HELPING TEDDY BUY HIS OVERCOAT

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1628, 13 May 1903, Page 9

HELPING TEDDY BUY HIS OVERCOAT

(By Bessie E. Griffin.)

Teddy Avas going to ha\ r e a neAv overcoat, so ho informed Mrs Teddy, and she, who thought she had a Avonderful eyo for bargains of any sort, straightaway announced that when ho went to seo about it sho Avas going too, to sec that he didn’t get cheated. Mrs Teddy Avas the dearest little Avoman in the world, and although sho knew absolutely nothing in particular about overcoats, she had that feeling so’ prevalent among women, and especially among little Avomen, that a man is a poor misguided individual, who always gets imposed upon when he goes shopping. Teddy protested against lier accompanying him, but Mrs Teddy insisted, and so they started out. Upon entering the shop, she looked critically in a very business-like fashion about the place, aud then with a mildly disapproving glance at the tailor, meoff tho counter Avith a diminutive handchanically flicked a, small speck of dust kerchief.

“Noav about the cloth,” began Teddy. “Say, dear, Avhy don’t you get ladies’ cloth?” put in Mrs Teddy, eagerly. “My coat’s made ,„of that,_ and it’s so nice.”

“Just keep quiet ; May,” he replied importantly, and his wife loked mournful.

“I think perhaps a nice .piece of melton,” suggested the man. “Wilton,” shrieked Mrs Teddy, in an astonished tone. “Why, that’s what they -make carpets of.” “Melton, madam,” lie explained, politely. “Not Wilton.” “Oh,” sho ejaculated in a crestfallen voice, Avhile Teddy cleared his throat, and severely remarked that he’d look the stock OA r er.

Well, after considerable length of time, be finally fixed on the material. “Yes. this will do,” he announced, with an air of relief, indicating some stuff at his cl hoWi

“It’s awfully pretty/’ volunteered flia wife SAveetly. “But are you very sure it Avon’t spot?” she inquired anxiously of the tailor.

“Quite certain,” he assured her. “And, O my!” she continued, as the awfju l thought occurred to her, “you are positive that it Avon’t shrink ?” “Yes, madam,” ho answered, soberly, but there an unmistakeable tAvinkle in his eyes. “You see,” she went on in a relieved fashion, “my. husband is so very apt to got caught in the rain without an umbrella, and often gets soaking Avet, and it would bo so dreadful if this should all shrink up, just as skirts do some-; times.”

Teddy kicked the counter, and turning to his wife, exclaimed in a low tone, "Don’t make a fool of yourself, May,” and then one big glistening tear rolled slowly down Mrs Teddy’s little pink cheek, and for a while she felt very much abused.

However, the importance of the occasion caused her to stifle her feelings for the time being, so she presently ventured, meekly, "Ted, you’ve forgotten to say anything about the lining. 1 should have black taffeta silk; it wears very nicely.” "I presume so,” remarked her liusJband, provokingly. "About the pockets,” he continued to the tailor.

"O, you must have a little pocket made on purpose to carry your car-fares in,” struck in May; "I’ve got one, and it’s so handy; just fill it up with a whole lot of little 10-cent pieces, you know, it’s such fun,” and she was so delighted with the idea that both Teddy and the tailor fairly roared. "Exactly—of course,” assented Teddy, when he finally recovered his breath, and then he mad* another attempt to finish up his ins tine tio ns regarding the all-important article. "As to the length of it,” he started —• "You want a three-quarters length coat,” remarked his wife. "They are the most stylish,” but he merely grinned, and continued his speech uninterrupted for as much as three seconds, after which Mrs Teddy inquired how much it was going to cost. "About 40 dollars,” said the tailor. "Forty dollars,” shrieked May. "Why, the idea, Teddy-Brown, 40 dollars for an overcoat, and my coat only cost 17.98 dollars. I think it’s scandalous. I knew you’d get cheated. It’s a wholesale swindle, that’s just what it is,” and her blue eyes-flashed and looked vindictively at the tailor, whose face was very suspiciously red, in fact, pretty nearly purple, from rage, naturally. "O say, Billy,” struck in Ted. "I’ll seo you later,” and taking little Mrs 1 Teddy’s arm, he rushed out of the shop, and didn’t take a long breath until he had gotten her safely landed in tlio hoqse, and then what he said —but then, probably you can imagine what he said. Anyhow, he made his next visit to the tailor’s alone, and Mrs Teddy didn t even ask him how he got along. ‘Boston Post.”