Evening journal., 1913-11-12

strange My own mother would not
have recognized me yesterday.
Inside the beautiful big store was
jsmmed with searchers. and as / antic-
pated had some difficulty in keeping
from getting hedged in at counters
whore the throng was thickest. tried
hard. of course. "a keep where it was
always possible 10 keep moving.
Had to Exercise Caution.
Had J not been compelled to exercise
caution IN my tour of the store. I'd have
made many purchase. Things were
beautifully displayed. and u would be
hard 20 find in the larger citie- pret-
tier or smarter assortment. Many times
stopped to admire pretty things. and
would have bought If the clerks had not
been so busy. wanted TO find one some
where who was for the moment Olsen
gagged. so that ! could be served prompt
ly and move on.
Walking down the spacious center
aisle, 7 experienced a momentary
shock al meeting face to face no
other person than the gentleman l
encountered Monday evening who
made such a serious blunder and
who followed me half over Whining
ton before 7 was able TO get away
from him. He looked straight at me,
but did not penetrate my disguise
and as ! passed him | could scarce
ly refrain from smiling.
Making my way to the gentlemens
furnishing department saw my op-
pOrtunity TO make a quick purchase.
pretty girl, with a lovely complex
ion and light hair waited on me. She
wore a white waist with medium col
lar. green tie and a dark skirt /
bought a pair offmen's hose. my pur-
chase amounting 10 % cents.
When she handed me my package,
the young lady remarked pleasantly
/ do YOU think they'll catch Bonnie
Burr?"
Dear me. 7 hope so, said, hast
ening away.
Learns Clerks Name.
The young lady's name. have
since learned. was Mrs. Rita Brown.
The number on the sales check was
%. I purposely left my newly made
purchase behind in order that Mrs.
Brown might easily remember the
occurrence.
Leaving the furnishing department
! / found myself in the midst OF all
the hard working searchers whose
faces I began to look for. BY a
strange coincidence all these famil-
lar ones seemed massed together.
There was the woman in gray coat.
purple collar and the woman in the
long pony coat standing guard at the
door. Further down the main isle
] encountered woman in a brown
suit whom 7 have seen at other ap-
I rcintment places. She was conyers-
/ ing with woman friend who was
attired all in black. Are you looking
for Bonnie Burr?" she asked her
companion pleasantly. isn't lit in
terest'ng?"
'Yes. guite.' replied the woman
in black. laughing. I heard no more
of the conversation having passed
on out Of range of hearing.
Three iovial street car men whose
numbers were 100. 9S and 5s respec-
lively. graced the crowd. One of the
real hardworkers. TOO, man who
wears brown. was in the big throns.
or course, the man in black was
present He is an awful knocker,
shows no discrimination in his ef-
forts to identify me. aud betrays IN
general, all the charsoteristics Of a
knocker.
Dozens Of searchers whose faces
have become familiar to me. let me
mingle leisursly With them, never
giving me the second glance.
Though I visited the basement.
remained only a few minutes. Lesy-
I ing IL. encountered a woman. rather
stout in blue suit who was accom-
panied by = man and a dear little
girl. II do hope I'll be the lucky
one, she said eagerly as I passed.
Hello darling. | greeted the 1T.
tie one. hut the mother only smiled
Nth mothcrly pride. too preoccupisd
TO even look into my fscs.