Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-09-07
Mrs. Peveril felt for her handker,

silk frocks?'
CIV set my heart on a white gros.
grain" said Mrs. Peveril, plaintively.
Mr.. Peveril took up the newspaper
again, and his wife had the good sense
to say no more.
Hell get it for me-" thought she
and she chuckled to herself in a secret
sort Of way,as she thought Of the ten.
dollar bill she had made out of the
old dress.
Mr.. Peveril stopped at dry goods
palace the next day, and priced Whit
gros-grain. 1t was four dollars 6
yard.
"And how many yards does it take
to make dress?" asked he.
The polite clerk really could not
say. 1t depended so much on the
height and proportion of the lady.
From twenty-five to thirty yards, was,
however
''And the dressmakers' bill on tor
Of that" almost shouted Mr.. Peveril
"No, won't take it today!"
And he strode away, muttering dire
anathemas on the extravaganza of the
age.
How he ca me to select Blessingtop
street as the especial downtown route
for that particular day he never knew,
but select it he did. And in front OF
an establishment which was half con.
cealed by grove of dresses swinging
from above, as if half dozen ladies
had committed suicide by wholesale,
he espied the following placard:
Bargains in Ball-dresses. Inquire
Within.''
"By Jove!' said Mr.. Peveril, star.
ing up at the futtering fiounces and
the empty sleeves, which seemed to
beckon at every gust of wind. 81 never
thought of that!"
The next instant he felt himself
taken insinuatingly by the arm and
hurried into the store, with persua.
sive voice in his ear, begging to show
in what way they could possibly serve
him.
'dot any white silk ball dresses?"
demanded Mr.. Peveril.
How fortunate it was protested Miss
Naomi Isaacs (who was exactly like
her mother, only size smaller), that
they had just received an invoice of
that very article from Parisl
"They must be gros-grain!" added
Mr.. Peveril, remembering his instruc-
tions.
"Gros-grain is the exact material"
cried Miss Naomi, with clasped hands
and nplifted eyes.
And she brought out white silk
dress, trimmed with cheap Spanish
blonde, and smelling rather strong OF
benZine.
"That's the article" said Mr..
Peveril, his face glowing with satisfac-
ton. "Almost exactly like the last
one she had. What is the price of that
dress?"
Miss Naomi, after referring to the
books of the establishment, answered
that the dress was dirt cheap at
seventy-five dollars.
"Seventy-fve dollarsr' repeated
Mr.. Peveril. "Isn't that rather steep,
now, for secondhand dress?"
''But look at the MATERIAL" smiled
Miss Naomi Isaacs. "And then, you
know, sir, the dress is all made and
trimmed so exquisitely. You have no
dressmaker's bill of thirty or forty
dollars to pay!'
That's very true, said Mr.. Peveril.
''In hard times one must economize.
So he paid down the seventy-five
with the bargain" neatly folded in
a monster paste board box, under his
arm.
And all the day he smiled mysteri-
ously to himself whenever he thought
of the agreeable surprise which he
had in store for Mrs. Peveril that
night.
''Well, darling" said he, as he came
into his wife's sitting g-room-boudoir,
she called it.
"Well," she answered, with re
sponsive smile.
'I've got it!'
SCOT what?"
''The white silk gown" finging the
box toward her. 'tJust from Paris.
All made and trimmed, and ready to
put on!"
''Oh, you darling!" cried Mrs.
Peveril, effusively, as she jumped up
and kissed her liege lord on each side
of his countenance, and then in the
middle.
And then she cut the string with
her scissors, and opened the paste
board box, expecting to behold some
marvel of Worth's or exquisite crea-
fioo of tfo1op, E1ioa,c
"Oh, my goodness gracious" said
Mrs. Peveril, recoiling.
"What is it, my dear?" questioned
Mr.. Peveril.
"Take it away!" said Mrs. Peveril.
"What for?" said Mr.. Peveril.
'It's the same one!' sobbed the
lady-"with the grease-spots taken
out by nasty benzine, and few yards
of cotton blonde basted across the
front. Horace Peveril, where did you
get it?"
''At Madam Isaacs' on Blessing!on