Smyrna times., 1901-10-02
An Act Of
Reparation.
991sG GGGG

the long, wine-colored, willow plume
dropping over the brim at her hat, and
her dark, brilliant eyes sparkling with
health, good humor and exercise. She
was pretty brunette, with black eye
brOws, long lashes and the cream
tinted skin which is like velvet, so soft,
tine-grained and clearly colored.
What contrast to her was the frag- |
lie girl standing behind the counter in
her shabby de beige dress with dyed !
ribbon bow at her throat and full frill
of mended lace encircling her slender
neck. But this world offers us con-
trasts at every step.
''Do you wish white or colored?" the
latter asked.
ooh, [ don't know. Pink, l sup
pose," Ellen Purple answered, after a
second or two of consideration on the
momentuous question "Pink is my
color"
The pale shop gill reached down a
box of daintily ydecorAted trinklets,
smelling of sandalwood, edged with
tinted swadsdown and inland with
pearl and ivory and, as she stood re-
spectfully awaiting the young custom
er's decision, a paroxysm of coughing
shook her slender frame.
Miss Keturah Purple, Ellen's maiden
aunt, looked at her with eyes of kindly
pity.
"My DEAR" she said, ''you have
very bad cough"
The girl smiled sadly.
81 have had it a long time,' she
said.
, "You ought to go home and nurse
: yourself up, instead of standing here
in all these draughts," counseled Miss
!. Purple who had CHEEKY, dictatorial
: way with her, like one in authority.
Eyes, L suppose so, said the girl.
'But we are very poor, and my wages
are all my mother and have to live
i on, and
. ooh, aunty. look here, what a
: beauty" cried out Ellen, suddenly.
5 white, watered satin, covered with
+ point lace, and the sweetest pear
d sticks. What is the price of this one?'
l. turning to the shop girl.
r The girl glanced at the label.
e Twenty-Five dollars, answered she
2. Ellen's countenance fell.
''Oh, can never afford that" sale
- she. Twelve is all I have to pay.
must content myself with something
) less elegant. Show me other styles
= please.
- As she spoke she closed the fan sud
" denly and of the sticks slipped out o
place and tore a ragged rent through
, the exquisite point lace stretches
. across it. Ellen started guiltily, and
- glancing around to make sure that n
one was looking at her, replaced it i
its box.
:" ''It was only an accident" she tol
herself, and the shop girl brought
- new box of fans for her inspection
:" I'm not to blame; no one can expeC
'e me to pay for $25 fan destroyed b
accident-and, besides, they shoul
make these things stronger.
And pushing away the large box sh
is turned her attention to the new fan
IS. and finally settled upon a pretty ros'
81 colored article, edged with Spanis
en- blande, which came nearer the sui
Ike she had appropriated for the fan.
m. "Well?" SAID Aunt Keturah, sal
~. you suited?"
,e- cat last, auntie.
ial 'Then let's CO." said the old lad,
'r; ''or never shall get an opportunity
~ ~ buy my furniture, chintz and III
'gs bleached muslin. Fans and la
he pocket-handerchiefs and pink sash
is are all very we'll, but they're of no us
~ ioi in housekeeping point of view! \
MS use at all!'
ell Ellen Purple went to the party IN
'lal dress of rose-colored silk, with an owe
skirt of Swiss muslin, and the pre-
tiest of sashes, loored artistically ov
it-and she was very happy. Alb,
tho deed, why should she not be? On
has IS; the petted darling OF an OLD Dacl
ex. lor uncle and maiden aunt, with ia
unit that satisfied her girl-heart every til
ltly she looked into the glass, and a SUM
orn happy temperament that was wol
Ime more than fortune, in that it earn
~ her to see the bright side of hum
80 80 nature and sip the sweets from Ill
gbt cup, regardless of its bitter drei
+ as And, moreover, Guy Middleton dan'
bill, three times with her, and carried
t to one of the buff rosebuds from the
set banquet Uncle Simeon had presen
and her, vowed he would keep 1t fore
and ever.
"Of course no one knows what th
promises amount to-" laughed Ell
ar as she told Aunt Keturah, who was
who ting up in a prodigious flannel dr.