第251章

Susan had made up her mind not only that she would rapidly improve herself in every way, but also how she would go about the improving.She saw that, for a woman at least, dress is as much the prime essential as an arresting show window for a dealer in articles that display well.She knew she was far from the goal of which she dreamed--the position where she would no longer be a woman primarily but a personage.Dress would not merely increase her physical attractiveness; it would achieve the far more important end of gaining her a large measure of consideration.She felt that Brent, even Brent, dealer in actualities and not to be fooled by pretenses, would in spite of himself change his opinion of her if she went to him dressed less like a middle class working girl, more like the woman of the upper classes.At best, using all the advantages she had, she felt there was small enough chance of her holding his interest; for she could not make herself believe that he was not deceiving himself about her.However, to strengthen herself in every way with him was obviously the wisest effort she could make.So, she must have a new dress for the next meeting, one which would make him better pleased to take her out to dinner.True, if she came in rags, he would not be disturbed--for he had nothing of the snob in him.But at the same time, if she came dressed like a woman of his own class, he would be impressed."He's a man, if he is a genius," reasoned she.

Vital though the matter was, she calculated that she did not dare spend more than twenty-five dollars on this toilet.She must put by some of her forty a week; Brent might give her up at any time, and she must not be in the position of having to choose immediately between submitting to the slavery of the kept woman as Spenser's dependent and submitting to the costly and dangerous and repulsive freedom of the woman of the streets.Thus, to lay out twenty-five dollars on a single costume was a wild extravagance.She thought it over from every point of view; she decided that she must take the risk.

Late in the afternoon she walked for an hour in Fifth Avenue.

After some hesitation she ventured into the waiting- and dressing-rooms of several fashionable hotels.She was in search of ideas for the dress, which must be in the prevailing fashion.She had far too good sense and good taste to attempt to be wholly original in dress; she knew that the woman who understands her business does not try to create a fashion but uses the changing and capricious fashion as the means to express a constant and consistent style of her own.She appreciated her limitations in such matters--how far she as yet was from the knowledge necessary to forming a permanent and self-expressive style.She was prepared to be most cautious in giving play to an individual taste so imperfectly educated as hers had necessarily been.

She felt that she had the natural instinct for the best and could recognize it on sight--an instinct without which no one can go a step forward in any of the arts.She had long since learned to discriminate among the vast masses of offering, most of them tasteless or commonplace, to select the rare and few things that have merit.Thus, she had always stood out in the tawdrily or drearily or fussily dressed throngs, had been a pleasure to the eyes even of those who did not know why they were pleased.On that momentous day, she finally saw a 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 for a belt, linings and the like, made her total bill twenty-three dollars and sixty-seven cents.She returned home content and studied "Cavalleria" until her purchases arrived.