Hutchinson gazette., 1900-09-13


,ymg like snowdrft across the
oDg, 81 beautiful, SO tasteful It was,
"A ~ tel,nIn' 10 he wonllrously he.
nnlng b The fair, dainty little lady
no sy,od looking ~ II, her blue eyes
rowniag, ber red lips Il lttle pouty,
"Don, yGu Hike IL dear? | can't see
heie here IL any room Gor the slight
Il Improvements, The skirt Is elegant
nj he bodice Is exquisite"
6tnnIc laughed Nt her mothers evil
dent distress est She was not perfectly
satisfied,
ut Is pericc,ly lovely, m0mma!" she
fcplicd. "There can be NJ doubt OF that
ana ann quite sure | shOll look nicely
in 1t, and nm nlso quite sure Phil will
admire It, Only"
And he lit;le discontented look came
back into the pretty blue eyesthat Phil
Courtenay swOre by, and that hnd
played sad havoc with his henrt until
he had conquered their owner.
Mrs, Clifford looked inqulringly.
"Only what JennieW
Then the secret dissatisfaction came
out In burst Of emphatic earnestness;
"lf ] didn't have 10 wear flowers,
mamma, with III Oh, I'm 40 LEX OF
fowers--Aowers always flowers, for
ornaments--Nnd I'm just dying Tor
lewels--a diamond cross and ear'
rings"
And accompanying the words was a
defiant little nod OF the head and Il
compression OF the red lips.
Mrs. Clifford gOve I'M exclamation OF
startled astonishment.
Jennie! \ diamond cross and ear
rings! The ideal Why don't you wish
for queens crown or nm angels wing,
and be done with It? 4 diamond cross
and earrings! Child, how silly to wnste
even n thought, wish, much less n
word, ON such Nn utter, absolute im'
possibility?
Instead of being hushed by Mrs. Clif-
fords positive determination, Jennie
only smiled with little more defiance
in he rblue eyes,
"But | do wish for them, all the
same, mamma; and think ought to
have them, too. And so does Phil, and
he has as good as told his rich old
granduncle to give me just such pres
ent. He's horribly stingy, old Mr. l'e-
merton Is, and II | wait until he gives
them 30 me"
The wilful little beauty crested her
head and shrugged her shoulders very
becomingly.
"But, dear, cannot see what that or
anything else can have to do with your
insane desire. WHIT until Mr., Bemerton
sees fit to present you with some hand
some Jewels; and In the meantime you
will look just as sweet as ever in fresh,
lovely flowers"
Mrs. Clifford had caressing gentle
way OF speech that was the very es-
sence of motherlness.
but, mamma, you see, must have
the diamonds, or else will not go to
The ball"
Her mother sighed over the sweet,
willful girl,
"And" " Jennie went on, In decisive
sort of a way her mother knew would
he OF no avail attempting to prevent, II
can easily enough have them, mamma
III hire them for the cccnsion,"
The girls suggestion fairly took
Mrs. Ciiiford's breath away for the
minute.
"Jennie! Hire them! Child what
folly you are talking Wear hired jew.
els-hhed fnery! Jennie surely you
are not in earnest when you propose
such m unwomahly, such a perfectly
disgraceru thing?"
Jennie's eyes sparltled as she listen
ed impNtiently.
Mamma, what nonsense! Better
people than we do such things-and ]
am sure il can be no worse than hiring
masquerade suits, and everybody does
that, OF imposing upon people with
hired wedding presents, as Cousin Amy
did,
"What your aunt Olive does is often
very different from what | would do
Besides, Jennie,you know Philip would
be indignant, You know he would new
er tolerate such thing"
Jennie's cheek flushed
"I will tell him, If he says ward.
that 1t is because his cross, miserly OLD
uncle refuses to give me any, and there
will not be anybody at the ball without
ornaments. Mamma, I'm going to
have them and that is all there is about
it! And III look so perfectly foscinat'
ing that even you will forgive me, you
dear little over-conscious mother, you!
Now let me kiss you, mamma, for !
assure you that ! shall not stir one
step till you do, so I'll know that yor
aren't cross with me-"
And, for ALL the mother heart was
sore at the girls hCadstrOng willful
ness, vet is was no easy matter tc
refuse the kiss on the sweet, tempting
lips so near her own, or resist the cling
ing, coaXing arms that were around
her neck.
And then the little grand tycoon
danced laughingly away, knowing that
victory was on her banners,
III
Of all the beautiful women in the
ballroom that eventful evening Jennie
Clifford was undoubtedly the belle
and in that conscious satisfaction that
Is so gratifying to n woman Jennie's
cheeks grew daintily pink. and hel
eyes spurkled even brighter that the
shining brilliants that swung from her
ears and lay on her bosom, suspended
by the black velvet band ut her throut
For she had accomplished her desire
and had hired the diamonds, and thor
ouvhlv pniovpd thp limnh dnZZlnO