The Opelousas courier., 1900-12-01
The Despised Pink Frock.
STORY OF GRADUATION DAY.
BY CATHERINE JEwETT.


q little child "did my sums" without
any conscious efort. Indeed, it was
my well-known 'tknack at tiggerin' >
that induced Dea n Dudley, the su'
peryisor, to bestow upon me the much.
coveted Centre school. It was the
larg st in town, the hardest and the
best paid. I was only Is at the time,
but family misfortuues, followed by
the sickness and death of my father,
made the necessity for employment
urgent and imperative.
Heavily handicapped by youth and
inexperience, my first term was o sue.
cession of disappointments and dis
illusions.
Gradually, as [ became acquainted
with my pupils and accustomed to my
duties, I acquired the faculty of adj
justing myself to my surroundings.
after which my work became much
easier and more satisfactory. Term
after term passed, until I felt my po-
sition to be assured. For six years I
held it, ~ciphering annually through
the higher algebra, to the wonder of
my pupils and the satisfaction Of their
parents. Being a district school, there
could be no real graduation, but grad
ually the day had taken upon itself
the dignity and Importance of an an
nual celebration.
At first I had been one of it's most
enthusiastic supporters, believing that
it's coveted would not only
stimulate ambition and reward indus
try, but would also tend toward the
establishment of a much-needed free
high school. Yet I now realized, with
pain, that it babe fair to be a culmina-
ton of jealousy, unkind emulation and
unnecessary extravaganza.
The leader in every e~xtravagant de-
vice was, naturally enough, Muriel
Mason, only daughter of the richest
man in town. Born to co nmand, she
held her 1--WE against all opposition,
until the subject of dress was
broached.
In her case the important gown was
to be a dainty creation of white lace
and surah, therefore she decreed that
her classmates should likewise drape
themselves in white.
''That is not fair" protested Laura
Haley, who delighted In gay fabrics
and vivid coloring. "I am sure 7
don't want to accentuate my natural
ugliness."
'It won't make any difference on
the stage" said Muriel, with careless
unkindness.
After this experimental tilt, as no
further opposition was hazarded, the
white-dress rule was supposed to be
imperative. That evening Dolly
Ke npton came to me, her pretty face
clouded, her young arms loaded.
Poor Dolly; I OWNED her trouble
before she voiced it. She was q deli
cate little creature, studious and re-
fined. yet not exactly popular among
her mates. She was poor, undisguised-
" and undeniably SO. She lived with
her widowed mother and an aged
woman known as Aunt Marty, a queer,
irresponsible old body, who with the
slightest possible claim had burdened
them for years. With pauperism
staring her in the face she had fed for
shelter to Mrs. Kempton, who was her.
self in straitened circumstances. The
connection between them was of the
slightest, and entailed neither legal
nor moral obligation; yet she cared for
the poor soul kindly, SO stretched her
meagre income that it covered the bare
necessities Of life for the three-her-
self, her daughter and their perennial
guest
Knowing the circumstances, I could
we'll understand what a p~erplexing
question graduating expenses must be
in that pinched household; but I was
hardly prepared for the solution which
Dolly's Zig bundle contained. Sho
opened it, spreading before my aston
ished eyes . garment quantity beauti-
full in tint and texture, but ~grotesque
In figure and design. An ancient
dress Of white silk tissue, gayiy bro
caded with huge garlands of pink
and green leaves. The fabric it,
self was exquisitely fine and delicate,
the groundwork time-yellowed into
the softest ivory tint; but, alas, the
passing years had wrought no such re-
timing change upon the overblown
roses and oyergrown leaves running
riotously over the scant skirt and low
bodice of this impossible gown.
"Dear Miss Deacon" said Dolly,
with a little nervous laugh that had
in it q hint of tears, do you think
any circumstance or combination of
circumstances could make it ones
duty to Q that for a graduating
dress?"
] looked at her in establishment.
Mother wants me to wear it, " she
went on, land indeed 1 want to. after
a fashion; yet all the same my soul alb
hors those ancient roses. You Q e it
was Aunt Martyrs wedding gown, and
in her eyes as fine and valuable as
ever. Through all the shifts and
changes OF her most unhappy life she
has chung to this sole relic OF happier
days. fancy that after her husbands
death his people made much of her
for q time. Her father was wealthy,
and there was always the chance OF
his relenting; but as n by one her
o~vertures were ignored and her let
tiers returned unopened this POSSIBLE
ity grew less and less, until, after the
family moved east, it ceased altogether.
She was never strong Oh smart or ca
pable. and little BY little everyone's
patience gave way, until even our
home, with its many privatfons, seemed
q very haven of rest to her. This af-
ternoon Mrs. Mason called and talked
Of nothing but the necessary expenses
nf the Gaming -occasinn !, Rha iaS4 -