South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-09
SECOND YEAR OF
MARRIED LIFE.

Second foor-suits. waists. shoes,
millinery, underwear" shouted the
elevator man as he flung open the
iron door.
Helen, who was in the back of the
crowded car, tried vainly to wedge
herself out.
But the door changed to. and the
elevator shot up to the next floor.
Here she managed to struggle out,
her hat showed on one side. and with
that generally disarranged feeling
that comes from pushing through a
crowd. Hereafter. she told herself.
she would waik-it was less wearing
than getting IN and out of crowded
elevators. And now she made her
way down the stairs to the shoe de-
partment. A pair of quilted satin fur
topped bedroom SLIPPERS for Edith.
Warren's younger sister. was what
she she wanted. She had seen them
advertised for $1.25.
Warren had said most emphatically
that they could not spend as much on
presents this year as last. And
Helen was now confronted with the
very difficult problem of getting a
great many presents with very little
money
\ Quick Purchase.
All the clerks were busy, but when
at last she was waited on. she made
her purchases with a swift precision
which mildly astonished the sales
men, who expected women not to
know what they wanted, and TO look
over the entire stock before they de-
cided.
II want that slipper" pointing to
a sample pair in the case marked
Gas advertised, $1.25) lin black, size
ga"
The next on her list was a bureau
scarf for Aunt Mary. on the first
floor was sale of bureau scarfs-
two large tables in the aisle. 81. AZ
reduced from $500" read the placard
over the first. "s1.S9 reduced from
1925. was over the second.
A crowd Of eager bargain hunters
as many as could get around the
tables, were paving over and pulling
out the piled up scarfs.
Everyone seemed trying to get at
those on the bottom. Why is il that
the woman shopper always thinks the
best article is underneath? Invari-
ably, if an odd lot OF goods are thrown
on the bargain counter, every woman
will ignore those on top and instinct
lively pick out those beneath.
And now for a moment Helen stood
watching these women pushing, SHOW
ing rudely elbOwing each other 10
get al the AdbltS anu lnen pulling
out the scarfs from the very bottom
OF the pile.
AS there was only one clerk at each
table, IL was hopeless 10 expect 10
be waited on soon. so Helen passed
on TO get her bureau scarf at some
other store where they were not hav-
ing a sale. She might have TO pay
a few cents more, but the saving OF
time and temper and wear on clothes
would be worth it.
A Subtle Complaint.
a little further on was another
large table with sign desirable
gifts-chOice CSC" Around this too.
was an eager crowd. for there is al
ways a cuFios attraction 10 women in
any assortment of articles marked
choice" for so much. 1t is a subtle
complaint 10 their judgment their
knowledge Of quality and value which
every woman believes she had. to an
exceptional degree. She is always
convinced that IL there is one article
in the lot OF more value than the
others she will at once discern il.
still another table marked "appro-
PIRATE gifts-chOice sec" was IN the
next aisle
There were innumerable ash trays
did YOU ever know man that didn't
get at least two every Christmas p
hatpin holders, vases, pin trays. stamQ
boxes. paper weights and an endless
variety OF br!c-s-brac articles
And now Helen hurried by this
table with its alluring sign Of choice
59c" firmly resolved that whatever
she gave this year would be something
really useful-though il was nothing
more than dozen good lead pencils.