The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-07-10
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The Seal Skin
Coat
Nv MAI IRWIN


her he thought of his sister Not
that the hcedng glance DEE had of
her piquant face was like Mares. hut
there was something Go Che hiidNhe
set Of her little head. her height and
the trimness of her slender sWaying
form. that carried him back 90 New
York. and the sister, and home
Though ho was going in the oppo
site direction when he came face to
face with her in The crowd and caught
a Fash of brown eyes and red lips
and noticed q crimson rose in her
black hair under the rim of her black
toQue. he turned and followed her.
She went SO fast De could not catch
mp with her. swayng gracefully to
the motion of the crowd. Suddenly
he lost her. and when ne was tpins
70 decide what shop she could have
entered she came ont oi coniectiou
ers with a box ga her hand Doe knew
held bon b0us. She looked h.m
square ia the face This Time and Dee
caught the outline of small. delicate
features. an oval face and finely pon.
ciled brows above her nashn- dark
eyes, under the fine gau7o of com.
pleAion veil She entered "a cath. and
be- heard her give tho order iioto.
Cecil" That was the last he SAW OF
her in London. though 80 maf he ro
corded that John Crawford lrluont
ed the Cecil for syonfh.ns from din
ners TO cigars
Crawford loafod around London FOR
a month afte. seeing The little lady
then decided to so home Though
Crawford never found 30 ont Dice bad
been the butt of the London shop
keepers, and carried home uiukets OH .
various design and price for ail of Dos .
friends and his sisters friends Chief .
among them was a seal skin coat for .
Marie. lt was one of those long Eng .
lish listers, lined with white br0cade .
and with narrow collar and cuffs ~ .
ermine. such as English women OF /
great wealth wear on The continent .
II was made TO come TO the hem of
a short skirt, and when ne purchased
10 he smiled to think of the dash
Marie would cut In il on Broadway
But his smile lessened when his
friend, Lord Thurston. remarked as
Crawford packed it away:
Cad. old man. That coat win cost
you a jolly fortune 90 get through the .
custom house on your side.'
Crawford shook ont the rich folds
OF bronzed gold skin and looked it
over thoughtfully The duty had never
occurred 10 him.
Tell you what you do. old chap Get
some woman aboard 20 wear 10, and
pass il through on her back That's
n hat did once. crossing from France
I'd hev checked in If 1 hadn't"
Il was a good idea. and Crawford .
took it to heart But the coat was
made for such a little waist he won
iered about it,
Some men would rather cheat the
government out of a dollar than find
$50. and Crawford happened to De
me Of them. Besides. his purse was
getting slim.
When he boarded the Majestic at
liverpool his keen eye singled ont o.
rim little figure. IN a closeftting tail
red black coat that touched her high
leeled boots She was leaning over
he rail watching the passengers come
hoard, and the wind gave him
glimpse Of white satin coat lining a
ed cloth skirt and pillows OF white
ace, close about silk clad ankles and
'atent leather boots. With his brain
whirl he crossed the gang plank
small need 10 look twice 20 know it
vas she Of the Hotel Cecil"
"Sbe for Marie's coat" he said to
imself as he climbed aboard
lie saw her again at table ahote.
mt she sat at the farther end of
he table from him. He tried to at
ract her by his gaze. and just as she
1T the table she looked his way.
nd he saw a smile that was ike
ash Of pearl, and was gone. At
East she had recognized him.
That evening, as the moon hung d
igh and made shadows Of opal on the
'aters that gently dashed the boat r.
s IT sped ahead ike some great bird "
g saw her leaning over the side of
he boat looking at the sky. Her fea b
ires were so clear cut against the
ater. they seemed TO be chiselod of
larble. the expression Of her long. i,
ark eyes made him feel her thoughts q
ere not of earth, while the soft wind T
lowing wisps Of black hair across
er cheek. gave her the appearance
a mythical goddess.
An hour later he was talking to- her
the shadow Of the grand salon. 20
lille the music from the stringed or q
lestra floated to them amid the music n
the sea. %
The next morning madam who was 'i
} excellent sailor. wore on deck I'd
ng ulster OF seal skin, lined with
hite brocade. and with narrow col d..
r and cuffs of ermine. And Craw. gu
I'd took pride I'm seeing her wear "
as If she had grown i'm f. ''
IF had not promised it 20 Marie. r'
ould give it 10 her. it suits her so y
ell" he told himself.
Madam proved herself a cO0uctte. D..
lough she granted fayors To- none ~,
e made many friends among bo0 ~
en- and women. The greatest CON -
iment Crawford could exact from. b..
u was a slight pressure of the hand
hen he said good night or met hes io
deck in the morning She never b.,
rgot the pressure and She never ID
lied to wear the seal skin coat She 81,
id she was going TO- New York to
set her husband who sang The tenor no
The coming grand opera season. o.
d she was all impotence TO see him "a.
ain But her smile TO Crawford be-
d her protested impotence. While -
would have given her his bank
count III she had demanded ff he dff