pains TO fol-
low the keen faced mans movements dur
ing the preceding hour, that individual
might have perceived him trailing the
fashionable woman from her home. From
his place in the theatre he :~emed much
interested in her gown. which was q beau
tiful one. with Paris written all over it.
Quite unobtrllsively he took several good
looks at 1t through his opera glasses.
Presently he strolled up to tho box. The
woman in the Paris gown was going to be
naughty at this unlimited appearance of
q man she didn't know, but he gave her
no chance.
Madame he said. 1.-The firm of H
is delighted that YOU are so we'll pleased
with the gown sent you on approval that
YOU have decided TO keep it.
Now. as a matter of fact. he knew. and
she krew that he knew, that She had had
no intention OF keeping that gown. She
was of those customers, class more
numerous than people not in business I'M
ag;ne, who are constantly ordering things
from the shops "on approval" and return
ing them in a day or two with the fresh
ness gone; no definite tears or rips but an
Indefnable something showing TO the cx
pert that that article has been worn. It
was critical situation for the fashionable
woman, especially as her companions in
the box might be moved to turn around
and lend an car to the conversation. But
she never turned a hair.
1T is quite atisfactory-vhich many OF
the gowns H. has sent me were not"
she said. serenely. and the next day the
firm received her check.
Not many firms. perhaps, would do what
this firm did, and 1t took the step only
after long provocation. The good will OF
wealthy customers, even the tricky ones,
is important But there is not a house of
any size dealing with womans raiment
that doesn't writhe under the depredations
of the women who must have new gowns
every time they go out, and aren't able
or aren't willing 10 pay for the privilege.
zone of the puzzling things about puz-
zlirg SEX said a merchant recently, 'is
that while women in business-cashiers,
buyers for merchants, etc.-are almost in
variably honest, women out of business
are liable TO have yawninG gulfs where
the sense OF honesty resides. They wouldn't
steal-oh, no! But the innumerable ways
in which they evade the simple law of
straiGhtforwardness would make an Orien-
tai feel like a tyro. Not all resort to the
crude method of wearing gowns sent home
on approval. The subtler ones have them
copied. The dressmaker will be in the
house, and the minute the gown arrives
she falls upon it, tries il on her patron
studies ii. measures the lines and in a
few hours. with the help. perhaps of
seamstress or two, is we'll on the way of
turning out an exact copy 'of the Paris
gown. This has even been done with the
messenger waiting in the house, In cases
where he refused to leave the package
Then the gown is returned-undamaged 1t
Is true, but the firm is robbed all the same; /;
for that gown was probably of exclusive
design and the woman who buys it won't
be exactly pleased IL she chances to en-
counter one just like It the first time she
wears II.
This sort OF thing is done, good deal
abroad, and by women OF greater wealth
! and standing than those who descend to 1t
in America. Only in one respect can the
Partisan dressmaker protect himself
against these female pirates He can
adorn the splendid garments he sends out
with original trimmings which can't be
duplicated. Otherwise he is helpless
against the woman with the sliding sense
of honesty"