West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-12-17
BY o. HENRY.


ciSl dye. Good fellows everywhere
seek TO bring their noses TO the genial
nde that follows the commingling OF
the red and blue. We say OF princes
that they are born TO the purple. and
no doubt they are. foE the collie tinges
their faces with the royal tint equally
with the snub nosed countenance OF a
woodchoppers brat. All women love IL
when II is the fashion.
And now purple Is being worn. You
notice IL on the streets. or course
other colors are quite stylish as we'll
In fact, saw n lovely thing the other
day In olive green albatross, with a
triple Tapped founce skirt trimmed
with Insert squares OF silk, and n
draped nchu OF lace opening over a
shirred vest and double puff sleeves
with lace band holding two gathered
frills-but you see lots OF purple too
oh, yes, you do; just take walk down
Twenty-third street any afternoon.
Therefore Maida-the girl with the
big brown eyes and cinnamon colored
hair IN the Bee Hive store-said TO
Grace-the girl with the rhinestone
brooch and peppermint pepsin flavor to
her speech--"Tm going to have pur-
pie dress-a tailor made purple dress
for Thanksgiving"
"Oh, are you," said Grace, putting
away some ~ gloves into the 6s4 box
well, fits me for red. You see more
red on Fifth avenue. And the men all
seem to like It,"
Il like purple best" said MAZDA.
And old Schlegcl has promised to
make 1t forEs. It's going to be lovely.
blouse coat trimmed with band OF
galloon under u white cloth collar with
two rows or
'Sly bootsr' said Grace, with an edu-
Gated wink
-"soutache braid over surpliced
white vest, and plated basque and
"Sly boots-sly bootsr repeated
Grace.
-''plaited gigot sleeves with drawn
velvet ribbon over an inside cum.
What do you mean by saying that?"
you think Mr.. Ramsay likes purple.
1 heard him say yesterday he thought
some of the dark shades OF red were
stunning" y
IL don't care" said Mazda. IL prefer
purple, and them that don't like II can
just take the other side OF the street"
Which suggests the thought that,
after all, the followers of purple may
be subject to slight delusions. Dan
ger is near when n maiden thinks she
can wear purple regardless of COM
plexlons and opinions and when en-
perors think their purple robes will
wear forever.
months OF economy. and this had
bought the goods for the purple dress
and paid Schlegel 81 on the making
OF It. On the day before Thanksgiv-
ing she would have just enough to pay
the remaining 81. And then for holI-
day in new dressl Can earth offer
anything more eBchanting2
Old Bachman, the proprietor OF the
Bee Hive store, always gave a Thanks
giving dinner to his employees. On
every one OF the subsequent 364 days,
excuslng Sundays, he would remind
them OF the joys of the past banquet
and the hopes OF the coming ones, thus
melting them TO increased enthusiasm
III nOlhs nt was BlNth Aut
store on one of the long tables I'm the
middle OF the room. They tackled wrap
ping paper oyer the front windows,
and the turkeys and other good things
were brought In the back way from
the restaurant on the corner. You
will perceive that the Bee Hive was
not n fashionable department store,
with escalators and pompadours. 1t
was almost small enough 10 be called
an emporium, and you could actually
go In there and get waited on and walk
out again. And always ri the Thanks
giving dinners Mr.. Ramsay
Oh, botherl I should have mentioned
Mr.. Ramsay first OF all. He is more
important than purple or green or
even the red cranberry sauce.
Mr.. Ramsay was the head clerk. and
as far as am concerned am for him
He never pinched the girls arms when
he passed them In dark corners of the
store, and when he told them stories
when business was dull and the girls
glggled and said, "Oh, pshaww II
wasn't G.. Bernard they meant at ALL
Besides being a gentleman. Mr.. Ram
say was queer and original In other
ways. lie was health crank and be
lleyed that people should never eat
anything that was good for them. He
was violently opposed to anybody be
Ing comfortable and coming I'm out Of
snowstorms or wearing oycrshoes or
taking medicine or coddllng themselves
in any way. Every one OF the ten
girls I'm the store had little pork chop
and fried onion dreams every night OF
becoming Mrs. Ramsay. for next year
old Bachman was going TO take him IN
for partner and each one OF them
knew that n she should catch him she
would knock those cranky health no.
tlons Of his sky high before tho wed
ding cake indigestion was over.
Mr.. Ramsay was master OF cerernO
MES at the dinners. Always they had
two Italians IN 90 play n violin and
harp and had little dance I'm the
store.
And here were two dresses being
conceived 10 charm Ramsay, one pur.
pic and the other red. or course the
other eight girls were going to have
dresses, too, but they didn't count
Very likely they'd wear some shirt
waist and black skirt affairs nothing
as rcsplendent as purple or red.
Grace had saved her money too. She
was going TO buy her dress ready made.
oh, what's the use Of bothering with n
tailor? When you've got n fgger It's
Easy tO get flt. The ready made are
lntert for perfect figger-cxcept l
have 10 have 'em al taken I'm at the
waist The average hgger Is so large
walsted