Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-12-07
THE POSSIBLE
MAN
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright, 1904, by Keith Gordon

Miss Van Orden halted and regarded
the display in the windows Of Berg &
Co. with kindling eyes. There really
was no excuse for her to linger at that
particular window, for Berg & Co., as
everybody knows, are haberdashers,
and Miss Van Orden was fatherless,
brotherless and unmarried.
Talk about women's Clothes" ran
her thoughts as she reluctantly pre-
pared to move onward. "Why, there
isn't window in town that compares
with this for charm. Dresses-ugh!
Ruffies, tucks, plaits, French knots and
business! But this-it's poem! Just
imagine some big creature in that pink
bathrobe orr
With silent laugh, she caught her
lip between her teeth and moved down
the street toward the dry goods shops.
But the windows appeared cheap, over
loaded and tawdry. Berg's store, with
its display Of masculine attire whose
severity sometimes verged just near
enough to softness and beauty to be
fascinating, kept rising before her eyes,
her steps in that direction.
BY the time she again reached Berg
& Co.'s she had an idea that made her
giggle, though her eyes were bright
and her cheeks went pink. Some girls,
she reflected, boarded china and silver,
others linen and still others old ma
hogany against the day when thine
and chance" should bring the man
whom they all confidently expected.
She would depart from such main
Travelled ways and do something equal
ly practical, though more unusual.
She entered the store rather timidly,
but the sight Of portly dowager at
she was soon examining bathrobes
with an ease and assurance that might
have been acquired by years Of shop
ping for masculine relatives.
"What size" asked the clerk when,
after much hesitation between a pink
and blue one, she had finally decided
on the former.
At the question she stared at him in
blank amazement. THAT is, how tall
is hep he went on, judging from her
look that she failed to understand.
Then she recovered herself.
''Six feet" she answered, with non
chalant, you-should-have-tak -that-for-
granted air. And then, remembering
her preference in the matter, she add
ed, "And broad-very broad Shout
dered, you know" In manner 80 de-
liberate and composed that without
further question the clerk made out
the check for Mrs" e. Van Orden
and solicitously begged her to look at
their spring shirtings and the newest
cravats.
II don't think he needs anything in
that line just now" she remarked,
with well assumed doubtfulness, as
she languidly viewed the stock.
"Do they-would my husband have
to be measured for these shirts" she
demanded. The clerk nodded.
But we'll send man up any time"
he explained, with polite desire to be
accommodating. The lady shook her
head.
You see, that wouldn't do. He isn't
here-yet! But couldn't give you his
collar measure and couldn't you just
make them proportionatelyT
The clerk thought they might,
though they couldn't guarantee the At
under those circumstances, and when
his customer announced airily that that
wouldn't make any difference he looked
trife mystifed.
Eloise meanwhile emerged into the
street aglow with the eagerness Of q
rather bored young woman who has
found new and interesting Occupa-
ton. Her grandmother Castles carved
chest would be the very place to keep
the things. and fortunately it stood in
her room and had good strong lock.
No one but the man, whoever and
wherever he was, should ever know
about this escapade of hers. She won
dered, after all, If men really wore
bathrobes like that-pink. all softest
wool, lined with thin silk and shock
ingly expensive. Then she absolutely
chuckled aloud. What If the man
should happen to have red hair? In
tulS WOTlQ you newer kuOW WuO cdrrlcb
the key to your heart until he arrives
on the scene some fine day and
Her meditations were cut short by
the salutation Of man who was pass
ing and whose glance carried some
thing that arrested her attention. It
was something indescribable, elusive
a quick, keen lighting up Of his face
at the sight Of her. as instantly vanish
ing in the calm, passive glance of
well bred acquaintance. But she had
seen it-that strange, telltale look
and her heart beat more quickly be-
cause of 1t.
She had met him but twice-once at
a dinner at Mrs. Lorimer's and after
ward at the Bancker cotillon-but he
was the cousin of her dearest friend
and she had heard more or less about
"Philip" for years.
When at last the little fiutter of the
meeting had subsidized she remarked to
herself demurely certain coincidence
namely. that Philip Hamilton was
six feet tall very broad shouldered.