"But things seem to pile up all at once in our town. That very summer the fashion magazines was handed round with pages turned down at the more daring spots where ladies were shown in such things. It wasn't felt that they were anything for the little ones to see. But still, after all, wasn't it sensible, now really, when you come right down to it? and as a matter of fact isn't a modest woman modest in anything?--it isn't what she wears but how she conducts herself in public, or don't you think so, Mrs. Ballard?--and you might as well be dead as out of style, and would Lehman, the Square Tailor, be able to make up anything like that one there?--but no, because how would he get your measure?--and surely no modest woman could give him hers even if she did take it herself--anyway, you'd be insulted by all the street rowdies as you rode by, to say nothing of being ogled by men without a particle of fineness in their natures--but there's always something to be said on both sides, and it's time woman came into her own, anyway, if she is ever to be anything but man's toy for his idle moments--still it would never do to go to extremes in a narrow little town like this with every one just looking for an excuse to talk--but it would be different if all the best people got together and agreed to do it, only most of them would probably back out at the last moment and that smarty on the _Recorder_ would try to be funny about it--now that one with the long coat doesn't look so terrible, does it? or do you think so?--of course it's almost the same as a skirt except when you climb on or something--a woman has to think of those things--wouldn't Daisy Estelle look rather stunning in that?--she has just the figure for it. Here's this No. 9872 with the Norfolk jacket in this mail-order catalogue--do you think that looks too theatrical, or don't you? Of course for some figures, but I've always been able to wear--And so forth, for a month or so.
"Late in the fall Henrietta Templeton Price done it. You may not know what that meant to Alonzo Price, Choice Villa Sites and Price's Addition to Red Gap. Alonzo is this kind: I met him the day Gussie Himebaugh had her accident when the mules she was driving to the mowing machine run away out on Himebaugh's east forty. Alonzo had took Doc Maybury out and passes me coming back. 'How bad was she hurt?' I asks. The poor thing looks down greatly embarrassed and mumbles: 'She has broken a limb.' 'Leg or arm?' I blurts out, forgetting all delicacy. You'd think I had him pinned down, wouldn't you? Not Lon, though. 'A lower limb,' says he, coughing and looking away.