The Opelousas courier., 1888-03-10
THE SCARLET CLOAK.
BY ELIZABETH CUMMINGS.

Mrs. Holder hastily Iald2 down heT
work. ''Tilly's coming as usual with q
pint bowl, an +! Ptttigrews grocery's not
two blocks off! 1t does beat alll' "You
ought to be accustomed to it by this
time, mother" said pretty Winnie
Holden, looking up with a smile. 81
don't think they can help i'll believe
they are uneasy without something OF
our. Last week it was the waf1e-iron,
and the fnter, and this week it's the
rolling-pin, and the mouse-trap." A
sharp rap at the door wa followed by
the appearance of an untidy little girl,
who announced IN o high, monotonous
voice, that My mad like to borrow
huff ginger ter put inter a ginger c,ke,
an some pumpkin pies, = an Miss Win
mic, mayn't we take your corn-popperp'
"Hslf the buttons gone from her
froc&, and no buttons to speak of on
her boots" said Mrs. Holden, when she
had closed the door on the small visitor.
''Ye ,terday it was matches and mo-
lasses, and tomorrow it will be eggs
and bird-seed. Dear me, were there
ever such people in the world before 7"
81 suppose we ought to be accommo-
dating" said Winnie, blushing. "Per-
haps other people borrows more than we
do" @
"They donE---I mean nice people
don't" said her mother conclusively,
and the two sewed on in silence.
Winncfred Holden was, like other
pretty girls, very fonl of tasteful
clothes, and her desire for them was
emphasized by tho fact that her means
of gratifying her tastes were limited.
Her father had been in the hardware
business thirty years, and had h, pos
sessed business capacity, might have
had the best trade in tho village. But
he was a tlmid, conservative man, and
had never moved from the narrow shop
in which he began, though the business
centre had shifted and left him on a
back street. Mrs. Holden had that
rarest and most telling of gifts, "fac-
ulty," and nothing went to waste in the
littlcebrown house, whose snug comfort
was the envy, by more than one neigh
boz. Winnie had received a careful
education, and wanted to teach, but
she had no aptitude for the work, and
her father knew it. "You weren't
made for it, he said to her. "Stay at
home and learn housekeeping and
homemaking; your education is not
sufficient for you +. start out yet" -
Winnie @eyed, Vut her allowaEe
was small and she often thought Hcou-
ingly of what she might earn, VIC lpTn
father willing. Scarlet cloaks h. jusSS
come into fas hion, and now sheS never
looked into the glass, that she did not
think how becoming one would
be TO her dark eyes
and hair. Carrie Pettigrew, a red
headed, freckted, plain-faced little
thing Of fourteen had one, made with a
white silk lining and white silk tassels.
Winnie felt her deprivation moro keen
" than ever, and did what she had
never done before, asked her father to
observe the coveted garment. tive
seen it he said in his quiet way. "A
fool and his moneys soone parted. I'm
afraid Garrie'll wish her turkey red
cloak a blanket when snow fiics.n
1t was the last day Of juno, and that
evening, DR.. and Mrs. Grannis, the
heads Of che Dorlsing Collegiate Institute
for YoSng Ladies, gave . reception to
their pupils and patrons. Winnie and
her father and mother had received
special invitations, and to Winnie it was
a great occasion in itself, and because
the Doctors nephew, Jonn Burt, was up
from NV York, where he had been
hard at work at a medical school. She
had compassed fresh gloves, and a new
fan, besides the new tarletan dress she
hid worked at for a fortnight. There
we're exquisite crimson roses opening by
the dinin3-room door, and creamy ones
by the sitting-room windows, and with
q Lunch of these at her belt, Winnie
thought her toilet would be per
feet, if only she had a scarlet cloak ii
place of her old white shawl. AS she
stitched d the last rows of SAITH ribbon
on her founces, she slowly came TO d
decision over something she had de-
hated for days. It was very hard, after
that unlucky visit Of lilly for the gin
ger, lut there was the coveted scarlet
cloak. Mother. shs said, when her
task was done, and the new dress was
carefully laid out on thcapare room bed,
81 don't believe it would be any harm
if I asked Carrie for her cloak to-night.
It will harmonic beautifully with my
things, and will just ft me-
For an instant Mrs. Holden hesitated,
q fact which was not lost upon her
daughter. - don't blame you fol
wanting the cloak she said gravely.
But re can't aford to buy ron one
and what yogr father cant afforl 70
buy. ron can't afford to wear. Besides, 4
she added as a sort Of vindictive anti