Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-08-23
WHAT IT COST HER TO DRESS.
A thousand Dollars n Year Now, but
$3.50 Would Do After the wedding.

~~DV Wouiu bp AhtfF tut "tuuiuEs
The young man had been sitting in
deep thought for several minutes look
ing at his best girl and judging as well
as he could by the dim light the cost of
her apparel. They had been engaged
for several months, and, having passed
that period of ~ecstatic bliss which OBJ
scurcs all thoughts of worldly affairs,
they were able, at odd moments, TO
speculate about the future. The parlor
was deliberately furnished, and every
thing about the dear girl, from the tips
of her dainty patent leather shoes to the
gold pin in her hair, was suggestive of
wealth.
The night was clear and cold, and this
was one reason why the young man had
the power to look at things in a cold,
worldly fashion. The night on which, he
had Topped on n knee and laid his
heart at the feet of the fair creature had
been wild and stormy. She had accepted
him in a particularly wild burst OF rain
and wind, and thereafter on every stormy
night visions OF bliss swept over him and
made his rather poor prospects glitter
with unnatural brilliancy. On this night,
however, he saw things in their true
light, and after the heavy tread Of his
dear girls mother had given way to a
low rumbling snore, he suddenly cried:
"How much did that dress COST"
He touched the garment lightly, and
looked beseechingly up in the girls
face.
"The material cost SIS, making it cost
sls."
"Phew! Can you make dresses?"
''The ideal OF course not"
Chow many dresses do you get in q
year,"
"yYell," she said, contemplatively.
"when l 60 away in the country | usu-
ally take six new ones with me. They
cost on an average S45 each. Then / give
-four receptions q year, and, of course, q
new dress is necessary each time. The
four cost about $40. Then l suppose l
have about five other dresses, which
come cheap; perhaps about $40 for each
one"
The young man buried his face in his
hands for a minute, and then said:
'Hats and shoes pretty expensive?"
ooh, my; no" replied the girl, with a
little cry Of scorn. II suppose my hats
and shoes do not cost more than $500 a
year"
"Now, look here, Jess" said the young
man desperately, 'what l ara trying to
get at is how much it costs to dress you.
You do a little figuring and let me see
what the result is"
Jess bent her dear little head over an
ivory tablet and scribblcI away indus
triously and bit her pencil thoughtfully
for five minutes. Then she submitted
this table:
Dresses. .......... .s7t0'Wlra rs. ............ go
Hats ......""...... IL Linen, etc. ......... lo
Gloves ............ sl Total ..........Si,o0
The young man read these items over
and over again.
Great Scott. jess" he said. "that's
pretty steep, isn't ity'
"Oh, | don't know" she replied.
''That is only a small part Of what ]
cost, for you have 10 idea what an ex-
pensive girl ! am. You know | usually
spend n month every summer Ut some
watering place, and then / get rid Of an
awful lot Of money in helping Tie church
along, in car fares, bonbons and such
things"
"Wbat docs it cost TO run this house,
any wayI' asked the young man. saw
agely, for 10 felt thai the idol of his
heart was slipping away.
81 don't know exactly" replied Jess,
'but. maybe, 5000 a year viii do il
nicely"
.Humph! Let medoa little 1guring.-
Tho young. mans figuring was like
this:
Probable cost Of furniture, s1,cc0; yearly
installmSnts 500. 500
Rent of far lin Broollvn) tg1