The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-23

Furnishing Store" of the city present
ed a display that gladdened the hearts
of bargain hunters. David Laird could
not be classed as q 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 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 longest and
which would fade soonest, and made
for Dave.
"I want a 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 u tailors a have
a 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 u restraining hand on his
shoulder.
mo, Walt; 1 want a ready-made
suit-one of those S16.45 ones in the
window" he said.
"What?" Mitchell asked in surprise.
"A sixteen-forty-five 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 will Miss Forsythe say
about you appearing in a cheap suit?"
Mitchell was not quite convinced of
Dawes sincerity.
1T won't make any difference to
Hester. Why should 1t? You didn't
see me at her house last night, did
you?" Dawes injured tone showed
where the contention lay.
mo, but 1 thought you were out of
town. L didn't think it possible that
Hester and you could. ever become as
angry at one another as all that. Your
little quarrels always seem to patch
up quicker and easier than anyone
else's."
swell 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?'
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 a cheap suit, 1 don't
know. Cad, though, even it looked
good on him." he said to himself. iii
bet this quarrel is the cause of the
whole thing. I've heard of fellows
going to the dogs just over a quarrel
with ONE 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 a new suit the first of every
month, and he was going to find the
habit hard to break.
"Im never going to be ~extravagant
again." he said to himself as he went
through his wardrobe. "IH send all
these clothes to the Old Peoples
home. Heavens, wouldn't some old
man look great in this ~pinch-back; it
ao.% cox oal Ion.n1E 11o1- r,,oL 90
thAt!"
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 thar 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
IT over it crossed his mind that per-
haps after all he wasn't reaching the
desired end.
81 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 a little more
cheerily.
A 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 1t was certainly different
from the class of clothes he was &C.
customed to wearing. What would
clothes matter, anyway, when there
was no one to admire them? He would