St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-03-19
N. DUFREE, LADIES' TAILOR

That was the sign ABOVE thlrd story
window opposite a mansion on Fifth ave-
nue.. It appeared there one misty morn
ing. When the fog lifted bit, Miss
Mangrove caught sight Of it and e1-
claimed:
II shall positively sell this house and
move further uptown. Trade is resist
Jess as the sea, and for Society to en-
deavor to stop its encroachments on the
aristocratio portion Of the city is as vain
as was Mrs. Partington's broom fight
with the waves. abhor Trade"
She turned from the window with O
shudder, as if the gilt letters of the sign
had leaned over and touched her famil-
isrly on the shoulder?
Miss Mangrove was besieging So
oiety.
Jabes 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 devoted his energies
to pushing "Mangrove's Liver pills.
Fate may have been sarcastic when it
took him out Of the world Of congestion
Of the liver, but the public had no idea
how congested his pocket book was, till
the amount Of his estate became known,
and then there was amazement 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 mandatory,
Its good will and patent, at such sum
that proved she was born to commerce.
Then she bought the mortgage on an
aristocratic mansion, foreclosed it and
took possession. From there she had
besought society to take her in, had
hoped to ensnare some scion 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 had
to break into society. She wasn't pretty
exactly, but she had a good figure, and
fattered herself that she had a manner
as pronounced, not in the way of loud
ness, but as noticeable as that Of any
Of tho Four Hundred But she was not
in it-this was the sum Of 1t oil. 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 a weary sigh, she fell
into troubled sleep; for hours she had
been schcming how to obtain the entree.
And now, in her uneasy slumber, she
began again the wearisome will-o' the
wisp chase after the magic word entrec.
Even in her sleep S g felt herself utter
ing protest against repetition of the
useless pursuit, but before she had wholly
voiced her unwilIingness to follow the
dancing, teasing sprite labelled entree
she saw tho letters Of the ladies' tailor :
sign march before her. They were in
command of the big gilt NJ, who lifted
his hat especially to her as his CON-
pany filed past. At tho word they
broke into q double-quick; and in few
seconds they had surrounded and held
prisoner the agile and cvasivo little imp
she had chased 80 many times in vain
The company of gilt letters faced
about, and marching within respectful
distance Of her, halted. While they
presented arms, the corporal NJ. led for
ward the mischievous imp and placed
him on the palm Of her outstretched
hand, which she closed gently, holding
fast the coveted privilege which in hel
dreams tho sprite always had repre-
scented.
II have the entree at last" she ex.
claimed, and awoke to vcxation at having
felt so much Joy over delusion, anC
finally to wonderment about tho signifi
canoe of the letters having made the en-
tree a prisoner and then presenting it to
her.
The dream troubled her not little the
next day. To her its meaning was plain
M. Dufre, ladies' tailor, could pro.
cure for her the entree to society. Blu,
how could she call upon him, when no.
body that was anybody patronized him:
AT last she concluded to request him tc
call upon her, and she sent him a sue
cinct, business-like note.
The following morning he called upon
her, and she was astounded to meet a
handsome, quiet, well-bred man, who
proceeded at once to open case of sam.
Piles.
"Not those" she said, haagbtily
Somebody else will wear dress off the
other end Of the same Web"
All" said the tactful business man
closing the case. II suppose l was to
show you the latest importations, but !
am at your service to procure for you
and fit you with what even the Baroness
Rothschild cannot procure duplicate
Of"
"The reason want a new tailor is
that | may be original in my costumes,
If you are q reader of the society gossip
published in the sarcastic weeklies, you
will see that am laughed at because I
as they vulgarly say, am not init, mean,
ing that am excluded from the circle tc
which aspire. Yesterday, owing to q
dream of the night before, | had an idea
which determined to confde to the frs,
ladies tailor whose face inspired conf.
dence. You seem to be a gentleman
and not likely to betray secret
She paused a moment to note the effec1
OF her words upon him, and was pleased
that he showed no symptoms of excite
ment or eagerness to learn the nature Of
the communication she was about tt
| make.
II determined never to wear the du
plicate of the material or the pattern o.
a dress or hat worn by any other woman
to that extent can be exclusive. d,
you think you are able to meet my de
mands? And, if you are, what is i
worth to you to render me wholly orig
inal in the matter Of dress?"