The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-10-03


the landscape look as if she were gaz-
ing at it through telescope.
The girl,who had hailed her darted
behind o clump OF bushes.
"Come round here" che said. .Ma
would give me fits if she knew I'd
opened it It's frock she's bin max.
in fer Lita Marsh, stuck up thing
Ma says she looks as if she 'spected
the earth would git up an prance when
she steps on it. Guess she'll hev q
s'prise party when she sees me tricked
out in frock jest like hernl The
patron come from Paris!"
Phronie Meeker's English was not
as correct as her clothes. Her mother
was the dressmaker OF Canaan, and
Phronie's costumes were the envy and
admiration of the other girls. Malind
especially admired the tapping leg
horn hat with its soft white feathers
dropping over Phronie's mop of yellow
hair. That pink and white face with
eyes about as expressive as blue beads,
seemed the highest type of beauty to
her.
Malind was sallow and thin, with
dark, eager, questioning eyes. Her
shabby gown of faded purple like her
sunbonnet, sagged loosely down from
her sharp shoulderblades as If hung
on pegs. The skirt touched the top
of her coarse shoes, and the sleeves
nearly hid her little brown hands.
Phronie sat down on stump and
began to open the bundle putting the
pins in her mouth till it looked like q
s'rosebud set in little rueful thorns."
s'I don't dast shake it out" she
said, shut you kin see what it's like.
Amt it just splendiferous?
Malind looked at the dainty gown of
white china silk with foam of lace
rufies sprinkled with pearls. Her
eyes kindled.
sob, OH" she cried, 81 don't be-
lieve queens have anything more
beautiful Amt them pale punk bows
Just like howers?"
"They're sight prettier." said
Phronie, who was very artificial in her
tastes, can just think I'm goin' to
hev one like it, only not silk-silk
muslinl I'm goin' to wear it to the
Sunday-sehool picnic. What you go
il to wea5?"
Malind flushed little. "Oh, don't
know" she faltered.
"You do like me, an git a new
frock," said Phronie. Il jest up an
told ma / wouldn't go step without
one. Say, do you know what Inde
Bingham says you look like in your
old blue fiannin'? A pen wiper2 Ha ]
ha! You know one of them things
with head and fannin' skirts?'
Phronie seemed to find the idea so
amusing that she giggled for o
minute, while Malind felt the blood
rush hotly through her veins.
swell. / got to hurry" said
Phronie, shaking out her skirts. I'm
eoin' to buy the ribbon for my frock,
soon as take this home to that nifty
thing. Want to come with me and
see me buy it?"
"No, 1 DON'T" said Malind, turning
away without another word. She,
too. carried bundle, whose contents
she was not anxious to disclose.
The June afternoon seemed sudden
" to have grown hot and close. Even
the river Stoned summing away IN
warm haze and the white dust OF the
road stifled her. The yellow belted
bees droned lazily over the flowers as
if glad their days work was over.
Even the butterflies swayed lazlly
on the clover and told one another 1t
had been trying day.
Malind saw nothing as she plodded
along. Wrath burned like flre IN
her heart. sPhronie's hooking words
sounded in her ears. A vision of her
At the picnic in that lovely white
frock floated before her, while she saw
herself in the ill.fitting blue flannel,
made from one of her mothers gowns.
She never remembered having had
new frock.
ssWonder how u would feel to hev