The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-02-13
IN BORROWED FEATHERS.

1t was rainy evening, aud Hattie
Murray's well-worn blue merino gown
was literally besprinkled with bright
drops as she came into Daphne Walters
room at the sold Red House,
That was the name by which it went,
although the red raint was long ago
washed off its crumbling shingles.
1t had beea hotel once in the old
post-revolutionary days, when four horse
stages went rumb!ing by, and cock
hated travellers trotted past with saddle
bags strapped behind them.
1t was now a cheap boarding house,
kept by Mrs. Sandison, where most of
the girls boarded who worked in Lis
combe's Silk Mills, halt mile down the
river
- Hattie Murray did not live there, be.
cause her iather owned dreary sheen
farm on the flats beyond, and she helped
with the housework morning and eveu-
ing in lieu of her board, and she had run
over in the rain for an evening chat with
the girl who stood at the next loom to
hers.
She was a blue eyed, yellow haired
girl, like French doll, with pretty
teeth aud simpering way of showing
them; and slender as were the wage:
she earned, she always contrived to be
showily attired. She worshipped dress
as Parsee worships the sun.
Daphne Walters was quite a different
sort OF person-Olive complexioned,
with sombro, glittering eyes, and dim
pie nesting close TO the corner of heI
lips.
She wore a brown serge gown, which
Hattie was quite sure must have be
longed to "Mrs. Noah" and in place OF
the cheap imitation jewelry which
tsparkled all over Hattie's trim person
her plain linen collar was fastened by
bow of narrow brown ribbon.
She looked up with smile, anC
pointed TO a wooden chair close to the
table beside which she was working.
why, Hattie, said she, ''you are al
dripping with rain"
"Oh, it's nothingm cried Hattie
flinging Off her hood and shawl. "Wha
are you working at That. old thingl'
with contemptuous upward tilt of he
pretty little nose.
Daphne looked down at the garne
cashmere dress, which she was re-trim-
ming with bows of fresh red ribbon, anC
smiled a little.
1T may be DID," said she, "but it i
the best have got"
"You are not going TO wear that to tht
husking dancer
"lt's that or nothing, Hattie" Daphn,
answered, composedly. "Do you sup
pose | can afford white silk toilettes o
wine'colored plushes out of my ten dol
| lars a week2p
Hattie's face clouded over.
| 'lts shame that old Liscombe pay
us such starvation wages" pouted She
''But that's just what I've come over tC
talk TO yon about, Daphne. I've beer
to New York to-day, in the cheap ex-
cursion steamboat"
81 noticed that you weren't at the
room, said Daphne. "Rosa Buckno
/ took it.n
'Such a time as l have hadn crieC
eager Hattie. ''And such lot of new
ideas as I've picked up! Put away tina
dowdy old cashmere, Daphne Yol
won't look twice at it when you hea
I what We seen. I've been to tn
Holton Street Bazar."
"Well, what of that?" calmly ques-
toned Daphne
"Have you never heard OF It'll"
"No."
Hattie lifted her hands and eyes in {
protesting manner toward the ceiling.
''To think, said she, "that any on,
can be so ignorant of what is going on
Well, my dear, it's place where yol
can buy-or hire, if you like that bette
the prettiest, most stylish dresses yoI
ever saw for a mere song"
"You must have been into the do
mains of the Arabian Nights" sale
Daphne, drily.
"It's secondhand place, explained
! Hattie, "where fine ladies dispose of tn
things they have worn only few times
and one can get superb bargains"
Daphne shrugged her shoulders.
ave should look fine shouldn't we,
said she, 'in dresses that had been worl
by fine ladies' "
1--WE could alter them over"
''No, thank youm SAID compose,
Daphne 81 prefer the old garnet cash
mere, with the knots OF new ribbon"
'Oh, but" pleaded Hattie, 'yol
don't know There's the loyeliest yellow
moire-antique-per perfect, only for a wine
stain on the front breadth, aud tina
could be covered up by changing tn
draperies at the back. You are such
brunette, Daphne, you'd look superb il
| yellow And it cost a hundred an'