Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-11-19

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seated beside his desk, "do you special
ly want that new dress, just now"
"Very specially" answered Lucy
calmly.
"All right, then,' and he promptly
counted out the money. Lucy saw a
shade pass over his face, but not a
whit did she relent. She tucked the
bills away in her pocket.book, thank
ed Tom with kiss, and tripped out
of the office straight to Myers and
Fink's. But the only purchase she
made that day was a pair of kid
gloves.
When she reached home again she
took the bills Tom had given her to
her own room, put them in small
ebony work box, locked the box, and
hid the key. And then spent the af-
ternoon ripping up her old blue silk
dress.
Every breadth was diligently clean
ed and pressed, and next, Lucy hunt
ed her well saved stores for trimmings.
A beaded lace front which had already
done duty, was produced, and by the
addition of fifty cents worth of beads,
she changed the pattern and made it
new one. She bought pinned
paper pattern for thirty cents, and
with its help made over the dress her.
self. On the night of the party she
presented herself, all robed and ready,
to Tom.
"This is my new dress" said she.
"How do you like it?"
at is a beauty! Never saw you
look nicer p cried Tom with enthusi-
asm. "But, Lucy, dear, isn't it pretty
near the color of your old one?"
"Well, yes! there isn't very much
difference" answered Lucy, demurely.
"But it is the fashionable shade, as.
sure you !"
ooh, well if it's in the fashion, it's
all right, / suppose said Tom. otis
awfully pretty, puss. But hang me
if | can see hundred dollars in It'll"
"You're man, and not expected
to see," returned Lucy, her eyes
sparkling as she wondered what Tom
would say if he knew that dress had
cost her just eighty cents, in its pres
ent form
But Lucy was destined to be better
repaid for her little sacrifice, before
the evening was over. She knew that
feminine eyes would be sharper than
Toms, and would recognize the dress
as a made-over one, so it cost little
struggle to wear it.
Just at the close of the party, Mrs
Otto, with the freedom of a privileged
elderly acquaintance, said to her:
"My dear, your dress is very pretty"
ooh, Mrs. Otto, it is my old blue,
turned and made over by my own
halds !" replied Lucy blushing.
81 guessed that" returned the elder
ly lady. "But do you know, l admire
to see you in it more on that account !?
1t shows me that you are trying to
help your husband, instead of burden
ing him with extravaganza, as so
many young married ladies do. l
shall tell Mr.. Otto he need not fear to
put confidence in Mr.. Harwell. With
such wife, he will be sure to succeed"
Thank you, Mrs. Otto" said Lucy
blushing now with pleasure for such
a compliment from such source, was
worth having, and Lucy never enjoy
ed a party more than she did that
one.
But she did not stop her saving at
that one dress. Every month Tom
gave her certain sum for her own
wardrobe, for that, unless it was some
thing special, like the party dress, she
seldom had to ask him for money.
She found that by various little
economies she could make out to look
nicely for the winter, with very little
expense, so that the greater part of her
money went to keep company with
the bills in the ebony box.
She was quite a skillful artist, too,
and by very little trouble, she Sc
cured several pieces to paint for friends
which paid her well, keeping it an en-
tire secret from Tom.
"When we are able to do without
saving, she would say to herself, "of
coarse / sha'n't try to do this way.
But until Tom gets his business paid
out and established, shall help him
all can"
So, by dint of small and large
economies, when the middle of Feb
ruary came, Miss Lucy's ebony box
held just two hundred dollars.
One evening, just at this season,
Tom slipped on the icy steps of
street-car, fell, and fractured his leg
severely. When he was brought home
in cab, Lucy was terribly frighten-
ed, but she soon recovered, and show
ed herself plucky little woman, do
ing everything which love and ingenui-
ty could devise for Toms comfort.