The San Francisco call., 1913-11-11
. Their Married Life .
Helen Hysteca When Drssaker Sends Home Her Gowr
Arnost
Almost Ruined

/
which always worked stifiy and were
usually out of order.
| The one that needed adjusting now
was over the library door, and to
| escape the sound of the grating file
Helen took refuge in her bedroom.
There the dress on the bed con-
fronted her. Again she took 1T up.
! the lump of fierce resentment still in
her throat
She could not resist slipping it on
again-just to show how bad 1t was.
| Slowly she turned around before the
long mirror in her closet door,
Reluctantly she admitted that in
spite of the glaring defects the dress
had a certain style and grace. and
was undeniably becoming. She turned
up the skirt and examined the seams.
Yes. they were large enough to let
out. The skirt could be made at least
three inches wider. And that drawn
look over the hips-would letting the
seams out help that?
The instinct to fix things was al
ways strong in Helen. And the next
moment she had the dress off and was
sitting on the floor recklessly ripping
it up. At any rate, she could not hurt
it She could not make it any worse
than it was.
SHE TRIES
Fortunately, the goods was soft and
did not show the stitches. In less
than half an hour she had basted back
the seams and was eagerly trying It
on 1t now set easily around the hips.
and she could take wide steps across
the room. Again she had 1t or and
was ripping out the offending sleeve.
She had forgotten all about the let
ter Her only thought now was to
finish the dress so that she could
wear it that evening. They were not
going out, but Helen always wanted
to wear new gown the first time at
home.
It was easy to rip and baste. but the
sewing was much more tedious. and
it was almost before she finally
slipped on the now remodeIed gown.
The satisfaction of having overcome
difficulty by her own ingenuity
helped TO obliterate her resentment.
So 1t was with a certain pleased con-
sciousness that she ran to meet War
rem.
Hello. what you all dolled up for?''
DO you like it?" eagerly This is
the goods I got in Paris. You know
had Mrs. Stevens dressmaker make
it up
Turn around" critically. What's
this dangling thingg'
"Oh, that's all right-that's the
sash. But what about the general
effect? Does it set well around the
hips? Do you like the way the skirt
hangs? She charged enough for max
ing it-s1s. 1t ought to be right"
Looks all right to me-"
VERY DIFFERENT
We'll, it wasn't when it came" de-
cidedly. 81 had to practically make
it overlook now, I've let out these
seams? I was furious at frst-but 1
think 1t does look pretty well now"
Just then Nora called Helen into
the kitchen. and warran sat down
at the desk to look over some papers
he had brought from the office
Helen's unfinished letter to the dress
maker lay before him. His glance
fell on one Of the sentences she had
tried to make sarcastic
What's all this?" he demanded as
she came back into the room.
''What've you been having Mysteries
about now?"
"Oh, dear, don't-please don't read
that I was all upset when I wrote
it-I would never have sent it,
She was trying to take the note
from him, but he held her off with
one hand while he mercilessly read it
aloud. Even to Helen 1t now sound
ed hysterical.
WARREN DIsGUsTED
That's nice dignifed thing to
write! You'd have sent it, too.
You're always going off half cooked
and making a fool of yourself as he
tossed the note in the waste basket
with a shrug Of disgust.
But. dear, if I do get upset about
things-don't I always get over it
quickly? You know 1 never stay
angry long"
I'm talking about the fool things
you do in your tantrums Cooling off
afterward don't help"
why. Warren, they're not tan
trums," indignantly. I'm no more
quick tempered than you arer'
Well, If l went up in the air every
time anything went wrong at the Of
fice-Id get through with a lot of
business. wouldn't 1? Where's that
stub pen? Why in Sam Hill don't
you ever fiji this inkstand? 'Nough to
make a saint swear to try to do any
/. writing at THIS DESK
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