The Washington herald., 1920-10-06

about looking at stage diamonds
since we can't shake hands with
the real sparklers?"
The faithful squire took his
place close to the curb; Lou next.
little peacocky in her bright
and pretty clothes; Nancy on the
inside, slender. and soberly
clothed as the sparrow, but with
the true Van Alstyne Fisher walk
thus they set out for their even
ing's moderate diversion.
do not suppose that many look
upon a great department store as
an educational institution. But
the one in which Nancy worked
was something like that to her,
She was surrounded by beautiful
things that breathed of taste and
refinement. If you live in an at
mosphere of luxury, luxury is
yours whether your money pays
for IL, or another's.
The people she served were
mostly women whose dress, man
ners, and position in the social
world were quoted as criterions.
From them Nancy began to take
toll-the best from each accord
ing to her view.
From one she would copy and
practice a gesture. from another
an eloquent lifting of an eyebrow,
from others, a manner of walking
or carrying a purse, of smiling, of
greeting a friend, of addressing
interiors in station" From her
best beloved model, Mrs. Van Ais
tyne Fisher, she made requisition
for that excellent thing. a soft,
low voice as clear as silver and
as perfect in articulation as the
notes of a thrush. Suffused in the
aura of this high social refinement
and good breeding, it was impos-
sible for her to escape a deeper
effect of it. AS good habits are
said to be better than good prin-
ciples. so, perhaps, good manners
are better than good habits. The
teachings of your parents may not
keep alive your New England con-
science. but if you sit on a
straight back chair and repeat the
words ''prisms and pilgrims forty
times the devil will fee from you.
And when Nancy spoke in the Van
Alystyne Fisher tones she felt the
thrill OF noblesse oblige to her
very bones.
There was another source Of
learning in the great departmental
school. Whenever you see three
or four shop girls gather in a
bunch and jingle their wire brace
let's as an accompaniment to ap-
n lNr vi i
not think that they are there for
the purpose of criticizing the way
Ethel does her back hair. The
meeting may lack the dignity of
the deliberative bodies of man: but
1t has all the Importance of the
occasion on which Eve and her
first daughter first put their heads
together to make Adam under
stand his proper place in the
household. 1t is Woman's Confer
enCe for Common Defense and
Exchange of Strstegical Theories
of Attack and Repulse Upon and
Against the World, which is a
stage, and man. its audience who
persists in throwing bouquets
thereupon. Woman, the most
helpless of the young of any ami
mal-with the fawn's grace but
without its fieetness; with the
birds beauty but without its
power of flight: with the honey
bees burden of sweetness bur
without its-oh, let's drop thar
simile-some of US may have been
Stung.
During this council Of war thev
pass weapons one to another. and
exchange stratagems that each has
devised and formulated out of the
tactics of life.
I says to m" saws Sadie
amt you the fresh thing! Who do
you suppose am. TO be addressing
such a remark to me? And what
DO you think he says back to me-
The heads. brown. black. faxen.
red, and yellow bob together: the
answer is given; and the party to
the thrust is decided upon, to be
used by each thereafter in mas
sages-at-arms with the common
enemy. man.
Ihus Nancy learned the art of
detens;e and to women success
iuI defense means victory.
Ihe curriculum of a department
store is wide one. Perhaps no
other college could have fitted
her as well for her life's am
bltion-the drawing of a matri-
monial prize.
Her station in the store was a
favored one. The music room was
near enough for her to hear and
become familiar with the works
of the best composers-at least IN
acquire the familiarity that passed
Tor appreciation in the social
world in which she was vaguely
trying to set a tentative and as
pirlng foot. She absorbed the
educating influence of art wares,
or costly and dainty fabrics, of
adornments that are almost cul-
ture to women.
The other girls soon became
aware of Nancy's ambition. Here
comes your millionaire, Nancy"
they would call to her whenever
any man who looked the role
approached her counter. 1t got
to be a habit of men, who were
hanging about while their women
folk were shopping to stroll over
10 the handkerchief counter and
dawdle over the cambric SQUARES,
Nancy's imitation high-bred air
and genuine dainty beauty was
what attracted. Many men thus
came to display their graces he
fore her. Some of them NAV have
been millionaires: others were
certainly no more than their
sedulous apes. Nancy learned to
discriminate. There was a win
dow at the end of the handker-
chief counter; and she could see
the rows of vehicles waiting for
the shoppers in the street below.
She looked and perceived that
automobiles differ as well as do
their owners.
Once a fascinating gentleman
bought four dozen handkerchiefs.
and wooed her across the counter
Il