South Bend news-times., 1914-08-27
THEIR MARRIED LIFE
By MABEL HERB -RT URNER
HELEN WITH DIFFICULTY SELECTS FROM
THE BALkAN-IIUED SPRING
By MABEL HERB .RT URNER

Helens brown brOadcloth suit. in
which she had felt so well-groomed
all winter seemed suddenly shabby
and dusty as she came out in the
bright spring sunlight
Although she had brushed it before
starting out. she stopped over now
and with her gloved hand shook the
front Of >Se skirt. and brushed one Of
Pussy Purrmew' hairs from her
sleeve.
The things that look so we'll all win
ter are apt to look discOncertingly
shabby on the first bright spring day.
And Helen felt uncOmfortably shabby
as she took the car at the corner and
sat down in the only vacant seat by a
woman in an assertively new light
gray suit
AS she took out her carfare. even
her brown suede gloves looked con-
spicuously dark and dusty beside the
fresh gray kids that held, with an air
of superior daintiness, a gold meshed
bag
The air was quite chilly in spite OF
the brilliant sunlight, yet the brown
suit seemed much too warm and too
heavy. The rea izatiOn that spring is
far advanced and that she has no
spring clothes is a dismaying one to
any woman.
Helen had started out TO get the
material for an afternoon gown. some
thing i'm foulard or some soft summer
silk IL would take her two weeks
before she could get 1t made, and
she needed il now.
She left the car and hurried IN to
McCormick's. The store was crowded
and the silk counter the most crowded
of all.
There was no chance of being wait
ed on for some time. But Helen was
glad of the opportunity TO look over
the many silks displayed on the
counter and draped on skirt forms
over the shelves She had read and
seen enough Of the new spring fabrics
TO know they were gaily colored. but
in McCormick's display today the col
orings were riOtOus.
Had Nothing Else.
Just why American women should
wear barbaric hues because there has
been a war in the Balkans was not
quite clear Il Helen. and she had no
intention of making herself conspicu-
GUS for any such freakish fashion.
But when the clerk was free TO
walt on her she found they had al
most nothing in quiet cOlorings and
small designs. "Everything's large
figured and bOrdered this season., he
informed her
Then haven't you something from
last season that is more quiet?'
I'VE never carry anything over
haughtily with a glance that implied
she must be a most peculiar person 10
want anything from last season.
There was nothing to do but try
some other shop, and Helen hurried
over TO Gordon's. But the crowd
around the silk counter there was
even greater than at MCCormiCk's and
the display of cOlOrings and designs
fully as spectacular.
The counters were covered with a
confusion of bolts. which the over
rushed saIesmen had not had time to
put back. AS Helen glanced over
these she started joyfully. Here at
last was Just what she wanted. dull
pastel blue foulard with a tiny, indis-
tinct white figure.
The bolt was underneath several
others. but on the exposed end was
marked the width and price-"42 In.
$500. IL was more than Helen want
ed to pay. but all the silks were nigh
this spring. and she was SO relieved 10
find something quiet amid this glaring
efulgence of color that the words
six yards of this. please" hovered on
her lips.
She looked impatiently up and down
the counter. but every clerk had a
customer with two or three others
waiting Her chances were just as
good with the clerk nearest her. a
woman who had been waiting for this
same clerk now got up from the seat
beside Helen with an audible:
Well / can't wait any longer.
Helen quickly took the seat, glanc-
ing up at the clerk TO remind him she
was next. But the customer he was
now serving. an excessively stout wo-
man. with huge dangling pearl ear
rings. was plainly taking her time.
NO. this isn't quite what I wanted.
as she held up fold Of green and red
lowered foulard Haven't you some
thing else in these same shades but
not quite so dark ?"
The Fat Woman.
1--WE showed you everything we
have. madam" answered the clerk
with an unmistakable note of wear'-
ness.
Well. let me see that piece with
the purple figure again. No. that isn't
the one | meant as he drew out
bolt from a dozen or more others
ne had evidently been showing her.
Didn't you show me something with
a purple figure on a red and orange
ground? Yes. that's it," throwing an
end of the silk over her arm and
viewing il cOmplacently.
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