Holbrook argus., 1912-09-17
What His
 Wife Wears

tue EOihIn IAlO hOO1B IO any one who will take my husband of and seqcsster ,.im by threat, main force -r guile long enough for me to buy spring and summer wardrobe. It is absolutely impossible to do 1t so long as he remains at large.
 When I married John had no idea he was so fussy. I think I spoiled him by unwisely complimenting his good taste ana i-,1 - o-,' n regard to clothes an0 conceited about 1t. He shouldn't nave taken me seriously, for woman has a right to say any. thing nice to man that comes into her head when she is trying to en- snare him into matrimony! If he paved the game fair he would charge all her cUE plments up to profit and loss and use common sense after he was married just as woman does but men are so foolish!
 Johns conceit was a great shock to me, because everything I had done or worn or said had invariably been a little better than just all right with John.
 My awakening came when I pur- chased the linen dress. I found t in one of these exclusive little shops where they have clothes all ready to we-r that are beyond your widest dreams of style. The linen dress was the last cry. I can't exactly describe 1t except that 1t was a coarse, heavy, natural ecru linen with panels of heavy lace to match and an odd crin. son suede belt and fascinating snatch es of thin net let in here and there. Any woman can tell from this de. scripticn that it was actly the stun ningest, most unusual thing you can ever hope to see.
 'T simply grabbed it and had 1t ft- ted to me. When 1t came home donned 1t and casually waihed out in front of John.
 q hadn't exactly formulated what expected him to say, but 1t was some thing to the effect that he was over come totally by my ar of magnif- cecce. Instead. he was strangely si- lent. had not expected him to be so overcome.
 Don't you like it?" I hinted.
 "John coughed. looked at him in surprise. Then he took hold of a sleeve with gingerly thumb and fore finger. What is it?' he asked, hesi- tatingly. Tt looks-er-it looks like potato sacking. Of couse' he added, hastily and politely, T knUw it isn't. But-er-isn't it queer?'
 "Oh, he tried to be polite, he really did. But he suffered so while he was doing it that, having a tender heart. couldn't stand it. He simply couldn't see that linen dress. To him 1t was a monstrosity, blot on the landscape and at the thought of his wife appear. ing in garment which to him was go ing to draw the scorn and amazed amusement of the populace was unen durable
 "So long as that dress was in the house John was nervous, anguished and tormented, so I took it back. told the store people that I'd pay them to take it back. because if kept 1t knew 1t meant a divorce in the family but they were very nice and said could change it. So bought lovely taffeta gown. It was changeable silk with outings and uuillings and q quaint lace fichu.
 My dear, you'll never believe me but when put that dress on John terribly old fashioned?' he asked, tim idly. I remember my great aunt in a dress like that. Why don't you get something new and stylfsh?'
 Wasn't that hopeless? 1 explained to him carefully that it was the latest style, but John vowed that 1t was an. cient and that they had imposed OF me and anyhow he disliked change able silk. So sold 1t to my sister foI s5 less than paid for it. I was now $15 to the bad, as the second dress had cost $10 more than the original linen. I told John that when he could take a day off and accompany me on g shopping tour I'd buy a dress, but un til then I would devote my attentioI to hats.
 'I got perfect love of a hat witt a bunch of these white uncurled os trich feathers on that everybody knows cost like sixty-and John threw up his hands! He said I looked a. though had been caught out in the rain and hadn't money enough to ge the feathers recurled. He raved SC about it that sent the hat back.
 Then I sat down in front of John and by painstaking labor extracted from him the description of the kinC of clothes he would like to see me in He said he liked tailory things witt shirt waists that had collars and cuff they've been out five years yol know-and sailor hats. John said tha nothing on earth looked so trim an, stylish as perfectly plain sailor hat What would they do to me at fash ionable tea If appeared in such gal ments?
 'Oh, no, didn't ask John that. Any