Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-02-28
16
$16.45 Suit
oo
BY VINCENT @. PERRY
It. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate

Furnishing Store" of the city present
ed display that gladdened the hearts
of bargain hunters. David Laird could
not be classed as a bargain hunter.
but Just 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 a new suit he
had come downtown, and these were
new sults-so that was all he cared,
and he went in TO purchase one.
Walter Mitchell, manager Of the
store and personal friend of David's,
got away from the bargain hunter, who
had been debating for over an hour on
which suit would wear longest and
which would fade soonest, and made
for Dave.
Il want suit, Walt" Dave an
nounced, after he had been welcomed
by Mitchell
Come right upstairs TO our fitting
department We have some splendid
new cloth in, and our tailors can have
a suit made up in record time when
they know 1t is for you. You are the
best advertisement they have"
Mitchell started to lead the way, but
Dave put restraining hand on his
shoulder.
mo, Walt; 1 want ready-made
suit-one of those $16.45 ones in the
window" he said.
WHAT" Mitchell asked in surprise.
"A sixteen-forty-ive suit for you?
You're joking!"
But Dave assured him he was not.
"Well, Dave, you always have had
the name of being the best-dressed
man at the club, and the most par
ticular. What win Miss Forsythe say
about you appearing in Il cheap suit?"
Mitchell was not quite convinced of
Dawes sincerity.
at 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.
mo, but thought you were out of
town. l didn't think 1t possible that
Hester and you could. ever become as
angry at one another as all that. Your
little qual1els always seem to patch
up quicker and easier than anyone
else's."
"Well, there is no sign of this one
patching up, and hope it never does.
Hester has gone too far this time"
Dave said decidedly. How about the
suit?"
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 cheap suit, ! don't
know. Cad. though, even it looked
good on him." he said to himself. "Tll
bet this quarrel is the cause of the
whole thing. I've heard Of fellows
going to the dogs just over 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. It had been his Gus
tom to buy new suit the first OF every
month, and ne was going to find the
habit hard to break.
I'm never going to be extravagant
again." he said to himself as he went
through his wardrobe. "I'll send all
these clothes to the Old Peoples
home. Heavens, wouldn't some old
man look great In this pinch-back; It
cost $65, and doesn't look much at
thatW
The idea of the old man In his smart
suit appealed to Dawes sense OF hui
NOR 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
ways had more money than he knew
what to do with, and had little idea
how to make himself really miserable
Changing his appearance and going
on the rocks" he thought, would be
the most terrible things that could
happen to him and would affect Hester
most. But as he sat down and thought
At over It crossed his mind that per-
haps after all he wasn't reaching the
desired end.
II think I'll be q hermit" he said
aloud. Buster, his pet Boston terrier,
came over TO him at the sound or his
voice. Nobody loves me now The
dog licked his hand by way OF con-
tradiction. Dave laughed little more
cheerily.
A knock on the door at the foot OF
mis- stairs announced the arrival Of the
suit. Dave opened the parcel and took
ont the suit. It wasn't so bad. he de-
cided, but II was certainly different
ftom the class Of clothes he was &C
customed to wearing. What would
clothes matter, anyway, when there
was no one 10 admire them2 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 the thought OF what Hester
would think of II cropped up In his
mind. II didn't look bad from dis