Evening star., 1923-03-25

wait until the latest possible day TO do
her shopping. This would give her the
benefit Of perhaps one more days mar
keting. Commencement was on Thurs
day She would leave for the college
town on Wednesday morning. After
giving thought to every contingency,
she settled upon Monday on which TO
go to Harrisvile to do her purchasing.
She had one regretful qualm. Monday
afternoon was the time for the regular
meeting of the women's missionary So
ciety in New Salem. This was to be an
extraordinary meeting. as there was to
be an address by a real missionary TO
China.
Margaret's great interest, next to Abe,
was the missionary society. Into il she
threw all the force of her strong re-
ligious personality. For more than ten
years she had been the treas The
loss of even an ordinary meeting had
always been a source of regret. but to
miss hearing the missionary, who had
been secured after months of planning,
meant genuine disappointment.
However, there seemed to be no
other way. To wait until Tuesday
would leave no margin for the neces-
sary last-day preparations. To go
Saturday would mean that she would
lose one precious days profits, and
every dollar counted horribly. So
she put aside the thought of the
meeting and dwelt only on the events
before her.
AS she set out for Harrisville on
Monday morning, after an early
churning, the golden calf darted
along the fence of the pasture field
| in proud and tempting abandon.
Once in Harrisville, Margaret dis
posed Of the last of her wares, and
then went to the bank. Her fingers
were not quite steady as she lifted
| the bills and counted them again
eagerly, though she knew in advance
| just what there would be. There
were eighty-two dollars. She put
twenty-five in the farthest compart-
ment OF her pocketbook. That much
had to be saved for train fare. With
| fifty-seven dollars she set out al
last on her quest.
Her methodical mind had settled
the order of her purchasing. Each
article on her list was essential
smaller things first and as cheaply
as possible, SO that there would be
no temptation to spend too much
for the suit.
1t was harder than she dreamed
it would be. Prices had flown to
the tree tops during the four years
in which she had worn her same
shabby clothes. But by noon she
had shoes and hat and gloves, and
very tiny wicker travelling bag
and still had thirty-five dollars. This
had to buy a suit and a waist
| She went into a small restaurant
and bought a cup of coffee. for sake
of the privilege of sitting at one
Of the oilcloth- covered tables to eat
the sandwiches she had brought with
her. Then she started on the high
adventure Of the suit.
There was but one store in Harris
Vile where ready-made clothes could
be bought. Margaret had not often
entered it's luxurious aisles. Her
few suits had been made by the New
| Salem Seamstress.
! She passed rack after rack of gar
ments nothing the price sign above
them. Her heart sank little, but
she faced the salesgirl bravely at
the cheapest end of the aisle. She
must save five dollars for the waist
That left thirty.
| The girl looked her over critically
and then led the way to the farthes,
rack. She took down suit and
slipped the Jacket over Margaret's
| cheap shirtwaist.
| Twenty -nine-ffty." she announced
! glibly. Dandy suit for the money
| 1t did not fit. They tried another
and another. Each fell short, some
how. OF being just right.
| Here's one in your size for thirty
FIVE" SAID the girl at last, after q
prolonged search on another rack
Margaret looked at it. lingering il
wistfully. 1t was pretty.
IF I took this, I don't know wha'