Evening journal., 1921-12-19
MRS. JOHN LOST
AMONGSHOPPERS
Delays Gift Buying to Sat
urday and Then Finds
Crush
PURCHASES NOT
so HEAVY THIS YEAR

Mr.. and Mrs. John did their Christ
mas shopping together Saturday af-
tcrnoon. Mr.. John had been put
ting ii off all week. but when Satur-
day afternoon came his excuses
didn't 90 with Mrs John. so he set
his teeth and went to It. Mrs. John
was waiting for him on Fourth
street. and after she had told him
what she thought OF a man who new
er kept his engagements with his
wife on time they started Off.
They turned into Market street
with Mrs. John in the lead. tremen-
dous in her fu rcoat, and Mr.. John
"A few steps behind her. Together
they looked so formidable that the
brave member of the safety squad
who had been detailed by superin-
tcndent Black to look after the
safety Of shoppers at the corner
thought a crowd was coming and
sent in a hurry call to headquarters
for help.
The first sign Of storm appeared
when Mr.. John caught sight of a
foolish contrapuon with head and
tail like a rooster, which had a pink
body all swelled up to the bursting
point and which was emitting a
weird sound as 1t slowly Debated.
"The call of the rocco bird to its
mate" murmured Mr.. John as he
stopped In admiration. Make it do
il again" he said to the sidewalk
fakir. who scented a prospective GUS
toner, the first of the day. Just
then. however, Mr.. John saw Mrs.
John steaming ahead a full half
block away and rushed after her.
leaving the sidewalk vender mutter-
inb imprecations in his wake.
Mrs. John was struggling through
the revolving door OF a department
store when Mr.. John caught up and
slipped unnoticed into the section be-
hind her. Inside he was met and
hurled back into the revolving door
by an onrush OF school girls and by
the time he got around again and
into the store Mrs. John was out
of sight.
Mr.. John looked vainly north.
south. east and west and then he
sighted a corner which was not oc-
cupied by anyone else at the moment
and slipped into IT, Women to the
right OF him. women to the left OF
him eddied and blundered, stepping
on his feet and taking off all the
shine ne had just paid 10 cents for.
Mr.. John edged over and fell into
conversation with floor walker who
was standing by.
Big crowd" said John.
"Oh, this here amt no crowd al
ALL" replied Mr.. Floorwaiker
Seems like Christmas don't mean q
thing this year. I've been all ovei
this store and all over the othei
stores during my lunch hour and th'
people amt buying a thing. Las
week they did come out a bit, bu
his week the store has been almos
smpty until today. The half hoh
day helps some.
Everybody is giving useful thing
this year. Down in the basemen
hey are selling soup plates and bak
,ng dishes and mops and you vii
ind those counters doing a prctt,
good business. Then go over q
There they arc selling floor lamp
with big pink shades and what d,
you find? Hardly a one of 'cn
being sold. And them's the thing
there's money in.
up on the first floor all the bar
gains are in the hands OF the shop
lifters and novelties are going beg
ging. They are buying some cloth
ing. but in spite OF the fact tha
ladies' dresses have been market
down until there's hardly a cent o
profit in them we aren't selling any
People are waiting until after tn
holidays, hoping they'll come down
TITS the same way in the toy de
partment Last year II was a com
mon thing for any of our salesgirl
TO do 5000 worth OF business a day
This year II she does $500 worth o
business in a week we're lucky. TIL
stores that cater to the working peo