The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-29
THE LADIES' TAILOR.

That was the sign above third story
window opposite a mansion on Fifth ave
nue.. 1t appeared there one misty morning.
When the fog lifted a bit, Miss Mangrove
caught sight of it and exclaimed:
81 shall positively sell this house and
move farther up town. Trade is as resist
less as the sea, and for society to endeavor
| to stop its encroachments on the aristocratic
| portion of the city is as vain as was Mrs.
| Partington's broom fight with the waves.
I abhor trader
She turned from the window with shud-
| der, as if the gilt letters of the sign had
! leaned over and touched her Familiarity on
| the shoulder
Miss Mangrove was besieging society.
| JabeZ Mangrove, her father, had been a
| persistent success from the time he left the
| farm and sold tinware from house to house
/ When he bought for a song prescription
( for liver pill, he quilted peddling and de-
| voted his energies to pushing ''Mangrove's
| Liver Pills" Fate may have been sarcas-
tic when it took him out of the world By
| congestion of the liver, but the public had
no idea how congested his pocketbook was
till the amount of his estate became known
and then there was Amusement that there
had been so many bad livers in the world
during one mans lifetime.
The first step taken by his only heir,
Amelie was to sell the pill manufacSory,
its good viii and patent, at such a sum
that proved she was born to commerce.
Then she bought the mortgage On an arts
tocratic mansion, foreclosed it and took
possession. From there she had besought
society to take her in, had hoped to ensnara
some scion Of one of the old families, and
had failed because her father had been in
the patent medicine business. That was
why she hated trade.
But her tactics had changed. She was
determined to break into society. She
wasn't pretty, exactly, but she had good
figure, wore no corset. and f1attered her
self that she had manner as pronounced,
not in the way of loudneSs, but as notice
able as that Of any of the -Four Hundred
But she was not in it-that was the sum
of it all. And accordingly she fretted
outside of the closed DOORS and lay awake
at night in her dainty bed devising ways of
making break in society's walls.
One night, with weary sigh, she fell
into a troubled sleep; for hours she had
been scheming how to obtain the coveted
entree. And now, in her uneasy slumber,
she began again the wearisome will-o'-the-
wisp chase after the magic word entree
Even in her sleep she felt herself uttering
protest against the repetition of the use
less pursuit, but before she had wholly
voiced her unwillingnesS to follow the
dancing, teasing sprite labeled entree she
saw the letters of the ladies' tailor sign
march before her. They were in command
of the big gilt NJ, who lifted his hat re-
spectfully to her as his company filed past.
At the word they broke into a double
quick, and in a few seconds they had sur
rounded and held prisoner the agile and
evasive little devil she had chased SO many
times in vain
The company of gilt letters faced about,
and marching within a respectful distance
of her. halted. While they presented arms,
the corporal NJ. led forward the mischiev-
Gus imp and placed him on the palm of
her outstretched hand, which she closed
gently, holding fast the coveted privilege
which in her dreams the sprite always |
had represented
Il have the entree at last" she ex-
claimed, and awoke to vexation at having |
felt so much joy over a delusion, and final |
ly to wonderment about the significance |
prisoner and then presenting it to her.
The dream troubled her not little the
next day. TO her it's meaning was plain
NJ. Dufre, ladies' tailor, could procure for
her the entree to society But how could |
she call upon him, when nobody that was
anybody patronized hims At last she con-
cluded to request him to call upon her, and |
she sent him a succinct, businesslike note.
'ha foil nyr-T k.,a
her, and she was astounded to meet a
handsome, quiet, well bred man, who pro-
ceeded at once to open case of samples.
Not those, she said haughtily. Some
body else will wear a dress off the other
end of the same web"
"Ah," said the tactful business man,
closing the case. II supposed l was to
show you the latest importations, buc |
am at your service to procure for you and
lit you with what even the Baroness Roths-
child cannot procure duplicate Of"
THE reason want a new tailor is that |
may be original in my costumes. If you
are a reader of the society gossip published /
in the sarcastic weeklies you will see that
| am laughed at because l, as they vul-
carly say, am not ia it, meaning that am
excluded from the circle to which | aspire.
Yesterday, owing to dream of the night
before, had an idea, which | determined
to confide to the first ladies' tailor whose
face inspired confidence. You seem to be
gentleman, and one not likely to betray
secret"
She paused moment to note the effect
Of her words upon him, and was pleased
that he showed no symptoms of excitement
Or eegerness to learn the nature of the
communication she was about to make.
Il determined never to wear the dupli-
cate OF the material or the pattern of
dress or hat worn by any other woman.
To that extent can be exclusive Do you
think you are able TO meet my demands?
And if you are, what is it worth TO YOU to
undertake to render me wholly original in
The matter OF dress!"
NJ. Duire did not reply hastily. He
seemed TO be estimating the probable loss
that his devotion to one person would cause
him. One society woman might make the
fortune of q ladies' tailor but a woman not
recognized by the Four Hundred was not
likely to make other wealthy women yearn
% hsve NJ Dufre make their dresses. Miss
Nangrove interrupted his thoughts:
Are you doubling your ability" she
asked
Not for moment have I hesitated On
hat account"
How will $500 suit your"
For how locg time in your service"
''O2e year"
"Perfectly"
Come 10 me again tomorrow. We shall
hen draw up contract, and you can give
ne design for g new dress
NJ Dufre hoUa5 and tat-Sr1 NJ HE 49,.
lie case left the room with the ease OF one
rho bad been accustomed 10 the best So
iety. That day and night he worked on a