Kate Chopin (1850 - 1904) was a U.S. author of French and Irish descent famous for her short stories and novels set in Louisiana.

"A Pair of Silk Stockings" is the tale of a frazzled housewife and mother, Mrs. Sommers, who has come into a small fortune of $15. She plans selflessly to spend it on clothes and shoes for her children, but when she sets out on her shopping trip she is seduced by a pair of beautiful soft silk stockings and embarks on an intoxicating spending spree for her own personal pleasure.