The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-12-12
1T was not my wtS ding dress. dear

u;little bitErly. land rip IT TO pieces
and see What can be done with it''s
sshossy, brfiginsk the beautiful dress.
folded de am;E o;;., Of sight i be-. years
|dpfoxa on the day wlltclE W. stf fave
beehxeIfMen Pcrry's wedding s1uX. when
Carleton Rivers, the man who had WON
her young love, had gone away and left
behind him Il brief note containing only
Il line to tell her that the wife who had
been his bane and his disgrace, and
whom he had believed to he dead, was
still alive.
Helen's check was trife pale as
she shook out the perfumcd folds. and
allowed 1:.p glossy richness OF the fa-
brio to trail over the poor old faded
carpet, but her hands We're steady
when she put the scissors into the
seams to d,:spoil it.
Flofenre, was. Il little sad and sub
dued as she assisted in the work, but
SHE was; \ only: eighteen, land the soft,
|>crea my six suited 80 we'll her fresh
young beauty, and. brought out 50
chalmingly :the violet Shades in her
eyes, and the golden tinge in her brown
hair, and her fair arms and shoulders
were so, much whittier than the. silk
that she soon forgot her sadnesIS and
Entered into tic business Of remoA a|ing
% 5$se,s'i ys992flPs dress with kssA en-
1t was late OIL "Wednesday forenoon
before it was con1ipffa,ed; and Florence
stood before the little .tnarror in the
small .Rarlor andt .turncyl to the right
:thH to dhc left WhifSsFrltn :;liffshai.
mother pulled oft ,:Es lf here: :sand Il
a Is Il s SaS 81 s:s,s az :. r.. w.
b; When evening Spssee.: 4he: loving hands
|'m the mother and sisfef dresscnd the
young girl. and looEed:at her the while
with admirinS eyes,. for Florence Perry
in her sisters wedding dress was Il
vision of loneliness that seemed to I'LL
and glorify the dingy room like q
beam of summer sunshine.
Il wish we could have afforded
gloves" said Mrs. Perry, with Il little
sigh-"but I haven't the price of Il pair
in my purse. But the lace will cover
|'your attns, dear, and you have your
handkerchief and fam. And Hclens
little pearl looket, too, and it looks love
~ on your neck. my dear. kiss: me,
my child, and then put on your wrap.
1t is time to 90: %; - -: .<@1.~: ~.
The Pcrrys could! not Oxford the hire
of a carriage. so.'fhe White silk was care
her sister to the door Of the Carter
and before whose imposing entrance
a long line Of carriages was drawn UP.
The sound Of music stole out through
tho nd no rNn1sf11nnn
from the great vases of white roses and
sweet to safety.
II. am almost afraid. Helen Wills
pered Florence, clinging to her sisters
arm.
'Oh, no. you arc not" said Helen,
reassuringly; "they are expecting you,
and doubtless Aunt Carter will be OH
the lookout for your coming. Give
Eyopr: card and your invitation to the
servant. and lle will show you the way
to 9be dressing. ROOM. And be careful
fwhem' *ou take the pins out Of your
skirt and not not teal. the lace it. is Il
little tender And I.wll be waiting
here by Thea at twelve
Florence hurried up tl>hyArqad marble.
the people who were cJlEfiig and going!
and painfully loAscious of her pinned
up skirts, pauss1tn ;ffInt ofjtbe pomp.
Oh o,is footman Mo. guarded the door,
and who looked as if he owned the prin-
| cipal part OF creation.
She gave him her card Of invitation,
which he took and stared at stupidity,
and waved her toward the staircase.
She followed the other ladies, hot and
confused, and found the dressing-ro
Everybody stared at her as she stood,
forlorn and alone, striving with trem-
bling fingers to pull out the pins that
held up her draperies.
/: Nobody knew her, and nobody offered
to assist her.
,i:She succeeded At' last, and without
waiting to glance iii the glass. she fell
tlto the. t1da @sf :ns ", borne down the
.,-ssulriy." she thought, :"aunt and An
mabel will be watching for me, and
when these people;seA that am known
to them they will stop staring"
light; the crash 81 {. Dhntl sounded from
waving Of fills $:1itf ff1k !hieying to and
fro of the crowd made Florence dizzy
al uncertain Of herself. '' -.
Annabel Carter, robed in crimson silk
and refplendent in diamonds, stood 1 IS.
side hH mother ut the end of the S}ofaas
apartment, and Florence, relssured TX
the sight of their familiar faces: broke
a little away from the crowd. ;ftt4 Ayr.
brNng up to them, held out her bare
hanT 9. O..
!" was a very lovely white hand, but
| It was gloveless, and everybody noticed
it.
Mrs. Carter put UP her gold -bowsd
eyeglasses, and gave Florence one look
from over her high, bridgetl nose. ana
Annabel stared ut her cousin With cruel
contempt, and without speaking a word
and completely ignoring the O.ltstretch-
ed hand, turned away and began an
animated conversation with Il beWhls-
kered gentleman who had just been pre-
scented.
Florence. with a sick feeling at her
heart. fell back, and she distinctly heafn
AnnaliSl kay:fo her companions:
''She is a girl from the country, w, ,,s'o
we used to board. 'Rersy Il. her name:
kSuch presumption! Of course sne WASH
fSAyited! And she came with pare
Hands, The ideal" .,,,oa
Florence heard no more. She rushed
blindly along in search Of the stairway ~ ;
her only desire was to get out OF tne
house before she tainted WIN sli''lne
L 4