Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-24

banished from sight. The dull maroon
hue had frightened to a rich crimson I'M
der the light.
And did the money hold out?''
''Y-es." But the reply came family
and Mrs. ,Jupe, running in the next morn
ing found her friend porting over the
supplement to fashion paper, her smooth
forehead drawn into two dreadful wrinkles,
while she studied with despairing eyes
this sheet of lines and angles, bicycles and
insane parallelograms, hopelessly confused
and lnextricably entangled.
''They are patterns!" said Mrs. Fay, as
though she would have added, "Could you
ever believe it? 1 thought, perhaps,
might cut up my dress myself
Goodness, child Did you ever dosuch
thing?"
mo; but people do.'
"They don't begin with handsome
suit, however. Do you want to spoil it
to ruin the whole dress, besides wasting
that material and the money you have
spent for it?''
The last was an argument, and Mrs. Fay
laid by her sheet Of hieroglyphics with a
sigh, and prepared to listen to reason, as
Mrs. Jupe called it, by arranging to take
the latter's dress maker off her hands for
one day, which Mrs. Jupa desired to spend
out of town. Perhaps she could make up
for this expense by cutting off two or
three of Susan Janes's days.
The day and the dress-maker came.
''It is good heavy piece of silk" said
forefnger.
It was. It weighed like lead upon Mrs.
Fay's mind. The dress-maker laid it
against the woollen goods, opened her
lips, then closed them again prudently.
But Mrs. Fay saw the movement. No, it
did not match. Had not Mrs. Jupe already
it? And was not the maroon
turned to a purple by the proximity OF
this silk, as any one could see?
II should have thought that you would
have bought American silk. They usually
offer it at Morton & Briefs to make up
with these heavy goods. 1t wears so much
better, and costs less, you know, by a good
deal; being so much wider, too, it cuts to
better advantage
ut came from New York." said poor
crest-fallen Mrs. Fay. But there was no
pride in her voice.
Miss Nudge was measuring it off from
hersnose to the ends cf her fingers. Eight
yards! That will never do it. Not if you
take off three quarters for bonnet and
face the skirt. It will not trim it hand
sOmely."
81 thought it large PATTERN faltered
Mrs. Fay.
"Well, yes,-of American silk. But
couple of yards more will do; and you had
may as well say three while you are about
it. A scrap over is never out Of place
This is a very pretty basket-cloth,' she
went on automatically, for Mrs. Fay's face
revealed her chagrin. 81 saw the same at
Morton's, two dollars and half, was it
not %
'Two dollars and half 1t was three.
And it cannot be the same. sent to New
York for this.'' Mrs. Fay could have
cried with vexation.
''You sent to New York;" The dress
makers sharp eyes measured Mrs. Fay and !
the plainly furnished bedroom where the
cutting was going on with one, keen, cal
culating glance. But she said nothing
more. And Mrs. Fay sent to New York
for three additional yards of silk. Her
heart sank as she broke her last ten dollar
bill to pay for this. and the necessary lin
ing and facings, buttons and cord without |
which no feminine garment can be brought |
into existence. And Aunt Maria's cloak |
shrank more and more in it's proportions |
until it entirely passed out of sight.
II shall do the rest myself she said to-
Snsan James as the latter laid by her work
at the end of her third day.
''Do you think you can ?" There was !
disappointment in Susan's faded eyes. J
"That blind stitch IS hard to do nicely If
one is not used to it,
Poor Susan! Even one more day would !
be something 1t would earn the price Of
a New Years dinner. Work was not east
ly found in these days, and she had depen-
ded upon at least week here.
II am sorry, and know it isn't easy to
do" The tears were in Mrs. Fay's eyes;
was she not worn out with it already
But, indeed, Susan, must do it,"
So Susan folded the waist neatly and
laid it with lingering hand beside the
skirts on Mrs. Fay's own bed, then donned
her old, worn cloak and unreasonable
straw hat and went away,
When the dress was at last finished and
put on for Johns inspection the night be-
fore New Years, not even the warm,
bright hue could Ering trace of color to
the pale, worn face of the wearer. Bat
John did not notice it.,
"Yes,7' he said absently, ''it is very pref
ty, dear, and I am glad if you would enjoy
it-but it will cost me more than I can
we'll afford.''
A shiver ran all the way down little
Mrs. Fay's spine. She could not ask what
he meant. Was it Susan James? Was it?
81 suppose you told somebody that you
got it.in New York. At any rate Morton
and Brier heard that my wife had been
buying fifty dollar dress in New York
and Morton said two could play at that
game. So he went down to Hartford and
bought the steam-heater he had been look
ing at for the store and Brier ordered
another for the house."
''It was that dress-maker! She must
have told it. Ialways thought she looked
like spiteful thing and didn't ask her
to our table," gasped Mis-. Fay, gro wing
whittier still.