The Washington herald., 1914-09-02

style. Now out in ST. Louis, where I
come from, women are different. They
think OF something beside clothes. Take
my &fe-'
A few men and women In the great au-
dience filing out from the Forty-eighth
street Theater caught the boasting words
OF the man from St Louis. but they were
still benumbed by the tragic climax OF
the play. that binding fash OF primitive.
unieashed passion which made To-day
one the most discussed dramas Of the
New York season.
Outside the theater the man from ST.
Louis, still chanting the virtues OF mid
West women. turned toward the broad
band Of white light known as Broadway.
The woman who had followed him up the
aisle and through the lobby, turned to-
ward Fifth avenue for whose simmer
ing harvest Of purple and fine linen. cling
.tng silk and caressing laces, LILLY Wag-
ner," OF To-day" had sacrificed her hus-
bands honor and her own soul
And as the women walked slowly
through the avenue OF fashion and luxury
the American woman's fairyland. its
granite walls and marble facades faded
into the unlovely boards of ungracious,
square houses of an Iowa city, in the
making The window boxes, softening
club and restaurant fronts, became the
struggling young trees and the gaspinS
lawns OF a newly planned addition.
Tho oiled asphalt crumpled into yellow
clay, overlaid with gravel. The man and
woman gliding past In their electrically
lighted limousine were transformed by
the magic touch of memory into young
married couple sitting on the porch OF a
cottage In that faraway town.
The man was straight. sturdy. and
bronzed, the sort born of pioneer parents.
Staring out into the purpling night. he
saw a city beautiful. and himself among
its makers. The woman was 1.-THE ana
slim. with a subtle air of distinction that
seemed to cry out for more refined and
delicate setting. She, too. was looking
ahead. and against the shadows OF the
night she saw shlmmering things that
held her entranced, clinging silks, cobweb
Iaces, velvets that held the sheen or star
light. clothes that were satin-soft the
very sensuousness of raiment, the silken
lure!
Couldn't stnnd IL.
And then suddenly her thoughts leaped
into words.
II can't stand it,
The man came back from his dreamland
with q start
Can't stand whAt?"
The ugliness OF our life. The silly
round OF ,w'srk in this house with all its
ugliness I'm tired OF patching curtains
and carpets-tired of turning and dyeing
my clothes. IL want something pretty
in my life"
The man refiIled his pipe.
''Pu give II to you as soon as l can
Business is getting better every day
That's what you've said for three years
and i can't wait. / might as well tell
YOU I've seen the school board and I'm
going back to teaching in the Central
School"
Her clear voice seemed to rebound from
the mans intense silence, but she hur-
ried on
Aunt Myra will &eep house for US
she's a much better manager than l am.
viii always be here when you come
home, and when you are not here, Il
won't matter, will II? With my very
first months salary, I'm going TO buy a
new carpet for the front room, the one at
Bispham's. with the red roses. You'll like
that And II you could see the furs
ordered today. Just think-furs! Warm,
silky. cuddly furs against my throat and
hands when II turns cold 1t seems as II
I'd wanted them for years.
II meant TO give you set for Christ
mas-I don't want my wife to support
herself"
Don't worry-I won't You can run
the house. I'll just pay Aunt Myra's
wages and buy pretty things. Oh, Tom.
YOU can't understand how a woman
starves for pretty things. I'm so tired
of cheap. coarse clothes. don't mind
eating tough meat or warmed over
dishes but I can't stand this hidecus
poverty in clothes any longer"
You always look nice to me- said
Tom.
THAT'S because you don't know calico
from chiffon. but do and l can feel it.
l don't ask you to go without tobacco
do 1. because we're trying to get a little
ahead"
Tom jerked his pipe from his mouth.
"No-because I know you need tobacco
to help you work. Well. pretty things
means as much to me as tobacco does
TO you, and I'm going to have them. It's
honest to work, II it's only for clothes
welf?'
Tom Gave In.
She had used the one weapon that
would conquer Tom-the appeal for fair
play.
IF you put It that way, Lou, go ahead.
Only when get on my feet want you
to cut it all out"
She crept into his arms.
wait till you see me in my furs."
In mid-winter she was wearing the
sleek, rich furs to school. They were
part and parcel Of a disturbing element
in the Central School The young girls
Mrs Tom taught could hardly concen-
trate on their work for the distracting
glimpses of smart shoes, silk petticoats
under strikingly tailored skirts, blouses
and neckware and chic hats that came
from the best shops Of Chicago. Her
fellow teachers viewed Mrs. Toms sar-
torial superiority with resentment. They
had homes to maintain, relatives to
help or support. and they had friends
looking for positions who needed more
than fine raiment. But Mrs. Tom rose
superior to such disapproval, and when
kchool closed she took a position as
saleswoman in the city's largest de-
partment store. She explained to Tom
that Il was not fair to turn Aunt Myra
of during the summer and so she must
earn more money.
Tom fought the silent, losing fight of
the husband who struggles against any
deep-rooted habit in his wife. whether
that be jealousy. or drugs. Mrs. Tom
craved soft raiment against her flesh as
some men crave alcohol Sa as time wore
on, Tom lived to make money and Mrs.
Tom lived to swathe her body in the
softest silken things that her earnings
could buy. While other couples went to
clubs and card parties and lectures;
she sat under the front room lamp, run
ming ribbons through cob-web fine under
wear, sewing lace on silk and fur on vel
vet, with TOMS sombre eyes glancing at
her above his paper. On those rare oc-
casions when they appeared In public,
she was the best-dressed woman In sight.
Women regarded her coldly, men followed
her with eyes that slowed but they did
not envy her husband.
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