The Blue Fox Cloak.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8036, 24 January 1906, Page 4

The Blue Fox Cloak.

The family of Assistant Chancellor Sergins Ivanovitch Worohcj was most respect»ble. In their elegant house there wero unmistakable signs of wealth, everywhere, and the copper samovar was always boiling on their hospitable table. Mme. Sonja Seratimowna understands how to entertain to perfection, and her at-homes on Saturday were known by all over Petersburg. Nowhere did you got better caviar or finer patties. Sergius Ivanovitch would have liked very much to have been present at these at-homes, but Saturday was the busiest day of the week in tiie Government office, and so he had torenounce that pleasure. Now, as Serj;ius' whole salary was only 12-j roubles a month, one must admit that his wife must be a wonderful manager, even if, of course, a Government official has other sources of revenue than his inea«er salary especially when the Government has put hiui in charge of a strong box ah\avsconlainin"a goodly supply ef internal revenue stamps, many of which are worth as much as 15 roubles apiece.

Now, one night as Sergius Ivanovitch returned home after one of these weekly soirees, he found his beloved wife suffering with a bad, an atrociously bad, attack of the blues. ' 'What it the matter my dove ? " he asked tenderly. " Why do you look so unhappy ?" " Unhappy! Why should I not look unhappy when here we are in the middle of the winter »nd I have not a decent fur-cloak to wear? "

"But, duchinka, you have your ermine cloak which you bought only last year." "Oh, Ermine! Everybody wears ermine now. I want a cloak of blue fox, such as Maria Vasilliewna wears." " But, my dear, such a cloak costs at least 3000 roubles, and you must remember that I am not in charge of any Red Cross funds, as is Maria Vasilliewna's husband." "Well, I must have one like hers or I shall die," she cried ; but Sergius only shook his head ar.i shrugged his shoulders, and said he was tired and wanted to go to bed.

A few dlt,*3 later two elegantly dressed ladies were sitting in a first-class compartment of a train de luxe, speeding towards Moscow. Arrived in that city, they hired the most expensive suite in ■" Hotel du Kreml," signing the register as Madame la Comtesse \tra von Labanow, with companion.

I In the afternoon the Countess ordered a carriage with footman and was driven to the j famous store of Dutellier Frcrcs. Followed by her companion and footman, she entered the store »n3 the proprietor himself was soon busy showing her his most expensive fur cloaks, as Madame had said that the price was immaterial to her, but not one of them pleased. " Why, to buy a cloak of sable for 1000 roubles I bad never needed to travel all the way to MoseJvv," she said, looking immensely bored. The proprietor whispered something to a clerk, and a magnificent blue fox cloak was spread before ihe Countess, who immediately bought it for 3800 roubles. I want you to wrap it up and give it to my footman," she said, as she took out her check-book and made out a cheque for 3HOO roubl ;s on tls Moscow branch of the Credit Lyornais. The proprietor, seeing the check, began to feel a lit lie uneasy—so many checks were returned as not good—but he did not want to offend a good customer by refusing to take her cheque. Then an idea struck him and, asking the Countess to excuse him while he looked after the wrapping up of the cloak, he went to the telepboncand called up the bank, where he was told that Countess Labanow had a large sum on deposit and the bank would honor her check for 3800 roubles when ever presented. Two minutes later he pershnally carried the parcel to the waiting carriage and having ordered the coachman to drive to the palace of the Governor-General the Countess drove off. But when Dutellier Freres the next morning presented the check at the Credit Lyonuias they were dum-founded to hear that a young lady had already cashed a cheque for a similar amount indorsed by the firm and that the Countess half an hour later had withdrawn the rest of her deposit in person. When the police investigated they found that when the Countess look rooms at the " Hotel du Krem " she had presented a genuine passport, and that she had paid her bill with a 100-ruble note and had been very liberal with her tips. An acconnt had been opened for Countess Labanow about two days previous in the Credit Lyonnais.

During the winter Sonja Serafimowna Worobej was often seen on the Xcvsky Prospekt wearing a costly mantle of blue fur. One evening when sitting alone with her husband and children she figured out what the cloak had cost her. " Of course the passport for Countess Labanow cost me nothing, as papa is connected with that office. The trip to Moscow was on a free pass, and the hotel bill in Moscow I paid with that bogus 100-ruble note you got at your club some time ago and which I had already despaired to get rid of."