Evening star., 1923-03-25

I'd do for a waist" she said slowly.
The girl took a cue at once. Say,
I've got just the thing for you. Just
let me show it to you, one Of these
three-piece suits. II you wear the
coat, you've got a dandy suit. and
If you leave the coat off, there you've
got your stylish dress. Reduced this
morning. I'll show it to you
TARGARET waited, her heart
vi beating furiously with hope,
with dread. The girl hurried back
with something soft and black over
her arm.
Say, talk about luck, it's just your
size. I'll slip 1t on you. 1t sure is a
bargain"
Her practiced hands twisted the
garment this way and that: fastened
hidden snaps: smoothed and settled
the folds; then she stood back
triumphant.
We'll, II that amt a ft I never
saw one. Wait, put on your new hat
with il and then look at yourself.
Say. you're a queen in that"
from It's paper bag. and set it upon
Margaret's hair, fuf1ing the soft
| strands under it with an artist 8
pride.
Now she said. look at yourself
Margaret stepped out to the tall
! mirror between the front windows
| The light there was clear and bright
allowing of no illusions. She looked
and caught her breath. Color surged
to her cheeks. Her eyes were bright
with astonishment.
What she saw in the glass was a
figure. partrician, regal A gracious
dignity EMBODIED her; a subtle, sub
dued elegance seemed to emanate
which clothed her.
At last, from her trance OF de-
lighted awe, Margaret woke with a
start Of foreboding disaster.
| How much is it," she asked un-
steadily.
The girl fumbled with a blue tag
which hung from a button.
| Fifty five" she said casually
and let me tell you that's a bar
gain, when you consider that ma
terial and the style it has, and the
way you look in it and all. Tha,
suit was seventy-fve dollars yester-
day"
| Margarets lips were white. She
looked again at herself in the mirror
She thought of Abe, of Commence
ment day. She saw herself moving
up the aisle, fair and stately, the
mother Of the valedictorian.
| She glazed at the other suits. which
had only half fitted. She could take
! one of them. She would be decently
clad, but plain and ordinary. Then
something seemed to grow tense
within her. She wanted these gar.
ments she wore with all the strength
of her being; she wanted them az
she had wanted Abe to go to college
as she had once wanted love from
David. She must have time to think
There must be a way by which she
would not give up without a struggle
After arranging to have the suit
held for an hour, she walked out OF
the store and up the street, blindly
Twenty dollars. Twenty dollars. II
beat against her brain. One hour in
which to get it.
Her practical mind was beginning
to turn over this possibility and that
when suddenly like a white flash 8
way appeared. Margaret stopped
dead still on the sidewalk. So simple
and wicked,
In the bank there was in her name
another account. 1t was the mis-.
sionary money. Twice year she
wrote out a neat check, in February
to home missions, in September to
foreign missions. In the meantime
the funds slowly accumulated. Nc
| objection had ever been made to her
keeping the money there, where she
did her other banking, rather than In
New Salem. 1t was there now
almost across the street from her
And oh. mocktny upnY. At TIA ianl