The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-12-11
SIMPLY SKIRTS
A Business Adventure of Emma McChcsney
b. EDNA FERBER
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se. upor which they stand united.
every member OF that fraternity which
A. Condemned TO a hotel bedroom. or a
s.eerer berth BY uight and chained
O. , sample case BY day agrees IN
tbis arst That 4 isn't what II used
ca bs Second n only they could
cot an opening Tor a nice. paying
gents furnishing business In a live
uttls town that wasn't sWemped with
Cbat kind o. thing already they'd buy
a and settle down IKE a white a
hy George' and quit this peddling.
The missus hates q anyhow and the
kis kno the iceman better than they
90 their own dad.
On the morning that Mrs Emma Nc
Chesuey representing T. A. Buck
Faatheri oom PettioOats, dashed her
talk with Miss Hattie Stitch, head OF
Wiser 3 Rloch's skirt and suit depart
usut. she fouRd herself In a rare
mood she hated her Job she loathed
her yellow sample cases she longed
90 cali Miss stitch a ereen-eyed cat;
and she wished that she had chosen
zone easy and pleasant way Of earn
tnk a living. like doing plain and fancy
vlshing an ironing Emma McChesuey
Dad been selling Featherioom Petit
,na-s on the road for almost ten
years. and she wa famed throughout
her territory for her a n sunniness
and her love Of her work Which
speaks badly for Miss Hattie stitch.
Hiss Hattie stitch hated Emma Nc
Chasuey with all the hate that a fiat
ca,stad. thin-haired woman has for
1na WHO can wear a large s with
1ut one inch OF alteration. and a hat
fla, turns sharply away from the face.
Tor IS weeks In the year Miss Stitch
existed In Kiser & Bioch's store az
River Falls. For six weeks. two In
sprng. two In fall. and two in mid
winter. Hattie lived IN New York.
With A capital L. She went there to
seiect the ~sCason's newest models
slightly modiEca for River Falls).
but incidentally she took a regular
~trousseau with her
All day long Hattie picked skirt
and suit models with unerring good
taste and business Judgment Al
A. nIsht she was a creature trans
tormed. Every house OF which Hattie
bought did its duty like a soldier and
gentleman. Nightly Hattie powdered
her neck and arms. performed sacred
rites over her hair and nails. donned
a gown so complicated that a hotel
maid had 20 hook her up the back. and
was ready for her evenings escort az
eight. There wasn't a hat On a grill
room from one end OF tho Crooked
'0w-path % the other that was more
wildly barbaric than Eattie's. even in
these sane and simple DAYS when the
bird NJ paradise has become the ma
roua, bird Tho buyer % suits FOR a
thriving department store IN a hustlinE
ittle middle Western town isn't % b.
neglected Whenever a show came
~ River Falls Hattie would look
bored. pass a weory hand ove her
glossy colfure and say "Oh. yCs.
clever little show Saw it two win.
tsrs ago 10 New York This won't be
the original company. OF course The
rear that Hattie came back wearing a
sef % skunk everyone thought II was
lynx until Hattie drew attention -
what she called the brown tone" in
10 After that Old Lady Heinz got
aer DID skunk furs out Of me moth
balls and tobacco and newspapers
tlat lad preserved them. and her
daughter cut them mp into bands foI
che bottom o. her skirt and the cuffs
lf her ccSt When K.seT a. Bloch had
their fall and sprnE openings the
town came cstensibiy o. sci fse new
styles but really % gaze 40 Hattie
ia new CONNECTION. undgiati-r up and
down the department. -alkinE with a
ueaTy Eastern accent ahol, fhis NJ
that being smart or Cood this
year. or having "a world ~ fv'e.
and sort o. trailing her toes after hel
t1 give q elinging. Grecian l.no like
pictures Of Ethel barrymore when she
vas Thin. The year that Hattie con
aded 20 some one that size was wear
inE orly scant boomers beneath hel
aiinky silk the floor waA mobbed. ans
they had 20 cali IN reserves from thl
basement iadies-and- misses e. ready-to
wear
Miss Stitch came 20 New York Il
March. On the evening Of her arriya
she dined with Fat I'd Meyers OF IN
Strauss sans-snk Skirt company. u
informed her that she looked like
Rid. aud that that was some classy n
re gown, and Il wasn't every woma
who could YEA that kind Of thing an
get away with e. Il took q certai
style. Hattie smiled. and humme
on-key 20 the tune the orchestra va
playing. and I'd told her Il was
shame she didn't do something vii
that voice.
4 have something 70 tell you" ga.
Hattie. "Just before left ] had
talk with old Klser. or rather, !
had q talk with me. You know ] ha'
,-,tty wurh NV avn Wav IN my q