The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-08
on time. patience and skim.

on time, patience and skill.
She admits carelessly, as If 1t were a
matter of no moment, that she has a
patronage of 5000 or 5000 people, and
that her outside business, which takes
up most of her time, consists in making
perhaps thirty, perhaps forty, calls a
day on customers who belong to class
of society which forbids their present
ing themselves personally at her es-
tablishment.
In fact. secrecy is one of her trade
ingredients. You may become one of
madam's most favored customers, you
may buy your most charming gowns
from her, or even sell your old ones,
and you may continue this practice for
years and no one will be the wiser I'M
less you happen to be woman of the
obvious variety, one who is afraid of
mice and can't keep a secret.
Madam is herself a charming per-
sonality, and is credited with being one
of the best dressed women in Manhat-
tan. This, of course, in her home and
society; in her establishment she is
gowned fittingly.
II have about all the trade I can at
tend to. It is simply enormous" mad
am went on, land it is by no means
confined to the city I have hundreds
of out-of-town customers. I keep their
measurements, and when gowns come
them on; and, in turn, when they de-
sire to get rid of any. they just express
them to me-"
do you take any gowns that people
wish to SELF"
by no means" She picked up a
handful of letters. THAT is from one
mail alone. Requests, most of them
for me to call and look over castoff
clothes. I pay no attention to them I'M
less they are from people whose social
standing is known to me-"
Social standing? Is this a business
that requires social standing?"
ITO a certain extent. 1 do not wish
to run any risks. I know where every
gown, every coat and cloak comes from
now and I can assure my customers
that they have passed through clean,
responsible hands.
mo, I have no repairs or cleaning
done in the shop. The costumes do not
require it. 1 buy nothing that looks old
or shopworn, nothing that has torn
or frayed lining. Sometimes, in rare
instances, the lace of the collar or
sleeve may require renovaing, but that
must be done by the buyer.
81 should say that the average gown
that buy has not been worn more than
two or three times, sometimes only
once. I have now, right here, a beau
tiful dress, imported, that must have
cost at least $500.
1.-THE lady who sold it to me was very
desperately in love with a man who did
not like the gown. She wore it at din
ner one night, and after he expressed
his sentiment in the matter she sent
for me and promptly sold me the gown
for $50. 1t was absolutely unruffled.
1t is here"
Madam took box from a pile and
showed a creation--there is no other
word for it-of filmy lace and chiffon,
rose colored. It looked as 1t were fresh
from the salesroons and bore the name
of a world-famed Partisan costumer's
mark on the skirt.
Madam assented to the only possible
remark.
Eyes, he must have been a brute--a
man who wouldn't like that dress. I
believe the truth was that he was jeal-
Gus of her. She was the most beauti-
full creature in that gown you ever
saw"
"Does sentiment often enter into this
business"
Doesn't it enter into every kind?"
said madam sagely. And here very
often.
"It is no uncommon thing for a won-
an to sell me gown she has worn only
once or twice because her husband or
sweetheart didn't think 1t becoming
And then, even my best customers will
not sell me the gown OF any one of the
f. Y15f To- xrkoy1a thaw hoUa 1nct hxy Hath