Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-07-01
HIS NEWICOAT.

koihB W nave ulnnef-party at the
Grange? OF learned gentlemen? AnC
papa Is to he invited?n
Fanny Leslie flung her little crochted
cap into the air, and caught it again
with the dexterity of slight-Of-hand
performer.
Max Lynfeld, who was sitting on the
= low stone stile that separated the well.
10 kept grounds of the Grange from the
weedy wilderness ofthe Leslie estate
with gun balanced on his shoulder,
and a .game-bag slung over his back,
nodded emphatically.
"All the scientific lights of the con-
vention are to be invited" said he.
"Spectacles and baldheads will be at q
premium. Don't you wish you were a
learned old fudge-eh, Fan? Ofcourse,
your governor is to be invited. Don't
he know the most about Egyptology,
and ancient Roman letterings, of any
old gentleman in the land? Isn't Pro-
lessor Tolmaine especially anxious to
make his acquaintance? And isn't
Doctor Lebrun going to bring, in his
waistcoat pocket, slab of some Assy-
rian statute or other for him to identi-
fy? What are you looking so sober
about? Jealous because you can't
make out the company, eh? Pm sorry
for you, Fanny; but you had no busi-
ness to be woman."
"It isn't that" said Fanny, with
ludicrous solemnity. "What day is the
dinner to be, MAXI" --00
"The seventeenth. Just two weeks
from to-day. But say, Fan, what are
you in such hurry fOr?"
TITS almost sundown,n said Miss
Leslie, gathering her scarf about her
shoulders In hurried way. "And
have wasted ever so much time here
already. Goodbye, Max!'
"Yes; but I say, Fanny"
The only response to his appeal was
the light, quick sound of the girls foot
steps, as she fitted away over the car
pet of autumn leaves that covered the
path, into the yellow mist of the Octo-
ber afternoon.
"What a pretty girl that isr' Max
Lynfield murmured to himself "Her
eyes are exactly the color of a hazelnut,
and she has got the sweetest little sugar
plum Ofa mouth that 1 ever beheld!
But Idon't see why she need be in such
q hurry"
And he disconsolately picked I'D the
game-bag which he had unbuckled
from his shoulder, and strobe away,
whistling. s.I
Meanwhile, Fanny Leslie had sped to
' the dreary, old-fashioned stone house,
plotched with mildew and full of spec
tral silence, where old Mr.. Leslie sat,
spectacled and absorbed, among his
books, and Alma, the eldest daughter,
was IN the kitchen makinga damson
pudding for dinner.
She looked up as Fanny came flying
"Ithought you never were coming,
Fam" said she. "Did you bring the
powdered sugar."
s'Here 1t is" Fanny flung little
paper on the table. "But oh, Alma!
the dinner-party at the Grange is to be
en- the seventeenth, and papa is to be
one of the invited guests!' 55t
Alma Leslie paused in her task of
sprinkling snowy sugar over the crush
ed, purple damsons in the plate. ..,.
"Oh, Fanny" said she. "But of
course he can't 60. He has no coat fit |
to be seen at dinner-party in Colonel
Lynfield's house." -s~
"Alma, he must go!"
"How can he, Fanny?"
lit will be such q treat for him,
Alma, to meet those scientific gentle
men, and get glimpse of the world he |
has so long left behind him." pleaded |
Fanny. "We must manage it some-
howl" .....
Alma knitted her black brows to-
gether.
Chow much money is there in the
drawer, FanW she asked, abruptly. n |
tI lDp1k 1uiko tynoxy Gffaan ln1Ia,au
L think.n
GAN this proves the imposibility of
our fine dinner-party, Fan, said Alma,
her shoulders. Fifteen dol
lars would just about purchase the
cloth for new coat.n
Fanny looked gravely at her sister.
"Well," said she, shat is all want,
give me the cloth, and I'll make the
coat"
What nonsense, Fanny?"
s'It isn't nonsense at ALL"
tYou make brOadcloth coat?n
f'Why shouldn'tI? Didn't make a
cloth ulster for myself, and make it
nice, too?" '.'''"
"But you are not tailor!n
"pll be a tailoress, which is just as
good"
. "You have no pattern, Fam" |
~ can rip papa's old coat apart and
get the pattern from that, Alma.
Where is it? Is he wearing it now?"
"He has got OH that old dressing
gown of his" said Alma.
"Then get the coat-that's dear
and rip it carefully apart" said Fanny,
"while / 90 down to the store and buy
the broadcloth. We haven't second
of time to loose"
The next two days were days of cut
ting, stitching, pressing, calculating, in
the big, sunny south room which the
Leslie girls called their boudoir.
Old Mr.. Leslie sat among his dusty
tones and ponderous dictionaries, with
O pencil back of each year and pen in
his hand, making notes and scribbling
off paragraphs, all unconscious of what
was going on around him. |.
"IfI'm to be at that dinner-party of
savants," he said to Alma, II must set
tie this question as to the authenticity
of the Eudeic monograph"
Certainly, papa" said Alma, in an
distracted way, as she hemmed new
black silk carvat, and pondered as to !
The practicability of new gloves, and {
whether Her father could be induced to lt
wear them if they were bought. II
Ps" Ss eysn sd FanHy ay see Ssn sssHpg geu
try on your coat tonight" Il
"To try on my coatP' vaguely repeat
ed the philosopher. "Whatcoat? what
for?" 1Ni n
"Oh just to see if it's all right" said !
Fanny, not without a little qualm of