El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-11
A Demoralizing Petticoat
By Paul Welton
/ petticoat was the cause of it.

petticoat was the cause of it,
1t was dream-a scintilating, glace
connection in the rose-red hue Of a
winters dawn. There were others, GER
tainly; but one never noticed them
This was the petticoat.
1 saw it on my way home, and 1 had
exactly 10 cents in my purse.
L let loose whole flood of femi-
nine emotions that had been depressing
for many months. One cannot afford
emotions on SO a week When l got
back TO my cherries room, and the
primuS stove refused to boil my tea,
said that happiness was a delusion, and
life an even greater one
hated my flannel blouse and re-
spectacle linen collar. 1 hated my
pale face and tired eyes Most of all
hated the vista of dreary years that ]
saw stretching before me Then 1 re-
solved.
In the morning 1 breakfasted in bed
and sent the landlady's daughter round
to the office with a note. Back came
an answer-three days sick leave.
And that was the beginning Of it.
Later in the morning 1 went shop
ping 1 know several families of coun-
try people who have unlimited credit at
Z
once-befOre We fell on evil times.
Again 1 was C2e of them, for the time
being
Mrs. So-and-So had given me an or
der for various things. 1 said glibly.
Oh, certainly. would 1 tell them my
pleasure? (AIiss Merino, OF course down
from the country, and given a free
hand by her fond paper.) They signf-
lied that the shop was mine for the
asking, And the delirious joy of it,
swept from counter to counter and
ordered what l. fancied-more clothes
in half an hour than I had had in the
last three years. And first of all THE
PETTICOATi
I fitted myself with d green Dfrec-
toire that chung IN sinuous folds to my
feet, and a Merry Widow hat with
sW eeping plumes. I ordered gloves to
match and diStracting pair of shoes
with 3eweled buckles; and a sheath Xix Q
petttcoat with the foamy frills that the
present mode demands. Oh, those petit
coats, The pinks and blues and greens
and mauve of them, It is her petticoats
that ruin a woman-nCt her hats, as
Mere Man supposes.
l FILTERED to Messrs. Stern Bros.
famous emporium.
A ball dress, madam? Certainly.
Kindly step this way" q was then
Miss ShorthOrn down for the season
and requiring a ball room OUTFIT
L chose my ball dreSs@w hite this
time, with a sweeping train and under
meath, girlish petticoat of tucks and
valenciennes. 1 had heiIiotrope shoes
and gloves and spangled fan, and
bewitching coat of cream lace lined
with violet.
No woman of wealth gets half as
much pleasure out of mornings shop
ping as [ did that day a struggling
clerk with SO a week, and a pretty
face as my only asset That it was
iLegitimate pleasure was a mere de-
tail
passion for buying seized me.
could not stop. pretended 1 was going
to set UP house 1 bought chairs and
tables. carpets and pictures. 1 bought
dinner sets. and breakfast sets and
tea sets and enameled ware for the
kitchen
1T one place 1 gave the we'll known
address of Mrs. B., and at another that
Of Mrs c. L told them to send the
Kings up at once.
L didn't care Il d-n if they did or
lid not had had my pleasure out of
hem; butt would like TO hear what
Mrs. B. and Mrs. c. had to say. Then I
lreW from the savings bank SONY
all There are some things credit
'ther peoples credit-cannot buy. In