Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1921-07-28
A'DoubIe
Love Story
tcopyright.)
By MoLLlE MATHER.

1t had taken Tessie long time to
save twenty-five dollars. and the sum
seemed more than twice this amount
to. her. twenty-five dollars, Tessie
thought, should be enough to buy the
finest coat, and she was in need of q
coat. Indeed, the thin little suit
which had been her last years pdr-
chase was all insufficient against win
try winds, and neither indoors nor
out did poor Tessie know the luxury
Of warmth.
SO the girl was now alone in the
world, alone that is, except for Fred
erick. Frederick hoped to marry her
when his salary should be raised, and
1t was especially because of Fredcr-
lex that Tessie longed for the tan coat
with the fur collar, Frederick adj
mired this coat III the store window,
when he and Tessle fingered on their
walks Frederick would buy her
coat like that some day, he said. and
She would look like princess" in it.
Tessie wished to look like princess
now, that her lover might be proud of
her; so painstakingly and self-sacri-
ficingly she saved the twenty-five dol
lars. There was no price tag on the
cloak in the window, and Tessie knew
many discOuraging fears, but on the
night of the biting snow storm she
turned reSolutely into the store; she
must have some kind of coat at once,
even if her hope was to be destroyed.
The desired coat had become to her
almost an obsession, she gloried in
dreams Of its lining. And when the
radiator in her upper bedroom re-
manned as cold as her own hands, Tcs-
sic would draw the old wooden shawl
about her shoulders and think of that
warm fur collar. She felt strangely
dbashed as she entered the carpeted
cloak department in the presence of
the stately modish, young woman who
seemed almost pityingly to await her
demands. TesSie'S faded little suit
glared out its Shabbiness. in all that
grandeur of newness. COurageously,
she approached one of the attendant
young women. II would like" she
said frankly, "to see tan cloak with
fur collar, I can only pay twenty
five dollars"
The young woman continued her
work of asserting cloaks.
"We have nothing like that for
$25.00," she answered brusquely.
But there was a coat in the win
dow" Tessie began. she could not
so easily dispose of her hope. With a
shake of her head. the young woman
moved on to a more promising GUS
toner. Then, as Tessie stood hesitat-
ing and detected, a second young wom-
an came around the display table. The
! dress she wore was black and simply
| made, her soft brown hair waved
naturally over her ears, she had the
| same calmly superior manner of the
Others which had inspired Tessie with
| uncomfortable awe. But the face of
| this young woman who accosted her
with a pleasant question: was pale
and tired, Tessie thought, and her
| dark eyes showed sympathetic inter-
est. Quickly Tessie responded to that
interest. Perhaps" she suggested,
"you might be able to find warm
tan coat for me, with fur collar
like fhe one in the window. can only
| pay twenty-five dollars. You see,
have saved-that much"
"But twenty-five dollars is a good
deal for a coat. isn't it?
Sometimes the pale faced young
woman answered gently, twenty-five
dollars is a good deal. If you will sit
down for a few moments I will see
about the coat in the window"
The sparkles came back again to
TesSie'S eyes, The Kindly voice was so
reassurfng. And presently the young
woman returned with a man hearing
| the coveted cloak on his arm. and
when the man found that the cloak
fitted perfectly Tessie's slight figure,
he carried, it away only long enough
TO fold it in square box, and the
purchase was made for twenty-five
dollars. As Tessie was lovingly bear
ing her burden toward the elevator
she turned with a sudden impulse
back to the young woman of the SYM
pathetic eyes.
''Im so grateful to you" Tessie
said, "fOr taking the trouble" The
tiredness of the young wOman's face
seemed to vanish in her smile.
1T has been a pleasure to he able
to do it for you," she said. Then as
Tessie went happily on her way to
"look like princess for Frederick
the young woman slipped back into a
dressing room strewn with fur trimmed
dresses, and here she regained the
hat which she had left there when
she tried the dresses on, and when
she emerged again out into the cloak
room, a big man gravely faced her.
"And so, Marion" he said, "this is
really You whom l meet for the first
time tonight. AS you came 80 the as
sistance Of that shabby little creature
sat waiting for you just behind the
mirror. ] had called at your home
and they said l should find you here.
So heard all that passed, and realized
that you We're playing the part of