Democratic messenger., 1910-03-05
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

her husbands letter. ITO declare ev.
erythlug The cuStoIds Inspectors are
on the alert rhe new collector is car
rying uui the law To the letter. aud
there j. no chance Of getting free en-
try this YEAR. ! spoke 10 Senator
Jones about t. and he assured me that.
while he would be- glad 10 give the the
same sori u letter as last year. IL
would he worthless
Lets see. sine reflected. "Of course
can Wear The travelling dress ashore.
and then ! can also wear that dear
little turban ! must muss both up a
bit. aud | can break the feather In the
turban. So that the hat will not look
new
"Heloise." she called.
"0ni. madame" answered her maid.
"IIave you bought much In Paris for
yourselff"
Non. madame; JUS leetle lace"
''Then you rust take one Of my
trunks for yourself and pack some Of
my things Ia It. will tell you which
later"
Left 10 herself. Mrs. Ieffreys re-
sumes her addition. subtraction and
division,
Let's see. 500 for each passenger.
That makes $500 for Heloise and my
self That black silk alone cost that
much. while the other dresses cost
let's see--iGn francs plus 900. plus 100.
That's 1850. Five into sixteen goes
three times carry one. Why. $50 plus
200 equals $50. aud. merciful heav-
ems. that doesn't count lingerie or
stockings or And her glance en-
countered two beautiful Sevres vases
standing on the mantel She gave a
scream that brought Heloise 10 the
door.
1T Is nothing. III thought saw a
mouse"
uelolsc picked up her skirts and fed.
"Ah. those vases.' Mrs. Jeffreys re-
sumed. How OH earth am ever go
ing TO get them in? The duty on them
alone would be more than $l00. Let
me think No." after pause. Il could
not conceal them. Well. let me make
the best can out OF the other things.
Let's see can put the black silk
down at say. $50. The materials did
not cost more than $50. am sure;
the other dresses $50. S35 and $40. not
counting the one shall wear. That
makes $i55 altogether. The lingerie
well. we can change the appearance
OF most Of that by rubbing II on the
carpet. and the rest can divide be-
tween Hcloise and myself in such a
way that can list the hats and the
stockings for $40"
Then she thought OF the vases again.
Mrs Jeffrcys was still thinking of
the vases when the steamship left
Cherbourg and she thought OF little
else for the first three days. Women
homeward bound are sometimes lit
tie talkative when II comes TO discuss
ing great bargains they have picked
up. but Mrs. Jeffreys maintained a
strict silence on this topic. even when
her friend Mrs Burroughs confessed
that she had bought lots OF things. In
Guiding yards and yards OF lace. and.
MS for simply paying duty. she would
see congress aud the president In very
hot regions before she would give up
cent. II shall conceal the lace on
my person." she contided. Il have
dress that am taking home to moth.
er. who. you know. Is larger than |.
and on the morning we land you will
see an extremely matronly person go
ing down the gangpIank II you watch
me. my dear"
Mrs. Jefrreys sighed. All. II she had
not bought those vasesl
A thought struck her. Why not car
ry those vases ashore. after all? She
excused herself and went TO her state
room. where. after locking the door
she took the two exquisite ornaments
from q travelling bag.
She removed her skirts. Then she
took strap from the bag and fas-
tened one end TO vase and the other
10 belt. The other she fastened sim
ilarly. so that one hung from the front
and the other from the back. Then
she put on her skirts again and walked
about the room.
II have II at last" she exclaimed
joyfully. "oDly must be careful about
walking"
That day she ate the first hearty
luncheon Of her voyage. aud when in
the afternoon the declarations were
passed about 10 be Oiled by the pas
sengers she made hers out In the fash
ion she had planned In Paris.
Mrs. Jeffreys did not complete her
toilet on the morning the ship ar
rived until the vessel was coming up
from quarantine Then she went be-
low. locked her door and slipped into
the harness she had invented.
She went down the gangway so
carefully that her husband. who was
at the foot. asked In great concern
"what Is the matter? Hurt yourself:
You seem lame"
at is nothing" she assured him
"Just n touch Of rheumatism"
While they were waiting under the
letter u" for their baggage TO be as
sembled her husband solicitously urged
her TO SIT on a trunk and spread u