The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-01
Married Life, Third Year
sx MABEL HERBERT URNER

| Yes, that's it," throwing an end OF the
| silk over her arm and viewing IL COM
| placently.
| Helen gasped as she pictured this
! ponderously fat woman in dress OF
that silk.
Il suppose those colors are fast? I
/ EXPECT to wear it at the seasnore-
you don't think the salt air would
fade it?"
| The clerk gravely assured her that
/ the colors were fast.
| .How wide is this? You said six
yards would be enough, didn't your
| THAT'S AZ inches, madam. Six YARDS
| is what we usually sell, but perhaps,
alphabetically, you might require
| trifle more.
"This light is so poor to judge colors
| by'' after another ten minutes heStita-
| ton. Gould you take these to the
Window"
/ The coIors were raw and glaring
enough to be seen in any light. yet
the clerk patiently took the three bolts
out in the isle.
Helen knew now that her chances
! for being waited on would be better
with any other clerk, but she was cur
| ious to know just how much more OF
1 this clerks time this woman would
4 nave Tie To tame.
! We'll, this isn't quite what / want
but / suppose I'll take it," she muir
INJURED at length. reluctantly. You're
quite sure you haven't anything you
haven't shown me that L might like
! better?'
Madam I've shown you every piece
| of foulard in Stock helplessly.
well, six and half yards OF this,
then" in an injured tone that implied
! she had been hurried in her decision
Helen gave an audible sigh of relief
! The clerk measured off the silk and
+; took out his scissors.
"Oh wait-just a moment Before
you cut it--just let me see this other
| piece again. / wonder after all If
wouldn't like this better? Yet I don't
quite like that striped effect. There
was one here very much like this
| without that-oh, here it is. Now, If
could see this in the light"
A Terrible Customer.
Helen knew that if she had been
that clerk she would have screamed.
! But the clerk, with an imperturbable
face, took the bolt to the light, brought
it back and gazed expressionless into
space While the woman began again
to pull over all the other silks.
/ you didn't show me that, did you?"
/ pointing to a piece the clerk next to
them was showing.
That's taffeta, madame. You said
you wanted only foulard."
well, Of course, if I can't get what
| I want in foulard 1 may have to take
taffeta. Let me see what you nave
anyway"
BY this time Helen felt that she
| herself wanted to shrek, yet with q
perverse curiosity she was determined
to see it through.
with divine patience the clerk now
brought out bolt after bolt of taffeta.
Iwhen he finally said that is all We
have in taffetas, madam she again
went back to the foulards. To have
room to show the taffetas, he had put
some of the foulards away. These he
got out once more.
well, l really don't think any OF
those are exactly what want but you
can give me sample OF this. And
yes-I'll take one of this, too on,
|, thank you
And she walked off serenely.
with the same expressionless race
the clerk turned to Helen.
s'Tll take six yards of this, please"
The astonishingly brisk curtness OF
Helen's voice was due both to her
tenseness and to a perverse desire to
emphasize the swiftnes OF her decis-
ion. She hoped the other woman had
heard her.
Eyes, madam" in grateful apprecia-
ton as he pulled out the bolt.
But to Helen's horror. when she saw
the other end, she discovered that 1t
had a six-inch border of glaring
greens and yellows.
She gave a little gasp and started
} at it in dismay.
"Oh, wait, just a momentn' as the
clerk started to measure it off.
: Was there a faint mockery in his
glance as he looked up?
Have you anything like this with
out border?" Helen asked. timidly.
NO, madam, but 1 will show you
what we have''
Helen was thinking fast. She had
seen all the other Silks as he hat
shown them to that woman-and there
was nothing among them. She could
: take this and cut the border off! The
clerk had placed before her severa
: bolts and was not watching her with
; the same lack of expression. Plainly
: he was expecting another siege. Per
l haps it was this that goaded Heller
into saying quickly. almost defiantly
mo, you needn't show me anything
else. You may give me eight yards OF
this instead Of six. I'll cut off the
border.
He measured off the lengths ano