The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-21
! EVENING STORY
The s16.45 Suit.


The window of the Leading Gents
Furnishing Store of the city present
ed a display that gladdened the hearts
of bargain hunters. David Laird could
not be elasSed as a bargain hunter, but
lust the same he stopped in front of
the window and looked over the suits
displayed. They were all marked
down to $16.45. They looked very
well on the dummies and appeared
worth the price. 1t was for new
suit he had come downtown and these
were new suits-so that was all he
cared, and he went in TO purchase one.
Walter Mitchell, manager of the
store and a personal friend of David's.
got away from the bargain hunter.
who had been debating for over an
hour on which suit would wear long
est and which would fade soonest, and
made for Dave.
Il want a suit, Walt" Davis an
not need. after he had been welcomed
by Mitchell.
department. We have some splendid
new cloth in, and our tailors can have
suit made up in record time when
they know it is for you. You are the
best advertisement they have
Mitchell started to lead the way but
Dave put restraining hand on his
shoulder.
No, Walt; I want a ready-made
suit-one of those $16.45 ones in the
window" he said
'What?" Mitchell asked in sur
prise. "A sixteen-forty- five suit for
you? You're jokingi"
but Dave assured him he was not
swell. Dave. you always have had
thes name of being the best dressed
man at the club, and the most nare
ticaiar. What will Miss Forsythe saw.
about YOU appearing in cheap suit ?''
Mitchell was not quite convinced of
Dawes sincerity.
Tt won't make any difference to
Hester. Why should it? You didn't
see me at her house last night, did
you ?" Dawes injured tone showed
where the contention lay
No, but l thought you were out of
town didn't think it possible that
angry at one another as all that Your
little quarrels always seem to patch
up quicker and easier than any one
else's."
Well, there is no sign of this one
patching up, and 1 hope it never does
Hester has gone too far this time, -
Dave said decidedly. How about the
suit ?''s
Dave did not take long in choosing
a suit. Almost the first one he tried
on fitted him, and he ordered it sent
to his apartment After he had gone
out Mitchell looked after him, per
picked. Whatever has got into Dave
Laird to wear q cheap suit, 1 don't
know Cad, tho even it looked good
on him." he said to himself. III
bet tins quarrel is the cause of the
whole thing. I've heard of fellows
going to the dogs just over a quarrel
with some girl. and this is about the
first step down for Dave
Dave arrived at his apartment be-
fore the suit 1t was not from neces-
sity he had bought the suit but from
/ force of habit. 1t had been his Gus
tom to buy new suit the first of
every month. and he was going to
find the habit hard to break.
I'm never going to be extravagant
again." he said to himself as he went
thru his wardrobe. I'm send all these
clothes to the old Peoples Home.
Heavens. wouldn't some old man look
great in this pinch back; it cost SOS.
and doesn't look much at that!''.
The idea of the old man in his
smart suit appealed to Dawes sense
of humor and he laughed for the first
time in two days.
Mitchell. surmised correctly when he
thought Hester was the cause of
Dawes cheap purchase. Dave had al
was had more money than he knew
what to do with, and had little idea
how to make himself really miser-
| able. Changing his appearance and
| going on the rocks" he thought,
would be the most terrible things that
could happen to him and would af-
! feet Hester most. But as he. sat down
and thought it over it crossed his
mind that perhaps after all he wasn't
/ reaching the desired end.
I u think I'll be a hermit" he said
aloud Buster, his pet Boston terrier,
came over to him at the sound of his
voice Nobody loves me now" The
dog licked his hand by way of con-
| tradiction. Dave laughed little more
/ cheerily.
! Knock on the door at the foot of
his stairs announced the arrival of the
suit. Dave opened the parcel and took
out the suit. 1t wasn't so bad, he de-
cided. but it was certainly different
from the class of clothes he was ac-
/ customed to wearing. What would
clothes ma tier, anyway, when there
was no one to admire them? He
| would not care how he looked, and he
+, would give all his money to charities,
and be a martyr in the true sense of
the word. The more>he looked at the
| suit the more he thought of what
Hester would think of it cropped up
in his mind. 1t didn't look bad from
| a distance, but a close inspection
showed the poor quality of the goods
he saw when he tried il on. 1t
wouldn't be likely that Hester would
ever get close enough to him to see
] its defects. That was the worst of it.
4 He could not help stopping to ad-
| rnire his stalwart figure as it appeared
4 In the mirror. The thought crept into
his mind that it would not be so hard
to find a girl to take Hesferss place
but he quickly dispelled it. No. nc