The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-08
WINNING A NEW DRESS.


has got" exclaimed Tom Vernon's wife,
as they were eating breakfast. "The love.
liest shade of lavender, and trimmed with
lace that must have cost at least three dol
lars yard. It's just exquisite.
"Of course" laughed Tom; I" l can fore
see what all this enthusiasm is leading to.
My little household divinity has an idea in
her head that she would lock well in laven-
der silk"
81 did not sag anything of the kind,'
said Mrs. Vernon; but Tom knew from the
way she said it that he had guessed pretty
near the truth.
"And the way in which she got it makes
it all the more enjoyable, she says" went
on Mrs. Vernon. You know Leith is
always telling how easy it is to get the
start of a woman in joke, or anything of
that kind. 1t seems Mrs. Leith got the
start of him in some way, and he felt SO
cheap over it that he promised to get her
the prettiest dress in town if she'd keep
still in regard to it. That's the way she
earned her lavender silk"
"Poor Leith ~ laughed Tom. 81 don't
pity him, though. He ought to be able to
hold his own with woman. I'd like to
see woman get the start of me ~
"Pll tell you what I'll do" said Mrs
Vernon, with merry twinkle in her eye,
and view to business. "I'll agree to get
the start of you in some way if you'll get
me lavender silk
"Agreed ~ responded Tom. "But L m
afraid you won't have your new dress very
soon, my DEAR
"see if DON'T" said Mrs. Vernon wise
ly. st isn't such hard thing to get the
start of young men as you think it is. We
could do it any day if we cared to try
ooh ~ laughed Tom, giving her a kiss
as he spoke, "we are not conceited at all,
are we %
"Not the least" answered his pretty
wife, "you wait and see how the case
stands by and BY"
"Well, I'll wait" answered Tom, rush
ing round dlstractedly in search of his hat.
Where the dickens ?-1 hear the train
coming, and I've only three minutes to
get to the depot in. Oh, here it is; good
bye, Kitty, and remember, l predict that
you will lose your new silk Dress" and
with another kiss he was off.
Rather a poor show for comfort,
thought Tom Vernon, two or three days
after that, as he entered the crowded car,
and looked about him for seat.
Every seat was occupied. The poor fell
low thought he had got to make the best
of it and take standing ride homeward,
when young lady, at least he considered
she was young lady from her style of
dress, but couldn't be certain of anything,
veil, beckoned him toward her, and offered
him half her seat.
Tom was always very susceptible. The
fair sex had kept his heart in continual
futter before he married. Now he felt
sure there wasn't woman like Kitty in
the world, and yet lie couldn't overcome
his susceptibility. A pair of bright eyes
bewitched him for the time being. A
smile from a pretty face was too much for
him to resist.
Therefore, when this yelled lady offered
him seat beside her, Tom, with a face
that was very expressive of the pleasure
with which he accepted the offer, came for
ward and sat down, wondering who it
could be behind the brown veil. Some
young lady who knew him by sight, he
was pretty sure, for there was something
in the trim little figure that seemed rather
familiar to him.
The train started with jerk, and the
young lady was nearly twitched off the
seat. Tom helped her to become settled,
and in some way his hand got entangled
with hers, and he didn't try to disentangle
it. The young lady didn't seem to have
any very serious objections to the situa-
ton, for she permitted Toms fingers to
cling to her own daintily gloved one under
the cover of her shawl.
Tom said something once or twice, but
the lady didn't seem inclined to talk much.
1t was perhaps half hours ride from
the city to the place where Tom got off.
half hour doesn't seem very long. but it
was quite long enough for Tom to get up
silent filtration with his young lady COM
panion. Once or twice he wondered what
his wife would say if she knew all about
it. But then it was just to pass away the
time, and there wasn't any harm in it.
Merely an innocent amusement.
Just before reaching the station where
Tom lives, the train passed through tun-
nell
Into this tunnel plunged the train on
this memorable evening. The lamps had
not been lighted in the car, and of course
everything was wrapped in midnight dark
ness.
"May have kiss" whispered Tom,
leaning toward the brown veil. "Just
one,' he pleaded.
There wasn't any reply in words, but
Tom, whose arm had stolen about the
silent young lady's waist, felt a curious
tremble shake her. He didn't know but
she was laughing at him.
"Slence gives consent" said Tom, and
pulled away the brown veil and pumped a
whopping kiss somewhere in the vicinity
of her ear.
Just then the train dashed out of the
tunnel, and Tom hoped to see the face of
his queer companion. But the brown veil
was down.
The train stopped, and Tom got up to
get off.
So did his companion.
A cold SILVER ran over him. What if
the story should leak out
He hurried out of the car, and looked
around at the door, to find the brown veil
close behind him.
He made a plunge for the platform, but
he couldn't escape his fate. The brown
veil followed him.
"Who the dickens can it be ?" though.
Tom. elf it's any one who is going to stay