Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-11-14
The Emerald Buttons.

room very often, but when Betty,
tired cut with the teas and receptions,
the theaters and parties, stole up~to
spend 4 quiet evening with the odd
lady, she always came away happy,
and, as she said, refreshed
The little country cousin, to tell
the truth, often found herself rather
in the way, for the young people were
gay, and, though kind, taking her out
with them wherever they went, she
sometimes longed for glimpse OF
her mother and in her secret heart
felt that they would rather she
stayed at home.
Aunt Pen, in her own rooms at the
top of the house, surrounded by all
the old-time furniture her mother
had left her, was a great attraction
to Betty. and tonight she was more
than glad to fly up and knock 1T the
door for admittance-for things had
gone wrong.
This beautiful, bewildcring fancy
ball the girls We're talking about
how she longed TO wear the prettie$t
kind of dress and 80 with the rest,
How her feet tinsled when they
walked over high-heeled satin SIP
perS, and she thought If the shining
floor and swinging music. How "N-
citing to hear them discussing he
merits of brocaded SatinS at puceS
that made her dizzy, and how mad
dening to know that in spite of hay
ing a whole invitation TO herself, she
couldn't so, for the slender pocket
book didn't contain enough for even
a mask
And, worst of all, the girls la |
only been halfhearted about it.
though they offered to lend amy OF
their old ball dresses she thought she
could alter" and Aunt Caroline after
looking at her retiectively. and Civ
ing it as her opinion that Betty
would not feel happy if she WASH
dressed as we'll as the rest" and adj
viSed her to give it mp; "She was
rather young for that sort of thing"
She hadn't talked like that at first.
Betty recalled with a burning heart.
the letter of invitation that had
brought her on this visit.
You are keeping Betty buried,
wrote this same aunt; "A girl neIrly
seventeen should see something o. the
world. Send her to me this winter
But they had not been prepared for
the red-haired Sun-burnt girl they
remembered ON the farm to have
turned into this lovely young Great
ure, with her wealth of chestnut hair
and her great brown eyes. And in
spite of her quiet ways and her sim
pie dresses, Maud and Ethel had been
quite overlooked at one or two parties
lately where young men abounded
and Aunt Carolinc'S discomfort was
becoming evident.
And now, as Il browning evidence
that the country cousin was coming
quite too much to the front, this in
vitation lad come fren Mrs. John
Drayton. with little note making
quite a point of it-"that the pretty
niece should throw over all other en-
gagementS in their favor for that Spe-
cial evening"
1t would never do, that Wis,
woman counSelled with herself; and
though Tor any other occasion she
would have ordered Bciy'S dress the
same as she did for her daughters
he thought of young John dayton
steeied her heart, and she pretended
not to notice the girls disappointed
face.
Let little Betty become the mistress
of the Drayton fortune. OF course ii
would be a wonderful thing for the
child but charity begins ut home,
and young John Drayton had been
paying Maud unquestionable attcn.
ton before Betty came; and though
she thought no one knew, and had
bluShed as red as the great cluster
Of roses, Aunt Caroline saw the card
that came with Betty's box of flowers
that morning, and was prepared IL
"cut off the enemy" like good gen.
eral.
And Betty, her heart throbHing with
disappointment, felt the change in the
atmosphere, and hid her feelings as
best she could. But when night came
and she sat alone in her own room
she had pleaded home letters as IN
excuse for not joining the skating
party-and a voice asking in surprise,
What. Miss Betty not skating:'
kept ringing in her ears, she buried
her head on the little desk and cried