The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-25

WHAT WAS HEARD AT THE <
EURRIERS.
By Polly Penn.

| By Polly Penn.
shop.
| The business Of the day was over
the lights turned out and the furs had
the darkness and silence all to them
selves.
Suddenly small, squeaky voice
came from the case where a big fluffy
gray chinchilla muff reposed.
1T certainly is most awfully dry in
here" said the voice. ''Wouldn't I
like to have swim:"
who said SWIM" asked a hand
some sealskin coat, pricking up it's
! revers.
a. said the muff, land a most nat
ural thing it was for me to say, too,
| haven't had a swim since 1 was a
water rat
Dear me-" chimed in an aristocrat-
ic ermine stole. arching its black spots
| a little. {"you don't look like water
rat. with all that lovely chiffon and
those violets. A pretty mess you'd
! be in the water!''
What the Water Rat Said.
We'll, l was a water rat, or rather
several dozen water rats, for the skin
of each was no larger than the palm of
the salesman's hand said the chin
| chilla muff. Il came from northern
Chile. Where did you come FROM"
a." answered the ermine stole,
came from Siberia. l lived in a
province called Irkutsk 1 was not
| then so great parsonage as I am
now" and the ermine smiled amiably.
"In fact, 1 was like nothing so mucn
as the American weasel, both in size
and color. But l have always been a
| royal fur and especially now again
since King Edward Wis coronation,
when everybody saw so much Of me,
Where did you come from?' turning to
the sealslin coat.
Dear mel" sighed that beautiful
garment, 80 much has happened to me
since l left my native place that l can
scarcely remember where l did come
from. l was born and brought up near
the Aleutian islands, just off the coast
of Alaska. One day | crept up on a
rock and before l knew anything l was
dubbed on the head till l lost, con-
seriousness. Then this skin which
is all that is left of me- was taken Off
/ rolled in rock salt, packed in a cask
with some others, shipped to San Fran
cisco, then to New York, and finally to
London, where l was sold with the
have my rough top hair cut and to be
dyed. Afterward, when l was made in
to this coat, l came across the sea
again, and now here 1 am in Minnea-
polls, marked $4O0, which MEANS fin
ished the coat with pardonable pride,
! that l am an exceptionally good seal
skin, if l do say it myself"
Yes, and you are always good style,
too, which is more than can be said of
me- put in voice with strong
Scotch twang.
All the furs turned toward the corner
where this last speaker, an elegant
three-quarter wrap of moleskin, stood
on its form.
Like me-" murmured little squir-
rel tippet that had been showed behind
the counter, as nobody was likely to
care for it this year. People couldn't
get enough of me few months ago.
Now they don't want me-"
That's So said the chinchilla.
But the moleskin said the squirrel tip
pet ought to be glad the fad for squir-
rel died before all it's relations were
hunted to DEATH"
Mole's Plant.
Il shan't have a relative left to
browse among Scotch gorse and heath
er if this moleskin fad keeps up" it
said mournfully "It takes hundreds
and hundreds of little moles to make
one coat like this, and 1 must say l am
a handsome garment" and the mole
skin coat ruffled it's handsome capes
and jingled it's pendants with pride as
it glanced down its beautiful blush
gray surface.