The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-03
Eoening Story
Keeping Fashionable.

I ter repeatedly. Some day you'll learn
| that YOU ought TO dress up more and
keep fashionable"
| Certainly Eliza kept fashionable.
Eight dollars constituted her weekly
stipend earned by mixing tempting po-
! tions at Silverworth's drug store. Eliza
was one of a half dozen girls who pre-
sided within the circular formation OF
marble at which airplane sundaes,
submarine splits AMI tank sodas were
served, and the high cost of living,
the fate of the League of Nations, the
future of Jugo-Slavia and the salaries
of the film stars discussed.
But the eight dollars-to return to
the subject. Of the eight dollars, two
went for board and room and the re-
naming six were expended to adorn
Eliza with fashions latest creations.
Board and room for two dollars a
week? Yes, you see Eliza lived at
home, as did her sister, Isabel
Isabel clerked in F1emmePs dry
goods store, and her share of the
worlds goods every week was seven
dollars. OF this seven two went for
board and room, 15 cents purchased
cinema thrills at the Palace theater.
an average of 6S cents was used for
wearing apparel and $3.14 was de-
posted IN the bank.
Contrasted with Elias extensive and
expensive wardrobe, Isabefs adorn-
ment was like a minnow anto a gold
fish; yet the latter seemed satisfied
with her lot in life and never COM
planned about her rather drab, never
Ltheless neat. attire.
Nor was there reason to complain;
for Isabel could have afforded more
attractive garb as well as her younger
sister-could better afford 1t, in fact,
because she had several hundred dol
lars in safe keeping.
With the situation as 1t was re-
fy1ar 1ln %
have changed positions. Silk at
soda fountain was as out of place as
cotton behind the silk counters. where
Isabel presided. Yet each of the girls
was an expert in her particular line of
endeavor.
Eliza had a secret. She was in love.
Every afternoon there came into
Silverworth's drug store fascinat-
ing. neatly-dr young man who
had the ginser-ale habit. The sun
might forget to shine, the clock
might stop, the river might run
dry, but always at 2 p. m. John Hen
bricks settled himself at his favorite
place at the marble counter (unless
someone else got there first) and or
dered ginger-ale-
Then he would plunge into the
depths of a newspaper and remain
absorbed in it until his beverage ar
rived, when he would fold the paper,
thrust it into a pocket and sip of the
roved abstractedly and looked at moth
ing particular, altho seeming to take
in everybody and everything in his
range of vision.
Yes, Eliza Correll loved John Hem
bricks. She did not know his name,
she had no knowledge of his vocation.
she had never spoken a word to him
or been addressed by him except on
matter of business. She waited on his
order; but John Hendricks noticed
her not at all.
Being in love with some one she did
not know. Eliza felt that it behooved
her to interest him il it lay in her
power: SO she paid even more atten-
ton to her clothes and deprived her
self OF all forms of amusement so that
she might make herself what she
styled "presentable' before the "gin-
gle-ale fiend." Be it said to her
credit that she did not purchase her
rainent on credit.
It," she told herself. Hes a bru-
net and I'm a blonde: and they say
that's the way it ought to be-"
1t seemed fine to be in love. ever
if it was unrequited. Eliza thought, and
then she got to wondering If her sis
ter had ever experienced the exhilara-
ton attendant on being paid attention
by the little winged god with bows al =
arrows. One day Eliza observed:
Isabel. it's about time you got mar
ried. But there's no chance in the
world for you. with those plain
clothes you wear"
To which Isabel replied merely with
a smile and went her way.
She's a deep one Eliza mused.
That's the way with brunets. The
ginger ale fiend must be a deep one
too"
But in spite of her natural charms
for Eliza was a good-lookiEg~ ~gfrl-as-
lot, = s-A V4T,, II
bricks continued to order his ginger
ale. read his paper. sip his drink and
hurry ouc of the store.
One morning as she lay in bed
snatching a few extra minutes of semi
slumber. a startling fact crept into
Elias brain. She had no clean
clothesi She had been working hard
er than usual of late and had allowed
her. soiled garments to accumulate
She had intended to wash out a waist
and skirt the night before, but had
forgotten to do it.
She 1eaped from the bed, on the
verge of a panic. Horrors! Go be-
clothes. IMPOSSIBLE. What was to be
done? There was nothing that could
be done unless-oh, she couldn't do
that. and yet-well, it was the only
course.
She shook her sister, who was not
due at the clothing store until Eliza had
been mixing drinks for an hour.
'1sab bell" cried Eliza. Wake upi Can
you let me wear a waist and skirt of
yours today? I hate to ask you. but
mine aren't fit
Isabel sat up and rubbed her eyes,
and yawned, then glared at Eliza as
tho debating whether to rend her
limb from limb.
''You-wa -borxow-a-waist
and-skirt?" ?" she said, as tho she could
not believe her ears "You-queen of
fashion-you want to wear my plain
clothes?"
Eliza felt somewhat abashed.
Well. no, I really don't want to-"
she replied, but there's nothing else
to do
So it was that Eliza Correll, fashion