The Winslow mail., 1914-08-01
Help FROM A FRIEND
BY JANE HALL.
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. . v 9 y y . . o y Q = 2 . .
Z vow and declare" exclaimed the
little stenoSrapher belligerently, I'll
never let friend do anything for me-
again!"
What" cried the bookkeeDer
Surely my many Invaluable services
are not to be refused henceforth!"
These people who have no regard
for the rights of others ought to be
just good and squelched!" declared the
little stenograhper, ignoring his words.
The, make me weary! They think
your time isn't to be considered, but
their time is invaluable!" She glow
cred out the window
Mercy" exclaimed the bookkeeper.
Then, shaking his head with deep con
cern, he arose and stood in front OF
her, interceptng her view. Don't look
like that" he pleaded. Some one
passing win see you! That would ruin
the reputation Of the Office. They'll
think we're mean to you here"
The little stenographer sighed. The
bookkeeper's remarks were in vain il
he expected to provoke a retort.
What's the matter, anyway" he in
CURED.
Why, I wanted to get a coat" re-
lated the little stenographer, bitterly.
'I invited a friend to luncheon with
me, SO she'd come and help me choose
the coat. Now I wish l hadn't"
Co en-; I am strong and can bear
it" said the bookkeeper.
81 took her to a good restaurant and
was just as nice to her as I could be.
I thought from the way she talked
that she'd be the best sort of person
to help me choose the coat. We start.
ed out all right, and We're soon seated
In chairs, with a saleswoman to show
US coats.
She brought one or two and I tried
them on, but they were quite impossi.
BE. l couldn't take them Then the
woman brought one that looked like
Queen Victoria's gardening frock-I
saw 9 picture Of it once-and gasped
with horror when she even suggested
that 7 try it on. Why, I wouldn't ba
seen in it! My friend said it was
charming and that I should try it on,
anyway. could see plainly that it
was anything but becoming to me. The
collar dropped over the shoulder, and
while it was artistically sloppy it
didn't possess the style that makes il
possible to wear those things.
Wei, between them they made me
try that thing on, and then they sim
ply insisted that l should keep IT. Try|
as l would I couldn't get it off! First
the saIeswoman would tell me how
wonderfully lovely ] looked in it, and
what a Joy it was to see the coat on
some one who fitted into it. Then my
friend would take UP the strain and
then they'd declaim in chorus, until in
sheer desperation I said that I'd keep
it.
1T 1t was so beautiful and I was
simply made for it ! felt that perhaps
for once / had a chance to stun the
natives. / reasoned that perhaps the
trouble with me heretofore had been
that had never before been thrust
into a coat that was created for my
style of beauty. I thought that per-
haps ! should now be popular ana
much sought after"
THAT doesn't sound so sad" re.
marked the bookkeeper.
"Huhi But wait till I tell you!" re-
torted the little stenographer. There
we had only an hour at noon, and
luncheon took a good part Of it.
suppose we wasted ten minutes on my
coat; then my friend said she guessed
since we were looking at coats she'd
try on q few, Well, she tried them on
ard tried them on, until we had a reg,
ular wholesale house spread out
around us. Then I expostulated, for
it was getting time for me TO be here
in the Office. But she looked at me as
if to say that she'd helped me pick out
a coat, and now | was a queer sort il
I'd run away and leave her!
Finally the saIeswom2n brought
out coat that made me jump. It was
just the very thing ia been looking
for. My friend sprung up in front OF
me.
That's the coat I want, she said,
smoothly and smilingly, just as though
she was not depriying me Of my rights
and she tried it on. OF course, she
kept it-knowing ! was just aching for
it. That was just like her.
"But what makes me mad is that I
bought her a good luncheon so that
could have the pleasure Of getting her
to force an old dressing sack Of a coat
on me! And to think that the hour
I'd been planning to use in selecting a
coat was spent wholly in digging out
my ideal garment for her to wear all
summer! II makes me furious"
well, 7 don't see that can do any
thing about it, said the bookkeeper.