Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-04-10
S(S-((ssss5 9 @ q
; ZONE OPERA !
; CLOAK, $780, s
eY FRANCES CROFT
oopyrisht, 1909, BY the

X =, 81 McClufe company
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Miss Lillian Fairweather's state Of
mind was far from pleasant as she sat
In one of Schenck & Schenck's stuffy
little fitting rooms. Nicholas the Meek,
Nicholas the Downtrodden, had turned.
The words of his letter stood out vivid
" before her eyes:
Jacob served seven years for Rachel
and then gvt izs- sister. have served
Ave years. see no hope i-geftsng you IN
seven. and you have no sister. 5sasa,szS
you say yes In week to the question
have asked you SO often sail on the
Mesaba for Europe. Remember, at q
signal from you shall turn back AT the
last moment, but my terms are uncondi-
tional surrender.
Nicholas had been the subject Of
gibes, both to his face and behind his
back. One that she had coined she
gave current issue among her friends
because she fancied 1t was clever:
Church on Sunday, theater Monday,
flowers Tuesday. candy Wednesday.
new book Thursday, dinner Friday,
dead sick on Saturday of Nicholas
Purdy."
1t did not seem SO clever to her now,
after week during which there had
been no one to carry her prayer book
to church, no one to take her to first
night performances, no flowers. no
candy, no books, no dinners, no Nicho-
las Purdy, but there had been a wea-
ried feeling. Much to her own surprise,
she found that she missed the man
more than his attentions.
This was the day of sailing for the
Mesaba. From some feeling curios-
ity, of course she knew the pier from
which 1t started. the car lines leading
to II and the time 1t took to get there.
She certainly would not give In to him,
especially after the insolent tone Of
the letter. Yet it was from fear that
she might so far forget herself as to go
down to the dock and lose her suprem-
acy over Nicholas forever that had
brought her here. Her suit very op-
portunely needed alteration. Miss
Macy, the head filter. had hurried of
with 1t, promising to send something
to throw around her for the few min
utes till it was ready.
Then girl had appeared with a
gorgeous pink opera cape. Such raj
ment was far beyond the slender means
of the struggling artist, but for once
she forgot to reveI in It's richness. She
was looking anxiously at her watch.
Three-quarters of an hour and then the
Mesaba would clear her docks.
How fast the minutes few by! Half
an hour now!
She pounded on the door. Miss Macy
hustled In. 'T'm SO sorry, Miss Fair
weather. I've been delayed with some
customers. You shall have your dress
shortly.
sRnt must have It at onceP'
'Impossibler And Miss Macy bus
tied of.
Lillian was now frantic.
She caught the next girl that passed.
"Giye me dress, any kind Of a
dressl'
A moment later she was tearing a
price mark of sloppy dress Of dirty
chocolate color She rushed into It
quite unmindful of the fact that 1t was
two sizes too large, long wasted and
bulging at the hips. Throwing the
opera cape around her. she stuck on her
blue bat and rushed madly from the
store
She hailed a passing cab. s'Five dol
lars if you get me to pier IL before the
Mesaba sails!''
1t seemed an eternity until she was
rushing down the long wooden shed.
Pushing aside the man who demanded
her ticket, she ran up the gangplank,
and her feet had scarcely left it when
It was withdrawn. No Nicholas was
in sight. She approached the steward
and asked him where Mr.. Purdy's
stateroom was. He replied that no
such party was booked.
Then Lillian gave a gasp. She ran to
the end OF the steamer nearest the
dock only to find that the vessel had
begun to move. She uttered cry
which attracted the attention Of a
youngish man sitting on the piles at
the corner Of the pier hanging his
heels over the water.
He jumped up and whistled, for he
realized the full enormity of the situa-
ton. She was going, and he was to be
left behind. The ocean would separate
them, besides sea Of misunderstand-
ings. His BLUR had worked beyond
bis expectations.
He ran to the steamers starting place
and found a stout commercial looking
man In a state OF great excitement bar
gaining with the owner Of a small tug
to take him to the outgoing steamer.
Nicholas joined forces with him. A
common object-to catch the steamer
bound them together.
The thing was all arranged In a few
minutes. They quickly got alongside
and hailed the steamer.
There was already great excitement
aboard the Mesaba. A woman in a
dirty brown gown. pink opera cloak
and blue hat was begging hysterical-
~ to be taken back to land.
The captain saw peace for him when
he perceived the tug. The steamer
stopped, and Lillian was transferred to
meet her shameless lover and the just
~ indignant costumer. She began to
upbraid the former when the CONNER
cial man interjecred:
Easy now, easy. What about my
a 4