The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-02-13
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
AN ORIGINAL STORY.


New Years party at Gertrude Hill
leary'sH' cried pretty willful Alice
Carroll as she ran into her sisters
sitting room, one bright day in
December, and threw her school
books one way and her hat and coat
another.
Kate looked kindly at the pretty
face, now flushed with excitement;
she was very fond of her little sister,
as could be inferred from the fact
that she had given up her life to
care and provide for her. Their
father and mother were both dead
before Alice was seven years old,
and Katie, who was then sixteen,
took the full responsibility OF pro-
viding for her baby sister and her
self, so that now she seemed more
a mother than a sister to Alice.
Kate was an excellent needlei-
woman, and in that way managed
to keep Alice and herself in fairly
comfortable circumstances. !
"Well," said the impatient Alice,
"have you nothing to say?"
"To say? You know how glad /
am of anything that makes yoh
happy, but what dress have you Il
wear? suppose the girls viii aE
have nice new gowns, and my preaeesy
little girl will have to wear her old
white null"
"Indeed, Kate, if you Sink
am going to do any such thing you
think very wrongly for l will not.
You will have to get me new gown
or | will stay at home; so there?''
mo, no, you shall not STAY at
home, but | really cannot give YOU
a new gown, Alice"
very well, at home shall staS.
| think it real mean Of you, Kate.
I've worn that old white dress to
every party for fully three years.
Gertrude has such a sweet pale blue
silk. | saw it to-day. Kathleen
Mavourneen, if You love me grant
me this"
a delicate pink flush stole into
Kate cheeks. That term, "Kath-
leen Mayourneen," had been used
by one to whom she was fondIy
attached.
'I'll see, darling. You know l
never refuse you anything that |
can reasonably give, but you must
not be at all disappointed if you do
not get the Dress
Alice kissed her and knew she
had won the day, as she always did,
but she little thought what it would
cost her sister.
Kate took in more sewing, she
sat up at nights, and often the
great time-keeper in the church
tower near by chlmed out the hour
of midnight, and still she stitched
away, while the one for whom she
did all this, was long since wrapped
in peaceful slumber, dreaming
happy dreams.
The day before the party came,
and as Alice had heard nothing of
the new gown, she supposed of
course that she would not get it;
she was therefore, very cross and
disagreeabie. She went to her
friend Gertrude and disclosed her
troubles to her in the following
manner:
Gertrude, | am very sorry that
| cannot come to the party
Cannot come to the party, Oh
Alice, why not, pray? 1t will be a
failure without you. ! was depen-
dinw on you.''
"Well, the reason is, I've moth
ing to wear. Kate was real mean
she promised me a new dress, and
she has not kept her promise. I'm
sure | don't know why, for she has
been doing extra work, unless
lndeed-oh, l have it? She sits up
every night sewing on her wedding
dress. That horrid DIR. Gordon
has been coming to the house a
great deal lately, and | just know
that they are going to get married. -
"Why, how old is your sister,
Alice?"
"Indeed, Gertrude, | could not
begin to count her years, they must
be as the sands of the sea-. At
this they both laughed, and after
some further talk Alice went home.
"Alice, dear, [ want to fit this
dress on YOU"
ooh yes, Miss Kate, you can
make me useful in all sorts of ways,
but what do l get for it." said Al
ice in an undertone, but neverthe-
less she went and put the dress on.
She thought it was the most charm
ing dress she had eyer seen, the
soft pink silk fell in rich folds
around her perfect figure. Kate
often fitted the rich Miss Robins
dresses on her, as they were of the
same size exactly, and she thought
of course that the dress was Miss
Robins. AS she stood before the