The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-01-28
A Double
Love Story
BY MoLLIE MATHER.
tcopyright.)

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 pur-
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 tho
world, alone that is, except for Fred
erick. Frederick hoped to marry heY
when his salary should be raised, and
1t was especially because of Freder-
ick that Tessie longed for the tan coat
with the fur collar. Frederick adj
mired this coat in the store window,
when he and Tessie fingered on their
walks. Frederick would buy her a
coat like that some day, he said, and
she would look like a princess" in it.
Tessie wished to look like princess
now. that her lover might be proud OF
her; so painstaSingly and self-sacri-
ficingly she saved the twenty-five dos1
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
| of
radiator In her upper bedroom re-
mained as cold as her own hands. Tes-
sic would draw the old wooden shawl
! about her shoulders and think of that
] warm fur collar. She felt strangely
/ abashed 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. 1T would like" she
said frankly, 'to see tan cloak with
fur collar, can only pay twenty.
| five dollars"
The young woman continued hei
work of asserting cloaks.
1--WE have nothing like that for
S25.00," she answered brusquely.
"But there was a coar in the win
dow" Tessie began, she could no
50 easily dispose Of her hope. With ;
shake of her head, the young womal
moved on to a more promising Gus
TONER Then as Tessie stood hesftat
ing and detected, a second young won
an came around the display table. TIL
dress she wore was black and simpl
made, her soft brown hair wave
naturally over her ears, she had tn
same calmly superior manner of tn
others, which had inspired Tessie wit
uncomfortable awe. But the face O
this young woman who accosted he
with pleasant question. was pal
and tired, Tessie thought, and he
dark eyes showed sympathetic inter
est Quickly Tessie responded TO tha
interest. "Perhaps," she suggested
you might be able to find warn
tan coat for me, with a fur collar
like the one in the window. I can onl,
! pay twenty-five dollars. You zee,
have saved-that much"
"But twenty-five dollars is a good
deal for a coat, isn't it?p
Sometimes" the pale faced young
woman answered gently twenty-five
dollars is a good deal. If you viii sid
down for a few moments I will see
about the eoat in the window"
The sparkles came back again to
Tessie's eyes, the kindly voice was so
reassuring. And presently the young
woman returned with a man bearing
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 a 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 sudden impulse
back to the young woman Of the sym
pathetic eyes.
Tin so grateful to you,p Tessia
said, for taking the trouble.v Ths
tiredness of the young womaus faea
seemed to vanish In her smile.
u mas neeh pleasure to he abe
to do it for you she said. Then as
Tessie went happily on her way 10
Took like a princess" for Frederick,
the young woman Slipped hack into
dressing room strewn with fur trimmed
dresses and here She regained the
hat which she had left there wien
she tried the dresses on. and wien
she emerged again out into the cloak
room, a hig man eravely faced her.
and SO. Marion,p he said. "this is
Esally you whom l meet for the first
fffhe tonight. As ven came 20 the as
sis;unee of that shabby little creature
! sat waiting FOR yon just behind the
mirror had called at your home
and they said I should find YOU here.
So 7 heard all that passed, and realized
thaf you wer~ playing The part Of a
clerk just long enough to give to that