The courier-index., 1920-10-15
Silk and Calico
By CENEvIEvE ULMER
C@. 1920. Western Newspaper Union. }

arms full of bundles, and outside of a spool of thread you have not bought a single thing"
 Because the spool of thread was all l needed" replied Mrs. Nellie Whar- ton cheerily.
 l Elsie Brandt, her married sister, looked thoughtful and unsatisfied. She had come to the city from the home of her husband and mother at | Cleston, visiting Nellie for the first time since her marriage. Elsie had been somewhat disappointed to find the bride of year living in cheap, modest three-room flat, palpably eco nomieal in household outlay, her hus- band travelling salesman from home most of the time, and, although she had joined her guest in making the rounds of the stores and had looked at and admired the contents of the display windows, Nellie had made one Insignificant purchase.
 And look at the dream of skirt, NellieW enthused Elsie. Marked low, too. Why don't you buy 1t? Your dress looks positively shabby and do believe it is one you had before the wedding"
 "That is true, Elsie," responded Nel- lie, "but it will have to do for spell yet. You see Ronald and are living l on settled basis of expenditure, and l have to be careful"
 II When Elsie Brandt went home she aired her suppressed grievances fully. Nellie had not told her much about her own domestic affairs, appeared happy as a lark, but Elsie was inn pressed with the idea that Ronald was either poor provider or earning very little money.
 "I declare! about all Nellie has is the commonest dress goods, but no- ticed in a wardrobe some fancy shirts of her husband that must have cost a lot"
 "Calico wife, silk husband, ehf' sug- gested her mother.
 'Come to think Of 1t, I fancy you have hit the nail on the head" cb- served Elsfe's husband. "I happened across Ronald Wharton in Belleville last week. He was rolling by in a de luxe automobile in charge of liveried chauffeur. Dressed up to the hines. Actually he was sort of fashion plate--a pink of perfection as to at tire and makeup. I won't say foppish, Ronald is tasteful and knows how to wear good clothes, but doesn't stint himself, that is sure"
 Umcommunicative Nellie might have enlightened her carping relatives had she been present. The fact was that her husband was following a rather particular line of business calling for neatness. precision and effect. He was no poseur, but he appreciated and valued the influence of personal im- lpyessiOns. Ronald was travelling for a publishing concern putting out high class sets of books, and catered only Whenever he made a town, as the saying is, he followed selected social leaders. His immaculate attire and naturally gentlemanly ways won recog- nition
 Just after the married Nellie the business house he had been with for many years removed to distant head quarters and he looked about fer a new connection.
 Tt means putting thousand miles between ourselves and your family folk" he told Nellie. "if l go with them. To break into a new line will be experimental, but believe l have an offer worth working out" He told Nellie all about the book selling proposition. It would take about all the ready cash he b2d to equip himself rightly and stand travel ing expenses for GO days ahead. The commissions rendered were very gen. erous. and if he met with any pre- tentious measure of success there was an assurance of an income treble that he had received in his old position.
 Heart and soul wise, prudent. cal cuating Nellie entered into the propo- sition of the hour. She scaled down household expenses to a narrow mini mum. She declared she was outfitted | completely as to attire for full year \ ahead. If sister Elsie had been with | Neille NfkeL SHe dSSISleu HeT HusDHnu in getting ready for the road, she would have been fairly appalled, Handsome of face and well built brisk of manner and naturally graceful of boise, her adorable better half indeed knew how 10 wear good clothes, and Nellie. insisted on his providing him. self with the very best
 It was six months after her first visit to the Sity that Elsie wrote her sister that both she and her mother haS arranged to spend week with her.
 'T have made over two of my old gowns" Elsie told her mother. They will fill In some of the dreariness of NelIie's wardrobe"
 "Yes, poor child and am going to cheer her up with a present of fifty dollars for a winter coat" added Mrs. Dubois.