woman
dressed in admirable taste who was wearing a costume simple
enough for her to venture to think of copying the main points.
She walked several blocks a few yards behind this woman, then
hurried ahead of her, turned and walked toward her to inspect
the front of the dress. She repeated this several times
between the St. Regis and Sherry's. The woman soon realized,
as women always do, what the girl in the shirtwaist and short
skirt was about. But she happened to be a good-natured
person, and smiled pleasantly at Susan, and got in return a
smile she probably did not soon forget.

The next morning Susan went shopping. She had it in mind to
get the materials for a costume of a certain delicate shade of
violet. A dress of that shade, and a big hat trimmed in tulle
to match or to harmonize, with a bunch of silk violets
fastened in the tulle in a certain way.

Susan knew she had good looks, knew what was becoming to her
darkly and softly fringed violet eyes, pallid skin, to her
rather tall figure, slender, not voluptuous yet suggesting
voluptuousness. She could see herself in that violet costume.
But when she began to look at materials she hesitated. The
violet would be beautiful; but it was not a wise investment
for a girl with few clothes, with but one best dress. She did
not give it up definitely, however, until she came upon a
sixteen-yard remnant of soft gray China crepe. Gray was a
really serviceable color for the best dress of a girl of small
means. And this remnant, certainly enough for a dress, could
be had for ten dollars, where violet China crepe of the shade
she wanted would cost her a dollar a yard. She took the remnant.

She went to the millinery department and bought a large hat
frame. It was of a good shape and she saw how it could be
bent to suit her face. She paid fifty cents for this, and two
dollars and seventy cents for four yards of gray tulle. She
found that silk flowers were beyond her means; so she took a
bunch of presentable looking violets of the cheaper kind at
two dollars and a half. She happened to pass a counter
whereon were displayed bargains in big buckles and similar
odds and ends of steel and enamel. She fairly pounced upon a
handsome gray buckle with violet enamel, which cost but
eighty-nine cents. For a pair of gray suede ties she paid two
dollars; for a pair of gray silk stockings, ninety cents.
These matters, with some gray silk net for the collar, gray
silk fo