The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-01

He,en,s brown broadcloth suit, In
which she had felt SO well groomed
All winter, seemed suddenly SHABBY
and dusty as She came out IN inc
bright spring sunlight.
Although she had brushed it before
starting out she stopped over non
and with her gloves shook the front
OF the skirt and brushed one of Pussy
F'urrn1ew's hairs from her sleeve.
The things that look SO well all win
ter are apt to look disconcertingV
shabby on the first bright spring day
And Helen felt uncomfortably shabby
as she took the car at the corner ana
sat down in the only vacant seat by
a woman in an assertively new light
gray suit.
Az she took out her carfare, even her
brown suede gloves looked conspicu-
ously dark and dusty beside the tres'i
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 suddenly much too warm
and too heavy. The reallZatlon 1ia'
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 ma
terial for an afternoon gown, some
thing in foulard or some soft summer
silk. 1t would take her two weeks be-
fore she could get it made and she
needed it now.
She left the acr 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 waited
on for some time. But Helen was
glad of the opportunity to look over
the many silks displayed on the coun-
ter 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 color
ings were riotous.
Had Nothing Else.
Just why American women Should
wear barbaric hues because there had
been a war in the Balkans was not
quite clear to Helen and she had no
intention of making herself conspicu-
GUS for any such freakish fashion.
But when the clerk was free to wait
on her she found they had almost moth
ing in quiet colorings and Small de-
signs ''Everythings large figured and
bordered this season. he Informed her.
Then haven't you something from
last season BndC Is IlOTe qulcl!
I'VE never carry anything over"
haughtily, with glance that implied
she must be most peculiar person to
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 here 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 statesmen had not had time to
put back. AS Helen glanced over these
she started joyfully. Here at last was
lust what she wanted-a dull pastel
blue foulard with a tiny. indistinct
white figure.
The belt was underneath several
others, but on the exposed end was
marked the width and price-"42 in,
So" 1t was more than Helen wanted to
pay, but all the silks were high this
sprils, and she was so relieved to find
something amid this glaring efful-
gence of color that the words six
yards of this, please" lowered on he1
lips.
She looked impatiently up and
down the counter, but every clerk
had a customer with two or three
others waiting. Her chances We're
Just as good with the clerk nearest
her. A woman who had been waiting
for some time for this clerk now got
up from the seat beside Helen with
an audible:
'welI, / 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.
mo, this isn't quite what l wanted
as she held up fold of green and rec
lowered foulard. Haven't you some
thing else in these same shades bu
not quite so dark
The Fat Woman.
"Pve showed you everything We
have, madam" answered the clerl
with an unmistakable note of weari
ness.
well, let me see that piece with the
purple figure again. No, that isn't the
one I meant" as he drew out a bo1
from a dozen or more others he hat
evidently been showing her. "Didn
you show me something with a purple
figure on a red and orange ground