The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-02-14
IN BORROWED FEATHERS.

1t was q rainy evening, and Hattie
Murray's well-worn blue merino gown
was literally besprinklcd with bright
drops as she came into Daphne Walters
room at the "Old led House."
That was the name by which it went,
although the red paint was long ago
washed oil its crumbling shingles.
1t had bee2 hotel once in the old
post-revolutionarydays, 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 father owned dreary sheep
farm on the flats beyond, and she helped
with the housework morning and even
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 blue eyed, yellow.h haired
girl, like French doll, with pretty
teeth and simpering way of showing g
them; and slender as were the wages
she earned, she always contrived to he
showily attired. She worshipped dress
as Parsee worships the sun.
Daphne Walters was quite different
sort of person-olivc complcxioned,
with sombre, glittering eyes, and q dim
pie nesting close to the corner of her
lips.
She wore o brown serge gown, which
Hattie was quite sure must have be-.
longed to 'NIrs. Noah" and in place of
the cheap imitation jewelry which
sparkled all over Hatties trim person,
her plain linen collar was fastened by
O bow Of narrow brown ribbon.
She looked up with a smile, and
pointed to wooden chair close to the
table beside which she was working.
"Why, Hattie" said she, "you are all
with ramp
ooh, it's nothingm cried Hattie,
finging off her hood and shawl. "What
are you working at? That old thing2"
with a contemptuous upward tilt of her
pretty little nose.
Daphne looked down at tho garnet
cashmere dress, which she was re-trim-
ming with bows of fresh red ribbon, and
smiled a little.
ut may be DID," said she, "but it is
the best lave got"
"You are not going to wear that to the
husKing dance?"
"Its that or nothing, Hattie" Daphne
answered, composedly. "Do you sup
pose l can afford white silk toilettes or
wine.colorcd plushes out of my ten dol
lars q week2"
Hattie's face clouded over.
'It's shame that old Liscombe pays
us such starvation wages" pouted she.
"But that's just what I've come over to
talk to yon about, Daphne. I've been
to New York to-day, in the cheap ex-
curson steamboat"
II noticed that you weren't at the
room" said Daphne. ''Rosa Bucknor
took it."
"Such time as / have had" cried
eager Hattie. "And such a lot of new
ideas as I've picked up! Put away that
dowdy old cashmere, Daphne. You
won't look twice at it when you hear
what I've seen. I've been to the
Holton Street Bazar."
swell, what of that?" calmly ques-
toned Daphne.
"Havc you never heard of it,"
"No."
Hattie lifted her hands and eyes in a
protesting manner toward the ceiling.
"To thiuk," said she, "that any one
can be so ignorant of what is going on
Well, my dear, it's place where you
can buy II hire, if you like that better
the prettiest, most stylish dresses you
ever saw for mere song"
"You must have been into the do
mains of the Arabian Nights" said
Daphne, drily.
tits a secondhand place" explained
Hattie. "whcre fine ladies dispose of the
things they have worn only few times,
and one can get superb bargains"
Daphne shrugged her shoulders.
awe should look fine, shouldn't we,
said she, Sin dresses that had been worr
| NY llne iauios.
1--WE could alter them over"
"No, thank your said composed
Daphne. 81 prefer the old garnet cash
mere, with the knots of new ribbon"
"Oh, but" pleaded Hattie, "yo,
don't know! There's the loveliest yellow
moire- -antique-perfect, only for a wine
stain on the front breadth, and tina
could be covered up by changing th'
dfaperies at the back. You are such
brunette, Daphne, you'd look superb ii
yellow. And it cost hundred anc
twenty dollars when it was new; and yol
can buy it now for thirty five, paid in in
stallments of five dollars week."
why don't you say thirty-tive hun
dred." said Daphne. 81 am as able t.
pay one price a. another"
"Or you can hire it for one night, will
boots ard gloves to match, for ten dol
lars, and you to pay the expressage bot
ways" added Hattie.
Daphne shook her head resolutely.
GLOW should I look" said she-'T,
poor factory girl-wearing yellow moire
autique2 Did you ever read the fable o
The Daw in Borrowed Feathers Hat
tiem
"I've hired a dress to wear !" defantl
cried Hattie-"a beauty"