The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-12-08

and we could scarcely see him behint
the piles he had raised around him
opened a piece that thought might,
fine. 1t wasn't just exactly brocade
but yet it had small figure in it !; it
color was hangeable-green and blue
and it was what I called good, service
able article.
"'There, Fanny says 1, what d
you think of that?'
celia I don't know says she, a-rais
ing her eyebrows kind O critical-like
it isn't just my idea.'
"The poor young man was shifting
from one foot to the other he locke,
as uncomplaining rs Patience herself
and L guess he'd been glad of a monu
ment OF anything else to sit on for
spell.
GAS you read in stories, it 8 q grea
privilege to wait on a really prett,
young miss, but just consider how you't
like it if you were clerk, and your tea
time was passing unnoticed, while you
customer, however nice-looking sh,
might be, kept Struggling her shoulders
at everything, and making you nearly
smother yourself in piles of goods.
GAS for me, 1 couldn't stand it nc
longer. 1 pitied the young man, and ]
says to Fanny, quite decided, says 1:
Fanny, take that dress, even if il
amt just your exact idea. None of us
get just what we want in this world, and
if we find what is serviceable and looks
we'll we ought to be thankful. I advise
YOU to take it. saws I.
"She looked sort Of undecided for a
minute, and then, breaking out into
good natured smiles, she said:
"'Well, Aunt Jemima, am glad to
take your advice. I never could be sat-
isfied with my own tastes. In fact,
when 1 see so many things I can't tell
which I want, and I dare say I have
tired you,'
"Here she gave the young man such a
melting smile that he forgot all about
his supper, and frisked round, doing up
the silk into parcel, with his admiring
eyes fixed on Fanny as long as she was
in sight.
"Now you see, Gussie, my dear, that
1 actually committed the weakness of
advising that young lady, and from that
"There was a family living here at
that time much esteemed for the enter
tainments they gave. Dare was their
name-a mother, reputed a rich widow,
with two daughters-and their invites
were sent out for a great party, so that
Fanny had to hurry up the making of
her new silk, which she expected to
shine in on the occasion.
81 took great interest in Fanny; So
when went over to see her dressed,
and found she needed some trife from
the dry goods store, l ian off to getsit.
81 noticed great bills stuck in the
windows about damaged silks just re-
ceived and for sale below cost, but I
didn't think much of it till, by-and-bye,
when the party was over, and poor
Fanny-who had promised to stop in
and tell me how she had enjoyed her
self-arrived in flow of tears.
"Oh, Aunt Jemima,' she cried, Il
can never tell you how wretched I've
been tonight! 1 shall always hate
that Mary Dare. She has such a mean,
Jealous disposition, and never loses an
opportunity to hurt peoples feelings
and make them appear silly. 1t seems
there are cheap, damaged silks in town,
and she pretended to mistake mine for
one of them. "Why, how nice you
look |" says she, coming up to me when
1 went into the parlor. 81 declare
those damaged silks make up almost
equal to the genuine article |" I didn't
understand her. "This is real silk,
Miss Dare" says I, feeling dreadfully
uncomfortable. "Oh, yes, 1 know /"
she returned, winking and laughing;
"but really now, it doesn't look at all
bad. Any one, in a poor light, would
take those water-stains for changeable
shades" Then saw her whisper to
the other girl, and set the story going.
Wasn't that ill-natured in her, Aunt
Jemima! exclaimed Fanny, in burst
of indignant weeping.
agreed with her about the young
lady's temper. To tell the truth, l
never did set much store by the family,
and when they were found out, some
months later (they went off in the
night leaving piles of unpaid bills and
rent Of their house and furniture still
due), 1 wasn't among the astonished
part of the community. 1 hadn't ex-
pected much better of 'em. Folks thatll
invite you to their house to make you
miserable amt generally of much ac-
count,
"But, you see, this little occurrence
kind of set Fanny against that dress.
OF course, any one with half an eye
could see it wasn't one of the spilled silks;
but Fanny was very pretty and had lots
of admirers two things that are apt
to make enemies of other young women,
and she had her share.
"Among them, Mary Dare's story got
whispered round, and though there
wasn't one of the lot who was not ready
to say the worst she could of Mary's
veracity, they all somehow agreed to
accept this story of the silk dress.
"Does that strike you as strange.
Gussie2 Just think bit, and you will
remember a dozen such cases in your
own knowledge.
:" But to go on with Fanny's green
silk, that 1 had advised her to buy. She
soon heard the story, and vowed she
would never wear 'the unfortunate old
thing again.
"Of course, that was only silly talk.
She put it on, that very afternoon, to
60 out riding with Judge Stanley's
family. Miss Jessie Stanley, the Judges
daughter, had been abroad and travelled
everywhere with her aunt, Miss Parker,
who was Mrs. Stanley's sister, and a
most elegant lady, SO every one in
Waterford said.