The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-06-19
THE STORY OF A SATIN
GOWN.

lCiCou, icduy uIcSScu lOr Ino nTSt real
grown-up party of her life, had come to look
at herself in the largest mirror in the house,
the one that hung between the windows.
She descended in state, treading daintily
in her pale blue slippers over the slip Of
Venetian carpet that ran down the centre Of
the old oak staircase, black and polished as
ebony with age and incessant rubbing. Old
Chloe walked behind her, carrying her train,
that it might not be soiled The beautifully
embroidered white petticoat revealed the
silken stockings, and the pale blue satin
caught and threw back many CLINT and
CLEAN from tine bright fire in the great crate.
The Judge sat in his arm chair. and looked
at the fair daughter whose coming had cost
him her mothers life.
Many thoughts were in his mind, but he
only said;
IF am any judge of young ladys cos
tune, my dear, your dress becomes you"
praise from Judge Shandon is praise in
Decd" said Teresa, with courtesy. IF
you did not like it, 1 should go back to my
room and stay there, papa. Oh how nice a
train is One feels so much more dignified.
oh, papa, you are not ready"
INV NUM- 9Ou . SOb W nuAA9 JuN6Cs
said Chloe, with the freedom of a woman
who had nursed him as babe. Nigh
Almost seven, an amt no kline of decent
road to Denveigh's Place."
The judge laid down his book with a smile,
and vanished up the stairs his daughter had
descended. Teresa's niece and namesake,
four-year-old Tessy. danced about her aunt
in childish admiration.
you're as pretty as my doll, aunty," she
cried.
"You DOLL" said Chloe. "You doll is
mighty handsome; can't shake a stick along
side Miss Teresa dough. rs goin' over to
de Denyeigh's to help dat lazy Cornell wait.
jes' for to see Miss Teresa cut out all de oder
aides wild de beaux. Our ladies always is
the handsomest anywhere, but Miss Teresa
she caps de sheaf."
And away marched Chloe, tossing her
yellow turban, to see that the Judge had one
of his finest handkerchiefs, and did not for
get the rosebud for his button-hole.
Teresa walked about the parlor and saun-
tered ont into the hall. There. in its corner
stood the tall clock. with its round, foolish
face, its broad black hands. a ship in full
cdti tAO6ntuS anu DClOW, d lOuuQ anu
glittering pendulum swinging to and fro. "as
though the moon had come down to earth, to
play with the great iron weights hanging be-
side it in the glass case" little Tessy often
thought.
AS Miss Teresa stood there, a young man
entered at the open door, and walked up to
her, and held out his hand.
She put hers into it with smiling frank
ness.
"Going with us. Mr.. GiffordP" she asked,
gaily;; !.
said the young man.
His eyes were taking in all the beauty of
the picture before him. This delicate bru-
nette. clad in the palest blue satin, with
pearls about her throat and fragrant roses in
her bosom. was to him the loveliest woman
on earth. And she was to be his he fondly
hOped-there seemed no obstacle.
Papa is dressing" said Teresa. 1--WE are
always late, because he reads to the last pos
sible moment"
The young man bowed. His mind was too
full of an intention to make a bright answer.
He put his hand into his pocket and drew
out dainty envelope. In that year-it was
very long ago-they had introduced little
adhesive seals to fasJen envelopes with.
The ones which held this together, bore a
tiny silver dove.
II have wanted to say something for a
good WHILE" he said, land / am not good
talker. ! have written what / wished to
utter, and entreat you to read it when you
are alone tonight"
He extended the snowy envelope toward
Teresa. who took 1t from him. As she did
so, her eyes dropped beneath his and wild
rose flush swept up into her cheeks.
How could she fail to know of what young
Clifford had written. when his glance had
said it all SO many times?
There was little doubt that she would give
him kind answer.
But here was the Judge, once more an ele-
CANT figure in his evening dress, and here
was Chloe holding his dark blue cloak as she
might have held his white embroidered one
when he was baby. and Teresa dropped
the letter into her pocket rather quickly
The carriage drove up to the porch. They
entered, Teresa in her soft wraps leaning
forward to kiss her hand to Tessy, whom
Chloe held aloft on the porch to see the last
of them.
II want to go too" said Tessy.
$50 you shall, honey" said Chloe 'Jes'
as soon as yon grow up. You hurry and
grow up.
"Shall have dress like auntie's9" asked
''SIre huff, jes' like" said Chloe "Jes'
de berry image Of dat dress, trail an ALL"
Meanwhile the happy little party in the
carriage were nearing the scene of festivity.
ablaze with light. and the colored lanterns
hung out upon the broad lawn from the
branches of the ancient pine trees.
The carriage stopped at the steps, and an
old negro came out to assist them.
At this instant figure interposed itself.
A dark face, crowned by a slouched hat,
thrust itself before the servant.
"Jedge Shandon, I'm Bud Jerome" said
an angry voice.
Good evening, SIR" said the judge.
Jim Jerome is my brother" said the man.
You sentenced him as a horse-thief, day
before yesterday"
1.-The jury had come to that conclusion.
sir" said the judge.
And l came TO another conclusion Jest
then, judge" said the man-s'to shoot Won On
sight," and he fired. ~" ~
What followed no one ever ouita tna,y
except that Teresa suddenly threw herself
before her father.
The smoke cleared away, the murdere,
firing his revolver at intervals, dashed
toward the woods. a crowd of gentlemen
and negroes in hot pursuit, and the hostess,
with the remaining guests. gathered about
the judge, who stood unframed, holding the
lifeless body of his daughter in his arms.
Teresa was dead. They could not believe
1t at first. They bore her to an upper room,
and did their best to restore her. Removing
the pretty dress. lest they should spot it
with water or cologne, they found that the
bullet had entered the heart There was a
little red stain under the flowers, nothing
more.
After all was over, Chloe, with many sobs,
folded the blue satin away in its great box
and carried it to the garnet.
1.-THE judge mustn't never see that var
again. said she; sit would kill him.
AS for Roderick Clifford, he bore the blow
as men must bear what befalls them.
He used to walk over 60 the judges home,
in the long, lonely evenings, and sit with
nip. Tie men did not talk much, and never
of the subject nearest their hearts. Tessy
Nas no longer there. The child had been
sent u her parents, and knew nothing of
what had happened After a while, her par
ents told her that Aunt Teresa had gone to
heaven"
The married sons and daughters were at
tenHye TO their father, but their homes were
elsewhere.
chloe, grave and unsmiling, showing her
white teeth no more, and wearing a head
kerehjef, instead of her fayorite red and yell
low bandanas, waited on the judge and stood
behind his chair at meal times.
The old clock licked away In the hall, its
voice louder than of yore, in the sad silence
of the house.
Roderick Clifford could not forget how he
had found her standing before it, with the
blue satin train gathered over her arm He
could see the smile with which she turned to
Alih yet. That last evening came back