The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-06-23
tossing her head. "And you're really
determined not to 60"
"Yes, quite"

IL es, qulte.
"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind
lending me the black lace dress you
pasted the gold stars on when you did
mean to 60. l find that the lower
founce is completely torn off my
white tarlatan, and / really haven't
time to plan any new costumes"
"You are quite welcome TO it, Hen
rietta," said Miss Carleton, kindly.
"I can put on little gold fringe
and make a very decent Midnight
out of it," said Hetta, indifferently.
"Only, Katie, 1 think you are goose
not to go!"
Katie did not argue the question
she only painted quietly on and Hen
rietta Lacy went away.
ooh, Mr.. Merris!' said she, radi-
antly, as, on ascending the steps OF
the Photographic saloon, she met the
handsome young foreman of the print
ing office overhead. "Ive just como
from Katie Carleton's. And you
ought to see the lovely dress she has
been preparing for the masquerade
BALL"
"Indeedw Evan Merris's brow
darkened slightly. 81 thought she
had decided not to CO."
"I don't know about that" said
Miss Henrietta, artlessly; "I only
know that she's got beauty of
dress. black lace, all sprinkled over
with gold starsl'
Mr.. Merris passed on, and Henrietta
entered the saloon, coDgratulating
herself on her finesse.
MPve put spoke in her wheel, l
guess" said the young damsel to her.
self; "and serve her right for getting
Evan Merris away from me, that had
known him years before she ever
showed her plnk-and-white baby-face
here. And didn't tell anything but
the truth, either! I did see the dress
there, and she has been making it'll"
Katie Carleton expected Evan Mer-
ris in vain that night. The little bow
of fresh blue kbbon in her yellow hair
was all in.vaip; the new ruffle at her
throat and the spotlessly ironed white
apron were donned to no purpose.
She extinguished her little lamp at ten
o'clock, and, creeping into her alcove-
bed, cried herself 10 sleep, she did not
exactly know why.
The next night was the night of the
much talked-of masquerade ball. Evan
Merris hated and dispised these mis-
cellaneous gatherings from the bottom
of his heart-and yet, just when car
riage after carriage was driving up.
and the crowd arriving, he CHANGED to
be standing in the brilliantly lighted
street, leaning against a lamp-post,
and moodily watched the prettily al
tired figures fit by.
Suddenly he gave a start. There
was the black lace dress, starred over
with gold, floating across the pave
ment, worn by slight, graceful fig
ure, and leaving faint odor of musk
and patchouly in its pathway. But
he did not see the triumphant flash of
the vailed eyes, as for all instant they
rested on his face.
"There she goes" he murmured to
himself, as the diaphanous folds of
black and gold disappeared under the
decorated archway; "and there, be-
meath her feet, crash to ruins the air.
castles that my silly brain has been
building for the last three months!"
So he went on his way, determined
to see or hear no more of pretty Katie
Carleton, the yellow-haired girl who
had somehow contrived to cast
glamour about his heart and brain de-
cidedly prcjudicial to the influence of
Miss Henrietta Lacy.
But a mans resolves are made
neither of gutta-percha nor adamant,
and he could not help pausing i'll
stinctivcly in front of the tenement
house in which Miss Carleton lived;
and as hc paused he saw, through the
big, brightly lighted window of the
grocery below, the slender figure OF
Katio herself, in gray dress, like
little nun, buying the humble loaf OF
bread and ten-penny worth OF tea
which were to serve for her morrow
mornings breakfast.
at can't be possible" said
Evan Merris 10 himself. "No, II