The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-04-08

discourteous outburst, drowned |
frantically with extreme difficulty
The little mans gaze did not
waver for a moment from the
thing in the window. Unable to
imprison my curiosity any longer,
i started stealthily towards the
window display. but, before I got
there, he skipped over to the door
way once more. Clasping his thin
arms behind him, he leaned for
ward so that the upper half of
his body was inside the store and
the remainder of him, still out
side. His face glowed with deci-
sion. He spoke quickly and I an
swered accordingly.
Good morning, young man."
Good morning, sir" smiled in
stinctively.
Nice day."
yes, nice day I continued to
smile.
Mice store you got"
Eyes. isn't it?"
you got lots of stuff"
yes, haven't we?"
Business .ood?"
Eyes, wonderful" My smile was
turning sour.
That's fire. Fine"
Yes, it is"
An awkward silence wadged
itself into the brilliant cOnversa-
ton and, for once, I found my
self unable TO think of something
to say. The little gentleman came
to the rescue. He pused his lips
thoughtfuIly for a minute before
he uttered. "Ahhhh :"
"Yes?"
"Ahh, I, ahh"
"Ys. what is it?"
"Ahhhhh :" The affair was
rapidly becoming uncomfortable
as well as mOnOt0n0us.
Eyes, yes" 1 muttered hurriedly
what do you wish?"
"Ah, that i3 :" Suddenly he
lung his left arm forward anc
pointed suSgestively to the window
"Oh!" I exclaimed with complete
understanding. you wish something
in the window"
He nodded his head with ex-
element. He grinned huge, hap
py grin and nodded some more.
I fastened to the shelves by the
window and almost had my hands
out before I realized that I still
didn't know what the little mar
desired. looked around at him and
smiled foolishly. He merely nodded
more vigorously and continued to
indicate the shelf with his skinny
finger. I inquired patiently, I'm the
Window"
yes, yes, right there" His rotat-
ing finger indicated all three
shelves.
In desperation, I grabbed the
mirror from the center shelf and
started towards him only to find
him shaking his head with dis
appreciation. I replaced the mir
ror and repeated the disgusting
process with a brush, a comb, hair
tonic, soap, cream, powder. three
kinds Of lotion and two of blades
before it dawned on me to ask
him what he wanted.
First, however. I closed my eyes
and counted up to ten in Greek in
order to sufficiently suppress my
disfavor towerds the difficult Gus
toner and second, mentally boot
cd myself a dozen times till I al
most screamed with pain. I look
ed at him once more and spoke
With a cheeriness that had been
strained so often that it assumed
the nature of q malevolent sheer.
I enunciated each word with bru-
tai clarity. What in the window do
you want. sire"
The neat, little gentleman, slight
ly flustered by my inability to ia
thonl his thoughts, almost shouted.
THAT" Again his frantic finger en-
veloped all three shelves with its
thrusting. circular movements.
I motioned him with extreme
kindness TO tread inside before he
tOppled over and to pick out the
item which was causing SO much
disruption before we had not be-
come intimately acquainted.
He pointed to himself inquiring-
ly and, when nodded affirmative
~, skipped over to the shelf. He
placed his finger swiftly and daint-
lily on the straight edge razor and
indicatively made sweeping motions
with his right hand across his face
as if to impart to me the informa-
ton concerning the articles pur-
pose.
My mird, at the moment. was
struggling to case off vague recol-
lcctions Of bloody murder that
had once been performed with a