The Dance King of Riga (Part 3 of “Sadie in Love”)

All this week, in the grand tradition of Victorian periodicals, Lilith will be serializing an excerpt of Sadie in Love, the debut novel from 96-year-old former magazine editor Rochelle Distelheim. Look out for new installments every day this week.

Sadie in Love: Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

She looked good – a pity Herschl wasn’t here to see her – thanks to Klein’s Emporium, Mitzi’s make-up tricks, and not-so-reliable electric light bulbs strung around the hall.

Her new earrings whooshed a satisfying sound against the lace collar of her silk taffeta shirtwaist.  Her corset was also new, bought the day her mirror told her she’d lost three pounds, maybe more.  Mitzi, helping her get dressed, had pulled hard at the corset strings until Sadie hollered, “Enough!”

“You’re sure ample, Hon, but interesting.” Sadie asked what ample meant, and Mitzi made a circle of thumb and forefinger.