The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-11-03
HER LINEN
SUIT

Mrs. Beach was starting on trip
suddenly In July of last year. She
went downtown to get ready-made
lightweight tailor suit. Her husbands
parting words. like the parting words
of all good husbands In like situa-
tons, had been: Now, get something
good. Margaret, something worth
while. Don't try to economical"
But every woman will understand
how Mrs. Beach. when passing WIN
dow, saw a pink linen coat and skirt
marked down to SIS, she fell vic-
tim. 1t was of excellent cut and
much reduced from it's original cost
It was sufficiently heavy for summer
wear. Therefore 1t seemed foolish
to her to spend $40 or more for .
cloth suit So she bought the pink
linen.
Beach's expression was one OF down.
right disgust when she showed her
purchase to him. Il told you to get
something good" he objected. And
you come home with that"
'Now, Henry!' said his wife. II
that isn't the man of It! II had told
you paid $50 for the suit instead of
SIS you would have thought 1t was
lovely! That's all man knows about
the value of things-he just judges
by the cost! And you don't seem to
appreciate my economy"
You'll be sorry you bought a linen
suit" insisted Beach, stubbornly.
"You mark my words!"
These being his sentiments, Mrs.
Beach never told him how one week
after her arrival at her hostess she
got automobile grease on her suit and
had to have it dry cleaned at a cost
of S150. The first time she wore 1t
after that the sun faded it fearfully
and in streaks.
1T must be due to something they
used in cleaning it," condoled her
hostess. "You can have it dipped,
though"
So Mrs. Beach had the linen suit
colored it's original rose pink. That
cost her $3.50. She wore it in fear
and trembling thereafter. Before she
returned home she had it cleaned
again. She wanted Beach to see that
it had worn we'll and was in perfect
order Mrs. Beach was in the posi-
ton of one keeping up front before
the world. Not for anything would
she let Henry Beach know that little
doubts and regrets were beginning TO
assail her. She felt that she loathed
the pink linen suit but she had TO
dissemble. When fall came and she
could lay it aside with good grace she
heaved sigh of relief.
This summer when she got the suit
out again she found it was all streaked
from lying packed away. She was sur
vey1ng 1T In tears when her best
friend called.
my goodness," said the best friend.
"That's nothing! Just boil 1t out
white! You can do it as easy as not
If you put cream Of tartar in the
wafer!" .z5I.-fss,-~r~
Hope once more sprung up in Mrs.
Beach's breast. The fatal suit was
put into the wash boiler and boiled.
For some reason it refused to fade
out nicely. It was white in some
places ard then it shaded into dis
collragir nts of pink unexpectedly
around hens and edges.
Setting her teeths Mrs. Beach car
ried the suit to a cleaning and dyeing
establishment and told her troubles.
"H'h!" said the cleaning and dyeing
man. cot course, madam, we could
fade that out for you perfect white
nothing is impossible to us with our
superior methods-but why not dye
It? A pretty blue, for instance? Blue
is very stylish this summer and"
"All right said Mrs. Beach, catch
ing desperately at the suggestion.
"Dye it blue Maybe that would be
better than having it white, because
it won't get soiled so easily
ct will be two-ifty," said the man
blandly. THANK you!"
The suit really looked quite nice
when it came home. Mrs. Beach
showed it to her husband in a little
triumph. 'You see, it was good linen
to start with" she told him. Its just
like another new suit this year-and
all for S15!"
BY September 1 Mrs Beach had had
the suit dipped" twice again and
cleaned once. Even though it took
her last penny she would not admit
to Henry Beach that the suit was a
hoodoo To keep it looking nice be-
came mania with her.
The other day she took pencil and
began figuring and discovered sthat be-
sides the original cost of the suit she
had spent exactly $14.5O in dyeing and
cleaning and dipping. And then there
was the mental strain besides.
Mrs Beach has given the suit away
to her laundress and at present Is ne
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