The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-05
Eocning Story
The Doctor Finds His Suit.
By JANE OSBORN.

Godfrey, was counted among the men
in that town who really needed a
wife. His sister Priscilla lived with
him under protest. 1t was only be
cause she usually happened to select
good servants that the doctor Jared as
well as he did
She was always showing signs of
carelessness and ,heedlessness of his
requests. For instance, one morning
at breakfast he spoke of the fact that
as spring was we'll spent and summer
was coming it would be good idea If
Priscilla would see to it that Myra,
the second maid, would brush his win
ter overcoat and suit and put them
away in the cedar closet.
They are hanging in my large
closet" he said to Priscilla, who was
the way he added. 81 stopped at the
Dobbinses' last night. I had on my
new gray suit. 1 think the Dobbinses
have scarlet fever. So 1 hung it on
the balcony off my room. Get James
to take it to the hospital to be fumi-
gated when he's finished cutting the
lawn"
That night Priscilla bounced upon
her brother when he came in the liv-
ing room from the wing of the house
cards to the Blodget's for tea tomor-
row afternoon" she said. You know
that very charming Hilda, their cousin
from the South, is to be here. You
autumn. shouldn't in the least won,
der If this tea party is being given for
the express purpose of giving you a
chance to meet Hilda again. You were
very foolish not to have rushed her
harder when she was here before. It's
SO seldom you see a girl that in any
way appeals to you
Il can't say that she especially APP
pealed to me- said DIR. Godfrey. He
did not say, as he might had he been
in the mood for confessions, that the
only woman who did appeal to him
was young Mrs. Blodget herself. She
was no older than DR.. Godfrey but,
following her husbands death three
years before. she had led so secluded
an existence that few people in Tilton
had thought of her as in any mood
for marrying Besides. she had two
sons and a fortune-both of which
might have stood in the way of DIR.
Godfrey if he had not been so devoted
an admirer.
BE sure to look your best" went on
Priscilla, thinking of the gushing cou-
sin from the South as a possible sis
ter-in-law. while Doctor Godfrey
thought only of Mrs. Blodget, reserved
and tantalizinG. 4
Doctor Godfrey was sufficiently
eager to follow out his sisters injunc-
to look his. best to go to the hospital
early the next afternoon to get his
gray suit It had disappeared from
the clothes bars on the veranda of his
bedroom, so he assumed that it was
at the hospital. But no one in the
hospital had heard of 1T. We'll. it
doesn't matter" smiled Doctor God
frey, because the Dobhins children
didn't have scarlet fever after all. But
I had asked my sister to have my man
bring it over, SO I thought maybe it
was here"
When Doctor returned home his SIS
ter had already left the house for a
round of calls to be paid before she
arrivd at tn Blodget tea party.
do you know anything about that
suit?" Doctor Godfry asked the maid,
with his usual patience
Indeed, do" said the maid. Miss
Priscilla and I looked the things over.
The overcoat and one of the suits we
suits Miss Priscilla had me take to
the new secondhand store
THE secondhand store?" said Doc
tor Godfrey in amazement.
Don't get disturbed" assured the
maid "AlI the best people in Tilton
just opened. It's a secondhand de-
partment store-shoes. suits. books,
furniture. pans. everything. The rich
sells their things to make a. few dol
lars now and then, and the poor folks
profit by it. Miss Priscilla said she'd
been dying to sell some things there.
All her friends were doing it as a
lark. So she sold that old black suit
ana the gray
THE gray suit out on the bars?"
The maid nodded. "She said you
said something about putting that
away in the cedar chest, but as she
didn't remember the suit. she supposed
If must be awfully old, and if you
weren't wearing it she might as well
sell it,
Doctor Godfrey did not wait for fur
Their explanation. Where's that store?''
he called, and while the~maid was still
~ IL,
tracks for the front door.
1t seemed imperative to Doctor God
frey now that he should wear the gray
suit to Mrs. Blodget's tea party. He
had been foolish enough to let his
supply of clothes run down. With his
shabby suit he now had on and the
winter suits discarded he had only the
new gray one. He could never make
love to Mrs. Blodget in the shabby
suit and he made up his mind that
consideration for the departed Mr.
Blodget could not possibly require that
he keep the secret of his love any
longer from the adorable widow.
He made explanations in the mems
clothing department of the new sec
ond-hand store in very short order.
THE suit was just solo, said the
salesman. "a lady came to buy some
things for the poor and carried it off
said it was very decent for the price
we asked
DR.. Godfrey Smith left the second
hand store in some detection. He defi-
nitely wouldn't go to the tea party in
the old suit. He couldn't buy a ready
made suit and wear that, because |
ready-made suits did not fit him. He |
boosted to himself that he did not
have a ready-made build.
Thoroly disguised and feeling much /
out of patience with his sister, he /
made his way to the hospital He had |
planned to take the rest of the after |
noon off, but he would make some !
calls there that he had planned to put |
off till the following morning.
Just as he was going out of one of /
the wards into the office he fairly J
colIided with the charming Mrs. Blod- /