The Washington critic., 1886-01-08
THE BALL DRESS.

Lcoline Harper was just cightcen-a
bright, ambitious, high spirited girl,
who earned her livelihood by teaching
in one of the gigantic grammar schools
of New York, and spent q good deal of
her leisure time in dreaming of a
brighter future.
For / don't want to drudge all my
life so," said Lcoline; Il am pretty
enough" with conscious, laughing
glance at the mirror, =" and clever
enough, ] hope, to make my own
future"
Yes, dear" said Aunt Joscpha, who
admired her neice excessively, 'you
are pretty enough. And believe YOU
are smart enough. But still | don't
understand how you are going TO do
it,"
You'll see," said Lcoinc, with q
smile and nod.
And when Kittic Topplcfcld, who
taught in the primary department of
The same school, told Aunt Josie about
Mr.. Maurice, the new trustee, who was
so handsome and wore such superb
diamond studs and admired Leoline's s
method of imparting instruction so en-
Enthusiastically, she began to comprc.
hend what her niece meant.
Leo" said she, when she had the
rare chance of being alone with her
niece, "do you like this Mr.. Maurice?"
The very blood flushed into Lcolinc's s
face.
"Of course like him, Aunt Josie, &"
said she.
do you love him?'
IL don't know whether ! might
or not" said Leo, coloring still deeper,
THAT is, if knew him better. He is
society man, and I-oh, Aunt 10,
have so few opportunities. If ] was
only in a fashionable circle, like
Georgia Fitzalanp
Now, Miss Georgia Fitzalan was q
pretty, dashing young lady, the daugh-
ter of rich importing merchant, who
had been in the same class with Leo
line Harper at school, and Lcoline had
always secretly envied her the luxuri-
Gus, butterfly sort of life that seemed
to have so few of the elements of
shadow about Il.
"And," added Leoline, che is to be
at Georgia's birthday party-and
Georgia has asked me TO come-and-
and i can't, because haven't anything
fit to wear And / do believe, Aunt
10, If ] could only GO"
"Ycs, yes, | understand, my dear, "
said Aunt Josie, regretfully. "But /
do not see that you can GO"
"Nor i either" said Leo, gulping
down little suffocating lump that
somehow would keep rising in her
throat. $50 l must just be contcnted
to give it up"
But half an hour afterward she came
to her aunt, with deepened color and
eager, shining eyes, the newspaper in
her hand.
Look Aunt josie" cried she.
LA, child" said the old lady, "you
know cant see thing without my
spectacles.
Then I'll read it to YOU"
| EoR SALE--AT A BARGAIN--TwO SILR
IL evening dresses; one is a blue and the
| other canary color; worn only once by lady
| just returned from Europe; price, S25 each
| Apply to II. c., - Rotherward st.
"What do you think of that, aunty
Blue is just my color. And silk, too
lifep'
81 don't like the idea of second. hand
finery," said Aunt Josepha, shaking hel
head.
But when you can't afford anything
else," pleaded Leolinc.
Then I'd stay at home"
ooh, Aunt Josie, | do so want tc
go !"
"And $25 is a deal of money" added
the old lady, still shaking her head.
"But / could borrow $50 of Kittit
Topplefleld until my salary comes due
And I've got $5 of my own laid W
| toward a new waterproof cloak"
My dear, remember the old fable o.
the daw with borrowed plumes, >
warned Aunt Josepha. ''If this man /:
really man of sense he will think 10
much of you in your cashmere school
dress as if you wore the queens dia
monds."
But Leo, in her heart believing tina
Aunt Josie was hopelessly behind th'
age, persisted.
II will go to the number and ad
dress" said she, land | will look a
the silks. OF course, you know,
needn't buy unless like them"
| The house was a magnificent brown
stone establishment whose SPLENDID
rather abashed or little school ol-teacher
III. c." proved to be Mile Iortens,
Chenier, the lady's maid, who occupied
an airy fourth-story apartment, t
which the visitor was conducted by ;
grumblng footman. Lcoline felt alto
gether out of her element, and almos
sorry she had come. But when sh,
saw the superb silks, scarcely worn
her heart leapcd within her. The blu
one was trimmed with deep, pointed
white Spanish blonde, and proved t,
be the exact color TO match Leo
bright beauty,
"Madamc bcstows these upon us,
said llortense, grimacing and twistin,
herself about after the fashion o
French femme dc chambres, "Madam
is all goodness, all bonte,
So Leo bought the dress, and IL wa
sent home that same evening.
"Yes," said Aunt Josie, cts yer,
pretty, but all the same | don't lik
you 10 wear secondhand dress"
"A great many ladies do the sam
thing, Aunt 10.
| SlcUl many l"ulco w u NcIl loui
ish thing, then" rctorted the old lady
But, notwithstanding Aunt josie
disapproyal, Leo felt very proud an,
happy when she wen. Off that evening
dressed in the blue silk, which requires
very little alteration to fit her suppl
figure.
Miss Fitzalan's parlors were full
The music was playing-the scent o
roses and helotrope filled the alr-an,
Leo's heart beat high with anticipl
tory triumph as she saw Mr.. Mauric
among the crowd,
The next moment she perceived tina
he was not alone. A tall and bcauti
ful young lady leaned on his arm.
With nameless pang of jealous
Leolinc Harper would faiu have shiun
away, but Mr.. Maurice advanced di