The Opelousas courier., 1901-01-26
An Awkward Blunder.
BY SOPHIE z

Ao"S4-oiuS eyes. Cne ulu HOT SUSPECT
the blunder. How should she?
II want to ask you about your dis
engaged time," faltered Frances. Il
have been trying to bring my mother
here for a long time"
Betty became ~Dusiness1ike at once
and brought her mother. who, on con-
sulting a thick engagement-book, found
that she should have a few days to
spare in the course of the month.
"Of course, I might have given the
message about the pink waist" re-
Elected Frances, as she 1ecked a fly OF
her fat pony's back, "but 1 was afraid
she would suspect how things were.
She was so pleased! To keep her from
knowing that it was a mistake seemed
the one important thing.
The pony was forced to 60 at q pace
which shook his fat sides and caused
him to turn a questioning and re-
proachful eye upon his young mistress,
whose views Of life generally conceded
very satisfactorily with his own.
Out on Paradice road, just where the
air begins to be sweet with the locust
trees, Frances met Mildred setting out
with her brother Stanley and his
friend, Lester Wyman. Mildred sent
the young men on ahead, in obedience
to an imperative private gesture from
Frances, and then heard the story
Of the dreadful blunder.
ut was stupid Of me-" said Mildred,
with a pucker Of her serene brow.
"But I don't see how she could have
thought l meant to invite her! How
awkward for you to have to explain"
Awkward! I simply didn't explain.
She was SO pleased about the invita-
ton! She thought you must have
heard how fond she was Of music.
And ! don't think that good times
have ever come much in her way. I
didn't say q word about your pink
chiffon. / thought you would rather
leave it to Providence than to run the
risk Of hurting her."
why Of course, anything would be
better than to hurt her." said Mildred,
slowly. $50 far as the pink waist
goes, I could write to her about it now.
She is perfectly presentable, but 1 wish
it could have happened some other time,
IL l had got to make such a blunder.
/ did want Lester Wyman, who is a
son and accustomed to the
incest people everywhere, to meet the
very cream Of Old Harbor society,""
"She's the very creamiest thing in
the town, so far as looks go, and he
need never know that a dressmaking
hangs out owe her doors, Give
the girl a good time, and don't take
so hard" said Frances, sagely, as
she touched the fat pony with the whip.
"'Hey. Betty Martin, tiptoe finer"
The little hard-worked mother gave her
girl a playful push toward the long
and the mirror reflected the
prettiest gown that its experience had
known. 1t was of pale blue silk mus
lin yer pale blue silk, and to its girl
simplicity was added the indefn-
able quality known as STYLE" The
slip Of a girl, her blue eyes wide with
half-incredulous delight, looked like
o p~rineess-or rather as a princess
ought to look and is no more likely to
look than any n else.
But as Betty turned away from the
mirror-away, also from her mothers
nyes-the delight faded suddenly, as a
candle is blown out by the wind, and
the sensitive little peaked chin quiv-
cred with a haunting recollection of
The expression on Frances PenhaIlow's
face and the forced tone of her congrat-
llations. There had been a mistake
made, somehow! 1t was not likely
that Miss Brewster had meant to in
vite her.
She said that to herself at one mo-
nent, and tried to think the next that
she had grown morbid and fanciful
BY much brooding over Frances Pen
nallow's look Of surprise-a look of
surprise, that was all. She had not
Known of the invitation. Betty had
not breathed a hint of her suspicion
her mother, whose delight had been
sven greater than her own
II would 60. for her sake, over red
lot plow-sharesF' Betty said to her
'elf, giving a little kick to her beauti-
shimmering, light blue train.
That train was gracefully carried
IN the night Of the musicale, and SO
vas the small, ~ash-colored head-only
tride too high. And "a red and a
spark burned on Betty's
heck. But when she found, among
III the throng OF young people, no
;tare Of surprise, or anything but the
riendliest courtesy, she gradually put
lway " the suspicion that their
minds had been prepared, and was gay
With the rest.
Her heart grew warm toward Mil
lred Brewster and Frances Penhallow,
Who. without singing her out in any
Embarrassing way, constantly took
,ains that she should not feel herself a
tranger. 1t grew SO warm that when
dildred showed her chagrin that
dadame D'Almati, the charming sing
r Of English ballads, had failed to ap-
she threw her shyness to the
Winds and said, with evidently a sim
lie eagerness to be Of service: "Oh, I
an sing ballads-if you think anyone
voelld care to hear me! / have not a
Rrge voice, but 1t has been trained. I
ave an uncle who is a musician"
Tiff you will be SO good" faltered
fildred, polite. but as she afterward
~onfessed to Frances Penhallow, feel