The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-03-16

brushed her hair down perfectly
smooth and straight over her little
ears. twisting it very plainly behind.
and then drew from her trunk little
gown of pale gray cashmere, reaching
barely to her ankles and without 3
rufiie or fold. except the fewest pos.
sible plaits at the waist, and absolute.
~ guiltless Of ornamentation of any
kind. A tiny scarf of white illusion
was crossed over her breast, and her
contemplated toilet was complete.
Nevertheless. she surveyed herself
in the glass with evident dissatisfac-
ton.
'Dear me. mamma, IL isn't half %
bad as l thought it would be. I meant
to look like . fright and after all its
rather effective. If were dressed fol-
private theatricals I should think
myself immense. Oh. dear! suppose
they should like mo best this way after
all!'
It was . sorrowful blow to her hopes
on this trump card to find herself still
exceedingly pretty. She was perfectly
conscious of certain piquant charm
in her novel appearance that might
undo her after all. Still she would run
the risk. She was perfect little &C
tress. II any thing had been needed
to effect Roberts complete subjuga-
ton. after his first vision of her love.
illness at the Harvard Assemblies. ii
was supplied when he saw her the week
after in some private theatricals. She
could appear to be Quakercss just as
as she could act her more
natural self in very different world;
and 1t was with face and accent and
perfectly adapted to her new
toilet that she quietly entered the par
lor again after her escapadc up stairs.
and said demurely to Roberts mother:
''Rachel. would thee like me to wear
this gown tomorrow evening for thy
There was q subdued whistle of de-
light from the reconstructed Robert
in the corner. But Roberts mother
gave no sign.
"Thee must wear just what thee
pleases, Edith. II it pleases thee bet
ter to wear thy gown of red silk"
And the wise Edith understood hui
man nature well enough to be sure
that Rachel would not be altogether
disappointed if her pretty future daugh-
should reconsider her toilet
and rc-appear in the dainty gowns she
had been exhibiting for the past fort
night
"And what does Samuel Think"
Edith asked, passing on to stand be-
fore Roberts father.
samuel thinks" said the old gen.
tleman. slyly. ''that thee had better
ask Robert"
''Oh, no. papa Samuel. that would
not be any test at all; thee knows per-
fcctly well that Robert likes me in any
thing" said Roberts fan Gee. demurc-
y.
"And so do I like thee in any thing"
said papa Samuel, with unexpected
gallantry. '.But I think I like thee
best, Edith, in red. Thee knows we
Quakers like to follow the way that is
most simple and natural, and think
red is the most natural for thee. I
think thee must have been born in that
red silk Of thine. Thee is very sweet
to me, my child. in this Quaker gray;
but we Quakers. thee knows, do not
approve of theatricals, and think to-
night thee is trying 10 play part Thee
acts it very prettily, Edith. but 1 advise
thee to 90 back to nature and thy red
gowns"
So the battle was won. and the re-
suit proved that Edith was quite able
to conquer, not only Roberts rela-
tons. but Roberts relations friends
When, a year later. she came back to
liem again as bride. there was but
nne thing left for her to conquer.
Robert had prepared her for possible
visit from elderly friends who might
think it their duty to demonstrate with
her. or with him, on this very worldly
and it was, in truth. hardly
a month before he ran upstairs one
afternoon as she was dressing. with
the announcement that the probable
were taking off their over
coats in the hall.
She hesitated a moment; but her
rose merely from moments
of whether she had any
other gown in her wardrobe that would
emphasize more distinctly her inten-
ton to adhere to her own traditions.
She decided that the long trailing skirt
of pale green cashmere. with its border
Of pale plush and its sash of watcred
silk. was sufficiently worldly when one
took into consideration the jewel that
sparkled in the laces at her throat the
dainty lace-edged handkerchief and
the perfectly groomcd little curls over
her white forehead. She paused only
to slip on one more bangle over her
round wrist. and then, kissing her hus-
band, foatcd down stairs.
Robert never knew exactly what she
said or did to the old gentlemen in the
parlor. He hung over the banisters.
and caught the echoes of her silvery
little laughs, and saw the maid carry
tea into the parlor. and at the end of
an hour descended the stairs himself,