The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-02-04
Lavender Lining
BY MARY WAVERLY
e Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.

A punishment, some would say, for
her ever thinking of little home in
the country, all her own, and fat
little checks coming in every month
to keep the home fire burning.
AS if she wished harm to old Aunt
Louise Emeline. But dreams and
wishes were done now. Charities
had received aunt's money, and to
Lou En- had come some boxes of
ancient clothing. The coat among
them. No doubt the executors
thought it too frail to be worth any
thing, or they may have thought it
was but another cracked silk dress,
as it lay in trunk with its lavender
lining outermost.
Its not really won. She must
have had it made just before that
accident that kept her bedridden
afterward. But how old-fashioned!
Look at those huge sleeves! Enough
to make two coats. And that's an
idea"
Lou Ems pale cheeks flushed as
she pulled out the sleeves and
Strengthened the colla' of the rich
garment.
Genuine mink, fol- aunt would
scorn imitation. And with my
hair" She held a sleeve up against
her face. 81 am not so ugly after
all, with something beautiful on me.
I'll just try that plan I thought of;
l can only be laughed at, and may
be it'll work"
Swiftly she bundled the coat into
the box in which her marked-down
suit had come, and, leaving the old
silk and cloth frocks of her legacy
on the floor, hurried down the board
ing house stairs. Saturday afternoon
was not a good time for her expert
ment, but business girls cannot
choose times.
The splendor of the new furrier' S
in the new building on the avenue
of fashionable shops almost daunted
Lou En-, but she would not give up,
now that she was started.
81 have here a coat" she SIAM
mered to the attendant.
"For the remodel, yes? See Mr..
Moon"
Mr.. Moon proved to be a young
man with the most wonderful eyes
and manners that Lou En- had ever
approved of.
How much will it cost" she
asked anxiously, trying to hide her
foot with its cracked shoe. mot
too much, and could II"
New lining, of course. Some
thing neat in beige. And recut to
fit you. Something smart. Say,
a $3.50"
"Dollars?" inquired Lou EN-
family. He might as we'll have said
kingdoms. She had as many as
she had dollars.
But the extra fur. There's a lot
of that. Look how long and full the
coat is, and those sleeves-couldn'
you-that is-surely it's worth
something, that fur"
Young Mr.. Moon raised his eye
broWs, and then he took a good look
at Lou EN-. He saw the cracked
shoe and the too-much washed crepe
blouse and the last years hat. He
saw something else, too, for Mr..
Moon was really an observing as
well as good young man.
Most unusual, Mistakenly, was
it? But I'll ask the boss. He's in,
think. Can't promise, though"
Lou EN- sat in the pale-gray re-
ception room then and prayed for
the five minutes that seemed five
hours until Mr.. Moon returned, fol-
lowed by a human volcano, carry
ing the mink coat.
Mr.. Schonbrunn of Schonbrunn
Furs, Inc, was not ordinarily an ex-
citable man, but now he appeared
to be one huge sputter.
"You get this, where? This-this
i myself make this complete, the
first work l do when I finish the
apprentice. The lining, how I fought
the old lady about that. But she
beat, and for doing as she said
got $50 extra.
"Ah, ah-the good old days when
was a young Teller, them was.
1t makes me cry"
Mr.. Shonbrunn's eyes indeed
were fearful.
"You want a coat? I'll make you
a coat of good mink, a grand coat,
lining the best l got, but this coat
don't cut. No. This coat hangs
in my office in glass case, as long
as l got it an office. You know
why? That $50 started me up.
traded a bit in small skins till
could leave the boss and start for
myself. l come here-now look!'
Mr.. Schonbrunn waved a prideful
hand about the pale-gray salon, with
its one priceless sable scarf on dis
play.
''The lavender lining that made
my fortune" He stroked the silk
caressingly. eyes, you take the or
der, Moon. A mink coat of the best
for the young lady. And you see to
it person'lly. See that she's suited. -
Mr.. Moon would do that. Certain
ly he would. And there was much
to talk about, Aunt Louise Emeline
and the charities that probably need