"Well, Masie," I said when we had got into the privacy of the art-gray dressing room and lit a cigarette, while the girl went for some models. "Well, Masie, I want to know is business good?" Masie is her real name she having Frenchified it for business reasons, the same as myself.
"Oh, dearie!" says she. "Business is elegant! With so many officers in town, I can scarcely keep enough things in stock. The beaded georgettes go so fast, on account of being perishable. Ruby Roselle had three last week of me. One party and they're gone!"
While Masie and me has been friends ever since I can remember, her mother having been Lady Lion Tamer in the same circus with Ma and Pa's trapeze act, as she uttered them words, I commenced feeling a little coolness toward her. For once I get a idea in my head it's a religion to me, and the W.S.S. was getting to me.
"Dont you think maybe that's profiteering, Masie?" I ast.
Maison run a well manicured hand over her marcelle and smiled superior—she has always prided herself on being sort of high-brow and reads Sappy Stories regular.
"Why, dearie, how you talk!" she says. "Dont you know that a little gaiety keeps up the morale of the country?"
"I'm not so sure about some gaiety keeping up the moral of anything!" I says with meaning, not wishing to directly knock anybody but still wishing Masie to get me. "And personally myself, I think any time's a bad time to waste money on clothes which won't last!"
"My goodness, Sweetie!" Masie shrieked. "What's gonner become of us if ladies was to quit buying? Tell me that? How we gonner hire our help, and all, and how can they live if we dont hire 'em? Have a heart!" she says. "And what are you talking about—you coming in after a new dress yourself, and only last week had two chiffons which Gawd knows ain't chain-armour for wear!"
"I know!" I admitted, "but I'm going to can my order. Just tell the girl to bring gingham or something which will wash—if you got such a thing!"
"Well, Mary Gilligan, I guess you're going nutty!" says Masie, but she gives the order, and I choose one at $15—which could be dry-cleaned, and that was the nearest I could come to what I was after.