Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-01
NO. 18.
WINNING A New DRESS.

''Such beautiful new silk as Mr..
Leith has got," exclaimed Tom Vel
mons wife, as they were eating breai
fast. "The loveliest shade of lay
ender, and trimmed with lace that mus
have cost at least three dollars Il yard
It's Just exquisite y
"Of course" laughed Tom; 81 ca
foresee what all this enthusiasm i
leading to. My little household Iii
vinity has an idea Sin her head tha
she would look well in lavender silk.
81 did not sag anything Of TIL,
kind" said Mrs. Vernon bnt Ton
knew by the way she said it that Il,
had guessed pretty near the truth.
"And the way in which she got j
makes it all the more enjoyable, she
says" went on Mrs. Vernon. .'Yoy
know Leith's always telling how easy
it is to get the start of Il woman in -:
| joke, or anything of that kind. I
| seems Mrs. Leith got the start OF hin
In some way, and he felt so cheap ovel
it that he promised to get her the pret
tiest dress i'll town if she'd keep still
in regard to it. That's the way she
earned her lavender silk
"Poor Leith r' laughed Tom. 81
don't pity him, though. He ought tc
be able to hold his own with woman
I'd like to see a woman get the start OF
me !"
"Tn tell you what I'll do" said Mrs,
Vernon, with a merry twinkle in hen
eye, and view to business. III
agree to get the start of YOU in
some way if you'll get me q lavender
silk"
"Agreed p responded Tom. But
I'm afraid you won't have your new
dress very soon, my dear"
''See II don't" said Mrs. Vernon,
wisely. ''It isn't such hard thing to
get the start of you men as you think
it is. We could do it any day if we
cared to try"
"Oh !" laughed Tom, giving her a
kiss as he spoke, 1--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,
rushing round distractedly in search
of his hat "Where the dickens p
[ 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, I predict that you will lose
your new silk dress,' and with another
kiss he was of.
"Rather poor show for comfort. -
thought Tom Vernon, two or three
days after that, as he entered the
crowded car, and looked about him
for a vacant seat
Every seat was occupied. The DOOR
fellow thought he had got to make the
best of it and take n standing ride
homeward, when q yonnG lady, at
least he considered she Was Young
lady from her style of dress, but
couldn't be certain of anything, be
cause her face was hidden under q
brown veil, beckoned him toward her,
and offered him half her seat.
Tom was always very susceptible.
The fair sex had kept his heart in n
continual fiutter before he married.
Now, he felt sure that there wasn't q
woman like Kitty III the world, and
yet he couldn't overcome his suscpDt;-
bility. A pair of bright eyes bcwitch-
ed him for the time being. 4 smile
from pretty face was too much for
him to resist.
Therefore, when this veilcd Lady
offered him a seat beside her, Tom.
with face that was very expressive
of the pleasure with which he s,c-
cepted the offer, came forward and
sat down, wondering who it could be
behind the brown veil. Some vo;lrc
lady " ho knew him by sight, he was
pretty sure. because there was some
thing in the trim little figure that
seemed rather familiar to him.
The train started with n Jerk. and
the young lady was nearly twitchcd
off the seat. Tom helped her to be
come settled, and in some wav his
hand got entangled with hers, and lie
didn't try to disentangle Il. The
young lady didn't seem to have any
very serious objections to the s.tua-
ton, for she permitted Toms FINGERS
to cling to her own daintily glovcd Que
under cover of her shawl
Tom said something once or twice,
but the lady didn't seem inclined to
talk much.
1t was perhaps a half hours ride
from the city to the place where Tom
got off. A half hour doesn't seem
very long, bnt it was quite long
enough for Tom to get up silent
filtration with his young lady COM
panion. Once CIR 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
Just before reaching the station
where Tom lives, the train passed
through tunnel.
Into this tunnel plunged the train
on this memorable evening. The
lamps had not been lighted III the car,
and of course everything was wrapped
in midnight darkness.
"May [ have a kiss 2" 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 waist, felt a curious
tremble shake her. He didn't know
but she was laughing at him.
'tSilence gives CONSENT" sad Tom,
and pulled away the brown veil and
pumped 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.
u cold shiver ran all 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 could'n escape his fate. The
brown veil followed him.
:sWho the dickens can : he :"
thought Tom. eff it's any one who's
going to stay here awhile, Kit'ia VII
be sure to hear of if, and don't
know how [ could explain Il 10 her
satisfactorily. Women are so rartic-
ular."
"Hello, Toni called ont a friend,
coming up just then. Just from liz
city ?'
"Yes," said Tom, who was nedita-
ting a hasty retreat. "Who - that
woman in the brown veil, Bernard ?
She came up on the train with ia".
"That woman III the brown veI! -
said Bernard, looking aboH; among
the crowd; 81 don't see any
Tom breathed freer.