The Ordway new era., 1917-09-07

| SuSpenderS n
h.,s, a.,nsrt I,,.. stamping down
his trousers legs.
Look at that! Three inches too
short Where the Sam Hill did these
come from?"
"why, you've drawn them up too
high"
"Too high? Let out to the last
notch. When'd you have this suit
pressed?" examining the dress coat
und vest he had thrown on the bed.
To-day"
swell, it's somebody else's! That
fool taller got 'em mixed. Now
we're In devil of fix!"
"Oh, Warren, he couldn't! 1t must
be your suit"
"It Is, eh? How about this-'H.
Gordon" finding the name on the
tailor's label inside the vest pocket.
"Mr. Gordon!" excitedly. "Oh, that
stupid delivery boy! Dorall have to
take 1t in and get yours
With anxious directions, Helen fold
ed the suit over Dora's arm and sent
her across the hall to the Gordons'
apartment to explain the tailor's er-
ror.
But the girl returned with the dis
concerting message that neither Mr..
nor Mrs. Gordon was in and that she
could not make their Norwegian maid
understand.
"Dear, wear your dinner coat"
pleaded Helen. "The Leonards aren't
very formal"
1.-THE dinner coats all right-but
what about trousers? They happen to
be in style this year"
"Oh," despairingly, remembering
Warren had but one pair Of trousers
for both his dress and dinner coat.
"Tll see If can locate EN-" girdling
about him his long blanket robe.
"No-no, dear, you can't go like
that! Wait. I'm almost dressed. Only
Mrs Gordon's so pecular-I hate to go
when she's not there"
If it had been any one but the Cor
dons, worried Helen, as Dora hooked
her gown. Ever since the unpleasant
maid incident, last winter, their rela-
tions had been most strained.
"The tailor who presses the clothes
left this suit with us, so you must
have Mr.. Curtis" explained Helen
laboriously to the Gordons' maid.
"This Mr.. Gordon's suit?" smiled the
girl. Eyes, take it in."
"But 1 want the other suit You
don't understand. The tailor got the
suits mixed" she began again with
distinct, painstaking slowness.
"Oh, yes, ma'am-yes, ma'am, un-
derstand! get you the suit"
Helen waited hopefully at the door,
but it was a blue sack suit that the
girl brought out. Once more she ex-
planned that 1t was black with satin
faced collar, and the maid came smil-
I ingly back with morning coat.
"Know what time 1t is?" called War
ren, appearing in the hall.
'Oh, can't make her understand"
desperately. "She's brought every
! suit b,t tho right one"
/ ":,,ht.a go in and get 1t yourself"
"(,h, not while they'rs out!"
I, "Well, If we're going to that dinner
/ we can't stand on ceremony"
Eyes, ma'am, you come look-that'l
(, be all right" the maid assured them.
Reluctantly Helen followed her
1 through the long, dim hall. Though
/ they had lived on the same floor with
! the Gordons for over two years, it
was the first time .she had been in
their apartment.
| Past the dining room, with the table
set for dinner, glimpse of bath
room with elaborate, but unpolished
l fixtures, and Helen found herself in an
I overfurnished bedroom cluttered with
cretonne-covered boxes and hand
made knicknacks that suggested
church bazaar.
maybe you find it here" The girl
threw open the closet door.
It was crowded, disordered closet.
The shelves were jumbled with hat
boxes and the floor Uttered with shoes
and shoe trees. From. cross rod
hung Mr.. Gordon's suits. Helen went
through them hurriedly. A frock coat,
a cutaway, four sack suits, an over
coat-Warren's dress suit was not
there.
.Maybe in hurry she left 1t here"
suggested the maid. leading the way
into the smaller bedroom that In their
apartment Helen used as q dressing
room.
Here Mrs. Gordon's clothes over
flowed the hooks and crowded the
door. On the cross-pole hung her bet
ter frocks on ribbon-covered hangers,
and among them sleamed the satiny
iklAck e Warrsnss drses suit, The
lo1Ad u 1 eaeelng Appgs AAd ~ maid
fsaa W. 1 ssln ~ 49, - H