The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-04-29

ing over the goods. Large cardboard
signs-"50 confines" II franc" q
francs"-were everywhere.
why. dear. would you think they'd
allow these push-cart peddlers outside
. reputable store? Why, it's like a
cheap market place!"
They're not push cart peddlers."
laughed Warren. This is all part of
the Galleries Lafayette-that's how
stores have bargain basements-here
they have stalls outside the shop.
Now I've got to leave you. Don't ov-
erdo it and get too tired. Better not
be on your feet too much this hot
day"
SHE Is LONELY.
Helens interest in. the scene about
her soon banished the momentary
feeling of loneliness as Warren disap-
peared in the crowd. For some time
she stood on the sidewalk watching
the stalls and the chattering, pushing
crowd about them. Warren was right.
Unquestionably this was part of the
store, for bare-headed French floor
walkers, with frock coats and twisted
mustaches, walked up and down the
sidewalk.
Although Helen had often heard
that the Galleries Lafayette was one
of the best Paris shops, this street
sale of goods made her most skepti-
cal. But when she entered, she saw
! that it was really very beautiful
store. In the center was great ro-
tunda under crystal dome. An i'm
posing marble staircase with double
escalators led to the upper galleries,
Everywhere was a lavish and seem
! inO1v hor no ri diCr1ov 0f pn06C
was all very different from New
| York shop There seemed no aisles.
only a vast labyrinth of tables piled
with goods in chaotic disOrder-the
most tawdry heaped carelessly with
! the most expensive. The confusing
display of the great quantities of mer-
! chandise, the riot and tumult were to
Hele nmost bewildering.
Hoping that the upper galleries
would be less crowded and tumultu-
Gus, Helen made her way to the long
| line of elevators. CHANGING over the
directory of the floors, she located
Lingerie" and "TrousseauX."
French lingerie is a luxury coveted
by every American women, and as
Helen stepped from the elevator at the
third gallery into what seemed great
exhibition of white goods, her heart
beat with expectation.
On every side was a network OF ta-
bles and counters heaped with white
garments-chemisett jupons and
! robes de NUTS. Over the tables were
cards with Occasion" or "Grande o.
casion,' the French phrase for bar
gains.
Almost everything was hand en-
broidered and mostly unlaundered, the
blue penciled tracing of the patterns
being still distinct
| Helen was surprised to find that
while even the cheapest garment,
those as low as six or seven francs,
were embroidered by hand the gar
ment itself was made by machinery,
the seams carelessly stitched, and the
buttons half off She thought of the
poor women in the converts where
most of this work is done. How
poorly paid they must be to embroider
such inferior goods!
UNGAINLY GARMENTS.
She looked first for some dainty,
low-necked night dresses with short
butterfly sleeves, but she saw only
ungainly garments with high necks
| and long sleeves. Was this the much
lauded Paris lingerie?
At last in some glass cases where
the most expensive models were dis
played, she found some exquisite low
neck short-sleeved gowns.
How much? Queil prix?'' Helen de-
manded of a passing clerk, pointing
to a garment in the case.
The girl opened the case and looked
at the ticket Helen could not under
stand her, but STOPPING over, she read
the ticket herself-9O francs. Eigh
teen dollars!
Helen tried to make her understand
with a few words of French, much
English and many gestures that she
wanted to see some gowns of that cut
but much less expensive. The girl
touched a loud gong, which was sig
nal for an English-speaking clerk, and
one promptly appeared.
Almost all of our low-neck and
short-sleeved gowns are in the expen
sive models the clerk explained, But
of course we have some for less than
80 francs Now here is quite a pretty
gown for 50 francs"
Seven dollars! Except for her trous
seau, Helen had never paid seven dol
lars for a nightsown in her life. And
she had no intention of paying it IN
Paris, where she had expected to get
things ridiculously cheap,
well I'll let the nightgOwns go fol
the present, but I'd like to see some
| combinations and skirts
| About what price does madam
wish to pay?" asked the clerk, with
lessening cordiality for she expected
americans not to object to prices.
About three or four dollars-fif
teen or twenty francs.
5 "They're all out on the tables, ma
dam. We keep only the more expen
sive ones in this department"
Blu; | could never button these,
exclaimed Helen. viewing with disfa