Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-06-06

! into an over dress, Win long sleeves hanging
from the shoulder aud when Miss Florence
Lapham put it on, she looked, with her black
| eyes and hair, like Japanese lady Of degree
Miss Florence was exceedingly difficult to
please always and with this particular dress
It seemed as il she never would be suited
Even gentle Milly's patience was nearly worn
out waiting while she stood before the long
dressing-glass, turning and turning and turn
ing again, and scrutinizing every fold and
loop. At last she exclaimed.
"I never can tell how anything looks on
myself. II 1 could only see IL on somebody
else, 1 could tell in ono minute il 1t was as l
want it,"
~ might send Jennie up with it, Miss Flor
once" said Milly, hestatingy. 'If you
would be willing to lot her put it on. She is
Just about your size. I've often pinned a
pattern for you on her, and l draped this
skirt on her"
"who is jenny" said Miss Lapham,
sharply.
zone of my girls" answered Mily, little
frightened. "But she's just as neat and nice
as any lady. Indeed, Miss Florence, 1 don't
think you need mind letting her put il on"
as she as tall as am p asked Miss Lap
ham, wonderingly; she had few ncquaint
ances tall as herself.
mot quite" said Milly; "but I've got a
piece Of wood have her stand on, aud that
makes her Just the right height. You could
tell exactly how the dress looks if you saw it
on her."
every well. You can bring her up with
you tomorrow, when you fetch the dress
home, said Miss Lapham, little dreaming
what destinies lay in her words. Come
early so there will be time for you to alter it
IL it isn't right l don't believe that the
loopings at the back are as l want them, but
Ill 1. Il
Bring the piece Of wood along too, so as to
have it exact"
Mily exclaimed "Oh, Miss Florence,
can't bring that Won't footstool do 2"
and she glanced around the room, full Of ov-
cry sort of luxurious fitting and appoint
ment
NO, >" said Miss Lapham; 81 want her TO
be the exact height you fitted it on. You
can have one of your brothers bring the piece
of wood"
$50 1 can" said the good-natured Nilly.
'I never thought Of that. Robby will be
only too glad to come"
This conversation had been two days be-
fore the day of the party. When Milly re-
ported it at home, TO her great surprise, Jen-
ny, flushing hotly said that she could not go
up to try on Miss Lapham's gown.
why not ~ said Milly.
Jenny, still scarlet, made no answer.
Mily continued: you'll get me into q
dreadful scrape, Jenny, if you don't go ; for
Miss Florence is counting on it 1; and if she
is displeased she'll never give me another bit
of work. What earthly difference does it
make to you, Jenny, whether you try the
gown on there or here 2"
Jenny opened her lips as If to speak, but
changing her mind, remained silent for some
minutes looking down on her work, and rap
ping absently with her thimble on the win
dow-pane. Then suddenly looking up, she
said
'I'll go, Mlly, because you've always
been so good to me, but l don't want to 60 q
bit. wouldn't do it for nybody but you"
II didn't think you'd be such goose as to
care, laughed Milly, "or 1 wouldn't have Of
fered TO do it. 1 wouldn't mind it bit my
self, and don't see why you need"
If Milly had known all Jenny knew, she
would have understood very well but she
did not know oil Jenny did. Neither did she
know oil that there was to be known about
the beautiful Japanese silks of which Miss
Lapham's gown was made. These silks had
a story which nobody but Miss Florence Lap
ham and Mr.. George Baylies, her cousin,
knew. He had given the silks TO her when
be came home from his last voyage-the voy-
age from which nobody expected he would
come back alive, poor fellow. He seemed at
deaths door when he started. But the sea
cured him ; the sea and time to think for
the thing that allied George Baylies was only
in part what the doctors called it-nervous
prostration from overwork. He had had a
sharp hurt, had lost faith IN girl he loved,
and thought he did not care to live any long
er but before he got fairly around Cape
Horn he discovered that he was mistaken
that he decidedly preferred to live; and as
soon as he discovered that he got we'll in
stanter, and when he stepped on shore at
San Francisco, his father and mother and
Florence Lspham, who had gone overland to
meet him, and had been nearly dead with
anxiety because tho ship was two weeks over
due, hardly could believe their eyes ut the
sight of George, hale, hearty, plump and
jolly.
They all said it was miracle, but it was
not. 1t was the farthest possible from a mir
Rcle. 1t was the work OF q law as plain as
the multiplication table but that is neither
here nor there in this story, except that be-
ing, as l say, cured and in a healthy frame
of mind, when he came to unpRck treasures
he had had stored away in San Francisco for
two years, keeping them for somebody to
whom he could now never give them, he de-
cided to make presents Of them all to his
cousins, and the very first things he gave
away were these Japanese silks to Florence.
He and Florence had always been so fond of
each other that everybody expected them to
be married, until George went to college, and,
il was said, had become entangled with a
daughter of a boarding-h house keeper in the
country town where the college was situated
"a most unfortunate affair, which had been
wound up, nobody knew exactly how, just
before Georges health broke down. But
now he was all right again, and to be seen
hara ihara md avarvwhara with hia hand
some cousin Florence, and all would un-
doubtedly turn out in the end as everybody
had prophesied four years ago. George had
come back to New York, and this very party
at which Miss Florence would wear the jap
anese silks was given in honor of his return
What Florence Lapham thought about it all,
what was in her mind as she planned and de-
vised the toilette, nobody knew but Miss
Florence herself, and she never told, for the
best Of reasons, as will be seen.
1t was little past four when the process
sion set out from Milly's door, Milly and Jen-
ny each bearing big box, and Robby trudg-
ing by their side with the block of wood.
| As they got into the horse car everybody
looked at them, and wondered what that lit
tie boy could be carrying that big block of
wood for. But Robby did not mind. He
was full of snticipations of seeing the mock
ing-bird which Milly had told him was in a
cage in Miss Florence's room, and often sang
while she was there.
They soon reached the house, and were
| shown upstairs, where Florence was impa-
tiently awaiting them. "Be quick be quick -
she said. at is long past four o'clock"
In a very few minutes the gown was out of
the box and in few minutes more Jenny
had laid aside her shabby clothes, put on the
rich dress, with one of Miss Florence's own
embroidered pettieoAts under it, and stepped
up on the block of wood which made her
precisely Miss Lapham's height,
The dress was faultless. Walking roundand
round Jenny, turning her from side to side as
if she was wooden lay figure, Miss Lapham
scrutinized every part of the costume, and
had nothing but appreciation to give.
''Really, Mily, she exclaimed, lit is love-
| ly. Madame GullalI never made anything
! pretlier. You shall make all my new dresses
this spring"
"Thank you, Miss Florence" said Milly,
warmly. "I'll do my very best to have them
all perfect"
"What q shame she isn't as tall as l am, so
l could see her walk few steps in it !" said
Miss Lapham, her eye resting on Jenny with
| no more consciousness Of her being a living
human being than she would have had if she
had said of a wooden frame, "What pity II
| can't walk across the hOorl"
Jenny colored but remained silent Milly