Gilpin observer., 1912-09-12
His
Wife Wears

the woman who had the floor, "to any
one who will take my husband of and
sequester him by threat main force
or guile long enough for me to buy q
spring and summer wardrobe. 1t is
absolutely impossible to do it so long
as he remains at large.
When married John had no idea
he was SO fussy. I think spoiled him
by unwisely complimenting his good
taste and judgment in regard to
clothes, and he got conceited about 1t.
He shouldn't have 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
played the game fair he would charge
all her compliments up to profit and
loss and use common sense after he
was married Just as a woman does
but men are SO foolish!'
Johns conceit was a great shock
to me, because everything 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. found 1t in
one of these exclusive little shops
where they have clothes all ready to
wear that are beyond your widest
dreams Of style. The linen dress was
the last cry. l can't exactly, describe
1t except that it was a coarse heavy,
natural ecru linen with panels of
heavy lace to match and an odd Grim
son suede belt and fascinating snatch
es of thin net let in here and there.
Any woman can tell from this de.
scription that it was exactly the stun
ningest. most unusual thing you can
ever hope to see.
Il simply grabbed 1t and had it At.
ted to me. When 1t came home l
donned 1t and casually walked out in
front Of John.
II 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 air of magnifi-
cence. Instead. he was strangely 81.
lent. had not expected him to be SO
overcome.
Don't you like it," limited.
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. 1t looks-er-it looks like
potato sacking. OF couse.' he added.
hastily and politely, I know 1t isn't.
But-er-isn't 1t queerr
"Oh. he tried to be polite. he really
did. But he suffered SO while he was
doing 1t that. having a tender heart,
couldn't stand 1t. 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 to draw the scorn and amazed
amusement of the populace was unen.
durable
80 long as that dress was in the
house John was nervous, anguished
and tormented. SO took 1t back. I
told the store people that I'd pay them
to take 1t back. because II l kept 1t l
knew 1t meant a divorce in the family,
but they were very nice and said 1
could change 1t. So bought a lovely
taffeta gown. It was a changeable silk
u
quaint lace fichu.
"My dear. you'll never believe me.
but when L put that dress on John
just sat and looked puzzled. Isn't 1t
terribly old fashioned?' he asked, tim
idly. remember my great aunt in a
dress like that. Why don't you get
something new and Stylish
Wasn't that hopeless? l explained
to him carefully that it was the latest
style. but John vowed that it was an
cient and that they had imposed on
me and anyhow he disliked change
able silk. So sold 1t to my sister for
IS less than paid for 1t. was now
SIS to the bad. as the second dress
had cost $40 more than the original
linenA I told John that when he could
take day of and accompany me on
shopping tour I'd buy a dress, but un-
til then would devote my attention
to hats.
Il got perfect love Of hat with
q bunch Of these white uncurled os.
trich feathers on that everybody
knows cost like sixty-and John threw
up his hands! He said I locked as
though had been caught out In the
rain and hadn't money enough to get
the feathers recurled. He raved SO
about 1t that sent the hat back.
Then l sat down in front OF John,
and by painstaking labor extracted
from him the description Of the kind
of clothes he would like to see me In.
He said he liked tailory things with
shirt waists that had collars and cuffs
they've been out FIVE years you
know-and sailor hats. John said that
nothing on earth looked SO trim and
stylish as perfectly plain sailor hat.
What would they do to me at fash.
ionable tea II appeared In such gar.
ments?
"Oh. no. didn't ask John that. Any.
how. was in luck. because>I know