Greenbelt cooperator. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1937-1954, 1941-11-21
Lorenzo Goes
Shopping
By JAROL

SooCSu IL III IllS Oil ITO PloSC-
dure was not in the least enlight-
ening. A fat woman came squeak
ing by; that is, her food wagon
squeaked. Lorenzo asked her
what she thought about this can
of beans which sold for 5 cents
while all the other cans cost from
10 cents to % cents. The fat
woman replied, with conviction,
that she had never tried cent
can of beans and never would.
Lorenzo, embarrassed, returned
the beans to the shelf and took a
can that cost II cents.
There were six different brands
of toilet tissues. Lorenzo ap-
preached the display, warily, and
stopped in front of the pickle
counter, which was IL feet Az
inches from the tissues. Lorenzo
would rather die than be seen
thinking in front of pile of toilet
tissues. He stole a glance and
read, "Satin-smooth loveliness-6
for 25 cents" Lorenzo blusheU
and fondled small jar of sweet
mixed pickles. He threw the
pickles into his basket and sneaked
over to the disinfectant display
He held a bottle of Super-gto
Bleacher at the level of his nose
and squirting in a N.N.E. direc-
ton, read "Downy Comforts fol
25 cents" He was weighing the
relative merits of satin and down
when a beaver coat ambled ovei
TO the dreaded display of toilet
tissue. Lorenzo held his breath
The beaver coat tossed 6 rolls Of
"Challenge-none better,-3 fol-
10 cents" into her basket. Lorenzo
decided, eff it's good enough for
a beaver coat it's good enough for
me-" He bought Neutrality-suspicious.
better-3 for 13 cents"
There were 81 women and 2
butchers at the meat counter. Lo-
renzo approached the sea of hats
hips, baby carriages, shopping
wagons and chattering females
with sinking heart. "Four lamb
chops" he kept repeating to him
self. Three hours and IA minutes
later a butcher noticed him. All
the lamb chops were gone. There
were one-half pound of chopped
beef and turkeys he could have.
Lorenzo meekly accepted the chop
ped beef, which looked like fist
full of very poor gravel. When
he returned to his basket, he
found II boxes of animal crackers
in it, deposited there by some
playful cherub. While he was in
the act of returning them to the
proper shelf, the store manager
glared at him. He walked away
with II boxes of animal crackers
in his wagon, wondering what it
would be like to eat so many
biscuits.
At the fruit counter a woman
was debating with the lone clerk
on whether carrots should be
weighed with or without the
greens. Lorenzo sensed that the
clerk was waging a losing battle.
The carrots were presently
weighed without the greens. Lo-
reno ordered pounds of carrots
which were weighed greens and
all. Lorenzo looked away at the
seeded breads and silently resented
the unfairness.
After making number of pur-
chases with varying amounts Of
perplexity Lorenzo finally headed
for the checking counter. Sud-
denly white sleeved arm inter-
copied him and he felt something
hot being forced into his mouth.
won't you please taste a sample
of Ma Finnegan's minit-muffins-
mix" Lorenzo swallowed the fiery
morsel and his eyes crept out as
a burning sensation settled in his
chest. "Only 26 cents for a 2
pound box" The plump female
tossed a box of Ma Finnegan's
minit-muffin-mix into his basket
and Lorenzo walked off, gasping.
At last Lorenzo arrived at the
checking line. He mopped his
face with a handkerchief while the
clerk rang up his purchases. Then
the realization came to Lorenzo
that the basket wasn't his. Some
where he had picked up the wrong
basket. He looked about him ap-
pealingly. Not a friendly face to
offer any help. With each ring of
the register Lorenzo's pulse in
creased. Words of protest stuck in
his throat. Misery overwhelmed
him. He glanced at the open door.
The clerk checked in the last item
"Six dollars and forty-one cents"
Lorenzo dashed out through the
door and disappeared.