Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-02-15

know SO much about monetary affairs, my
daughter said Mrs. Gregory.
Il heard papa aud Mr.. Ainsley talk
ing about business When be was here the
other evening, anu he said it was aluos,
an impossibility 10 get any money at ali
now" said Bertha.
"WsI, you ale little goose; If you
| will GO the grandest ball of the season in
an cid. made.over bail dress and be rid
iculed BY all the e!;:e, you can do SO.
A few hundred dollars can't make much
difference anyway. And when you see
the victory, which may, perhaps, be won
over certain attractive gentleman Of our
mutual acquaintance, by your elder sis
ters more stylish toilette. you will regret
your decision in favor Of Madame Noah's
antsdiluvian costume" said LENA sneer-
iag:y.
''I'm perfectly Indifferent to the praise
or contempt Of the fashionable world, for
there is neither heart nor sincerely in ii.
And concerning tue gentleman Of whom
yen strangely hint, If his heart is cn-
~ susceptible to the influence of costly
apparel. he can pay court to it as long
as be wishes, without once exciting my
Jealousy. o. l want no dry goods worship
per Tor my future leise lord. So ma
chsre sister. you have tho field dpeE and
free to yourself
"March, on, march On, 70 brave, to
victory or DEATH" Sung Bertha, jubilant-
ly waving her handkerchief at Lena. who
was picking up her money from the table,
where her father had laid it, and hum
ming a gay, opera air.
Bertha; what dress have you to wear?
You haven t any that you've not abroad y
worn two or three times, at least; aud
! desire M daughters to make as elegant
an appearance as any Of their friends On
this occasion vas an all-important con-
sideration.
Pm going to have Madame Leicester
make over my blue, gros graia silk, and
you know she is noted for renew ing
worn ball dressee; but if, after it is done,
looks an ted iluv ian, ana s,nells musty,
III DO pennsnce by siayiD at home,
said Bertha.
do just as you prefer; but I think
your father would give you new one il
you wished it," said her mother.
Lena purchased the new dress, and
made it up without regard to expense,
and it was exquisite when done. and ex-
tremelv becoming to the young lady,.
who had been congratulating herself on
the success she was determined to achieve
Bsrtha's dress came from the man tua
makers hands as beautiful as it could be
and u ,ne wsuld ever have suspected it
had already been thrice worn, unless sks
had been seen with i, on. It harmonized
admirably with her fair, blonde complex
ion. forming vivid contrast to Lena's
more brilliant style Of personal attractive
ness, aad bright. orange-colored robe
| The day previous to the ball, Clara
4 insley called, sister Of Hugh Ainsley
who was the fixed, central star, around
which the femin ins luminaries had ambi-
.iously beamed lo. the lsse two seasons,
each tondly hoping to be the finally ia
vored enc.
But, to the secret chagrin Of each he
still maintained the same quiet sourtl>
ness of manner towards them ALL. He
seemed quite as ind ifferent to their heart
affairs, as he would have been to the
pyramids of Egypt. This was the gen.
tlsmsa Lena was bending all her ener-
| gies to ensnare and bring to her feet, be-
fore the seascn closed.
| Clara was an in innate friend of both the
girls. and she was invited up stairs to
see the dresses, which had just been SEPT
home. Their beauty she warm ly sxpa;i-
ated On. but Lena wou ID no al low her to
leave until she lad told her Of BERT a 8
wonderful fit of economy, and laughingly
said she should certain ~ take her opera
glasses with her TO the ball, that. she
might discry some interesting. poor,
young gentleman, with whom she knew
her sister must have secret understand
ing, and for whose benefit she was carry
ing out this whiu of prudence.
The combined entreaties of all the tr 10
could not induce Mr.. Gregory to accom-
pany them TO Mrs. LaDgdon's. He
pleadeda headache and fatigue. This
was cover to the real reason. His bus
mess affairs were daily becoming sntau-
gled. BY means of several heavy failures
Of parties owing him to a great extent,
and Il be could see before him was ruin
and disgrace, but he would keep his FORE
bodings to bimself until after the fete
was over, when, if he could find no means
of extricating himself. be would make a
clean breast of tbs whole thing to
them
Hugh Ainsley was quite alternative to
Miss Lena that night. who looked very
queenly iu the gay throng, and his atten-
tons were received with deep satisfac
tion to herself Nor was the less inter-
ested Bertha, who had laid no seises to
him, overlooked
He enquired at once where her father
was, as he had not seen him there. To
her reply that he had resisted all eatreaty
to come. from great fatigue, he uttered a
prolonged "Ah." and fell into reverio.
Hugh was thinking of the vague report
he had heard On Wall Street that morning
tha. the Commercial House Of Gregory
& Co. was fast lettering towards bang
| ruptcy.
The next morning at au early hour.
Hugh called at Mr.. Gregory's counting
house, and offered him loans to any
amount. to help him through the 6nan-
cial crisis that was upon him. MIR. Greg.
DRY had done the same deed, years before
for Hugh's father. and he. Olugh, kind
ly pressed the favor back upon him ;
which was accepted with tears of graft.
tude in the eyes of the panic-ssricken
merchant
A clara and Huph sat at dinuap the