Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-07-18
SECRETS OF DRESSES.
wealthy Women Who Often Pay
Their Dressmakers with Jewelry.

Fancy a woman going about in her
carriage with two men on the box, o
| team of blooded horses in harness,
crest on the blinkers and not enough
money in her purse to pay for making
morning dress. A wealthy poor woman
the irony of it And yet the New
York modiste declared to World re-
porter that there are plenty OF them In
society.
"Only week ago, she said, II made
lace toilet for customer and what do
you think she paid me withl A snake
bracelet The jewel know must have
cost 5000, which more than covered the
bill, but / didn't want it; preferred to
be paid in cash and told her so. Then
she took from her hand small diamond
cluster ring and begged me to receipt
the bill. l was obliged to do so, as she
is an old customer. Rich9 The world
thinks so. She wears beautiful clothes,
always comes in coupe, and know
she has IA maid, for i have seen her.
81 once made a wedding dress for
fashionable young lady who agreed be-
forehand to give me five rings in lieu OF
the money. The jewels were all engage
ment rings that had been received from
discarded sweethearts and which she
never would be permitted to wear as the
wife of her accepted lover. We had an
understanding that she should have tho
privilege of paying the amount due,
with interest, and getting back the
rings, about which she had woman's
sentiment. Well, kept the jewels two
years and cleared $50 on their sale.
"About ten months ago a lady came
to me and left an order for three toilets,
had never done any work for her, but
she was well recommended and felt
sure she was all right. Well, do you
know when / sent home the goods she
came back with the bill herself and told |
me she could not pay it, as her husband
in a fit of jealousy had stopped her al
lowance. Her jewels had been pawned |
for 500, but were worth $1,000, she |
thought. Would l take the tickets, re-
deem them and hold the case for
year This was a most astounding form |
Of settlement referred it to my attor-
ney, who paid the money on the loan
and brought me back leather case con-
tanning an assortment Of rings and
and set of earrings That
wac NOV n liAi3 h0fCh ptth Vi
heard of her since.
''No, rarely lose anything. We
don't have bad debts, as tailors do.
Women, ms class, are honest. have
been swindled by adventuresses, but my
regular customers always pay.
There lives at the Windsor Hotel q
wealthy widow who has been source OF
to every dressmaker she has
iad any dealings with. The first time
made her dress | sent it home with
! bill. which she deliberately discount
ID, item after item, sending me a check
or a third less than the amount due.
IN investigation found that she had
pursued this method with other modis-
es, so bottled up my Indignation and
waited for another order. II came in
lue course of time. The material was
Ter own. | made il up and charged tho
valance due on the first account and
politely withheld delivery until the
Whole amount was paid. The woman
5 abundantly able to pay for everything |
he orders, and is in every other partio-
lar most delightful person, but she
las mania for discounting her dress
making and millinery bills that amounts
0 positive dishonesty.
zone customer had was the wife OF
n old miser, who promptly paid her
ills but never allowed her any pocket
honey. At her order the bills were
lade out in pencil and she would ink
hem and add as much to the different
cures as she dared. The collector
ound no difficulty in getting a check
rom the husband, and the additional
lm over the original debt we gave to
ne moneyless wife of the millionaire.
dressmaker doesn't need to be in
usiness very long before realizing that
ii that glitters is not gold"