The Banner-Democrat., 1897-10-30
For Katy Delaney.
BY EMMA A. oPPER.

Dwight Hopkins vaulted the hedg,
between their lawn and the Winslows
and went and joined Irene, who wa,
studying her history on the veranda
I'm going to give party mex
week." he announced.
Irene turned down leaf and shut
her book with an excited snap. "Why
Not with your mother and Madeline
gomez" said she, but Dwight nodded
Eyes, 1 am. They're going to be
gone month. 1t will be hot weather
by the time they get back, and you
can't dance when it's hot. I think
they'll be glad to be rid of the bother
of it, for that matter. Father thinks
can manage it, and he's given me $25
for it, l shall have the hotel people
serve the refreshments, and I'll have
three or four pieces from the opera
house orchestra. And if you and
your mother" said Dwight, s'will
help me about it"
'Of course we willr' Irene prom
tted, delightedly, and she joined him
In an enthusiastic discussion of de-
tails. She forgot her studying, and
they made out list of the guests, and
of the dances, on fyleaf of her his
tory.
When Dwight went home, he went
down to the back entry, to clean his
bicycle.
Katy Delaney came through the
entry from the kitchen, where she had
been calling on the cook. She was
distant connection of the cook 's-the
cooks cousin had married Katie De-
laney's uncle.
Katy Delaney went to ..the high
school. She was in this years gradu-
lting class. "How do you do?"
Dwight said. He had considerable
respect for her. She was a pleasant
girl, and she was bright scholar,
too.
Katy Delaney murmured "How do
you do?" and went out hastily, her
lace averted. Dwight looked sharply
after her. "What's the matter with
Katy?" he inquired of the cook, who
was pairing potatoes in the kitchen.
"What have you been saying to her?
She's been crying, hasn't she?"
Twasn't anything I said to her."
the cook answered. "It's what she's
been saying to me-" She pared an
other potato before she went on.
"She's feeling terrible bad because
she can't graduate, said she. ''She
hain't got any dress to wear, and she
,an't get any. She'd have to have a
white dress like the rest of the girls,
md all the other ixings; and she
,an't have 'em, and she's got to give it
all up. She's got pride and she won't
wear dress that amt suitable. Her
tather died last winter, you know, and
they've had an awful hard time to get
along. There amt any money for any
graduating dress for Katy, and Katy
knows it. She amt making any fuss
about it, but she feels terribly bad.
She'll get her diplomay, Is'pose, same
is the rest, but she'll miss all the fun
md all the part that's worth having.
offered to let her have the money,
but she wouldn't take it. / don't
.pose / would in her place. Well,
It's a pity. Poor folks do have it aw-
iul hard" said the cook, turning the
.old water on the potatoes.
"a pityi should say it was, said |
Dwight. He bent sober face over
his wheel.
And he continued to think of it. |
"Katy Delaney's frst-rate girl. It's
pretty tough if she's got to miss COM
nencement. She's one of the best
.cholars in that class. Margaret Cary
md Grace Belden, and all those girls,
will be on hand, dressed up like any
hing, and some of them have only just
yque aked through on their examina-
ions."
He finished with his bicycle and
vent ont on the piazza with maga-
tine. 1t made no difference. He
,ould not get Katy Delaney out of his
mind. "It wouldn't be so bad for
lellow," he thought, "but girls are
different about such things. She'll
leel awful"
He sat and tared hard at syringa
push, in full white bloom. He did not
lit there long. He jumped up, with
mdden impetuosity.
81 don't care," he said, aloud, "it's
4 shame! And if / can't turn my hand
over for somebody once in while
I'm going to do it,"
He ran upstairs, and found his poe
ret book, and took from it a little roll T
,f bills-the $25 his father had given
him. He folded them in sheet of
etter paper, and on the paper scrib-
oled, "From friend; for your grad
lating Dress" And he sealed it in an
nvelope, directedit to Katy Delaney.
md ran ont with it to the letter box.
And five minutes later he startled
irene Winslow by second appear ,