New Britain herald., 1916-02-02
How Madgc Managed Her Errands and Her Telephone Call to Jack.

and Her Telephone Call to Jack. The telephone booths in the drug store nearest our apartment were occupied, and people were waiting for the occupants, to leave. Should l wait my turn here before tele- phoning Jack or should I do my other errands first trusting that l should have better luck at the drug store near the florists?
 A glance at the clock sent me hurTying from the store. Five r'inutes to eleven! I must hurry through my errands breathlessly if I expected to be back in time to greet my mother-in-law.
 The delicatessen shop was first on my way. As I entered the door I s;tw that the little shop was almost crowded. The smiling proprietor his wife, and a neat looking girl evident y their daughter, were bustlng around filling orders with wonderful Celerity.
 l intensely dislike trying to get waited on out of turn but my sense of haste made me timidly essay it.
 Have you any half-nint bottles Of cream?" I tossed the question ' the wife of the proprietor
 "Oh, yes, ma am. Plenty"
 T have other errands, and am in great hurry. Will you please have 3, bottle ready for me on my return? Here is the money.''
 Surely, ma'am. What is the uame?"
 Mrs Graham" As I left the shop I was conscious of the glares of the women waiting to be served. Why is it that the average woman always carries a figuratively chip on her shoulder?
 The florists shop was block further on. I found a number of customers there also. There was nothing for me to do but to wait my turn, for if I left the store to seek a telephone, new customers might take nIy 'turn.''
 Brands and Flowers.
 I walked around the store looking at the display of blossoms in the big glass cases. I knew what I wanted for my dining table, a cluster of daffodils and narcissus, I could still visualize the delicate beauty of the blossoms Dicky had brought me for our first chafing dish supper He had rummaged in the kitchen closet | until he had found an old brown crock into which he had put the lowers. l had not believed until I saw the effect that flowers could be 70 beautiful in a setting so common 1 place. It was just the note needed 1 % complete the dining room with it's | iull' green paper.
 There were some magnificent roses l n the case, but as I knew their price ! must be prohibitive I decided to get l some pink carnations for the mantel 1 ard table in the living room.
 What can I do for you, madam
 A salesman stood at my elbow. In | ny admiration of the flowers I had l not noticed that my turn had come.
 How much are the daffodils?'
 Fifty cents a dozen. They are 1 fine today"
 And the narcissus?'
 "Thirty-fve cents a dozen"
 I was astonished at the cheapness of the flowers.
 'I will take a dozen and a half of | each,' I said quickly, and I would | ike to look at some carnations, pink l ones preferably"
 Yes, madam, right here," opening 1 d case and taking out some pink i bIauties. They are unusually cheap today, only 75 cents a doZen."
 I reflected a moment. A half-dozen would do for the small vase on the mantel, while the bowl on the table would take at least a dozen and a half to make any showing. >@'
 Two dozen of these" I, decided, then began to consider the hardest question of all, what blossoms to put in my mother-in laws room.
 I had no inkling of her tastes, of what flower she preferred, or of whether she cared for flowers at all. But the sight of some beautiful long stemmed sweet peas made my de- cision for me. No woman on earth could resist these blossoms, I told myself.
 How much are the sweet peas?"
 ''Thirtyfive cents a bunch"
 T will take two punches. Now if you will add some sprays of aspara- gus fern, and do my purchases up quickly, I shall be very grateful. I Q m in great haste"
 Very we'll, madam" He gathered the flowers up and hurried to the counter where a pretty girl was put ting flowers in boxes. 's.+ '-
 Will you plea SC hurry this order?' ! heard him ask her, and saw her quick nod and smile of response
 But. while my sense of justice com pelled me to admit that the girl with delft fingers. packed the flowers as quickly as it was possible for any one to do so, yet it seemed hours before the salesman came to me with a large green box and my change:-,'t.
 "Three- forty eight; three-fi fifty, four, fve-thank you, adam. Good-day." His bow was really courtly. .,> ~..t
 Hooked at the clock as T. hurried out. Twenty minutes after eleven! The train would reach the station at half after eleven. But D1cky had said that his mother was fussy about her baggage, so that would delay