The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-27
JENN|E'S CALICO BALL.
She Reveals More Tricks to George
Than Ever He Had
Dreamed Of.
Delicate Finesse Employed in Sub
DUNG Strawberry Blonde
From Macys.
She Looked Kind o Homclike, but the
Proposal She LonGcd for Didn't
Come the Night of the Ball

Say. George. don't YOU want to take NE
to a calico ball next week?' said Jennie. in
4 voice fully as high pitched, but somewhat
less bitter than that which she was ac-
customed to remark. "Ca-a-sh. Seventy
five! Come here, can't your several times
in the course of the day.
Jaw, what would want to do that for?'
rctorted George. much as he might have
told the boy to take that steak around to
Mrs Smiths and be quick about it, now
With these little breliminaries Il CONVEX
sation began, which resulted in mutual un-
derstandine, whereby George was to get the
next Saturday night off from the boss at the
butcher shop, and. with Jennie, was to go
to the ball.
The tickets said: "Grand march begins
promptly at $780," and SO George, who
hadn't had much experience with balls. got
around to Jennles boarding house at 7:30
m.
"You must think you're going to mat
was Jennle's salutation.
saw. see here. this thing begins at $780, y
protested George. producing his ticket.
ION. they always put that on the ticket;
it don't mean nothln': there won't 10 ball
begin IN New York before 10 O'Clock, and
don't you forget it..
And it didn't, for when at 9:45 o'clock
George and Jennie got off the street car at
the corner and hurried down the cross
street III the direction OF a faint blare of
brass and string music the people
We're Just beginning to stream into the
doors to the hall. Jennie wore an old Cos
samer over her jacket and skirts and George
cast constant furtlve Chances down behind
hlrA, as II making sure that nothing was
showing beneath the tails of his overcoat.
The reason was suggested when George. in
the little room at one side that served as a
mems dressing room. removed the overcoat
and disclosed beneath it remarkably gay
and phenomenally long-tailed dress
coat of brilliantly figured calico.
Meantime Jennies gossamer and jacket
had come OF in another small room
and revealed her costume, which looked as
though It might have been SUNDAY best
dress borrowed from the cook, but which
really had been loaned to her by an accom-
modatmg friend at the same counter who
lad got II to wear at a calico ball on the
east side earlier III the season. 1t was a
little slimpSy, not having been starched
sufficiently. but jennie's person being by he
means an Informed one. the gown Nigh,
have been even more clinging than it was
and not made any unpleasing revelations
The gown was of pale green goods. with
small dark pattern, and while Jennie Wa.
waiting for George in the hall she went IL,
to the hat check window, and, receiving !
plain white envelope, slipped into it Il small
neck,ie which the rules of the game re
quired should be OF the same material as he
dress. When George. with much trepiae
tlon and an evident disposition to keel
feeling of the unaccustomea tails of hi
glddy coat, came out from the mems room
Jennie gave contented sigh ani remarhe,
yivaciously:
ION, I'm so glad you've got red one. l
it'd been blue it'd have jus. killed N,
dress
George. who had hired the coat for seventy
five cents from a customer, gave the tails
twitch, and asked II it looked all right o,
him.
.'Anything looks all right on man. re