Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-02-07
The Blue Skirt
81 EssIE GALE was ambitious, i'm.

nj moderately so.
Jack Gale was ambitious, too
but temperately so.
1t was because Of the varying de
grees Of their ambition that this story
came about.
Jessie could sing. Jack could not. He
could only listen with a rare apprecia
ton and adore this particular singer
beyond all bounds of her deserts Fol
Jack was rs gifted in the rare art of
loving truly as Jessie was in the art
of singing. Rather more, | should say
All this had much to do with the blue
skirt, for 1t was these psychologist
conditions that brought about the Incl
dent of the blue skirt.
Jack had always extravagantly adj,
mired the gown of which the blue skirt
was component part. He had told
her so often but Jessie had answered
rather frctfully that 1t was such a
simple little affair" Pale blue cham
bray. made with a blouse effect and
trimmed with rutileS edged with mar
row torchon. So woman would have
described It, but to sturdy, honest, low
ing Jack Ii was blue cloud fecked
with white, from which the black eyes
aud curling black hair, the red lips and
creamy skin of his wife cleaned forth
brilliantly.
Jack never forgot the day she tossed
il aside.
IN never wear that old thing
again" she said Il do hate to wear
things when they've grown shabby"
There was a little tremor of sensi.
tiveness In Jacks face as the words
struck cruelty upon his ear, but he
made manful effort to suppress it,
His income was small, but he was do
ing his best TO increase it. and the In
come was sure to come If 1t was bit
slow. lie had told Jessie SO often and
had explained that there was some dis
position to keep the young engineers
down.
The older fellows naturally want TO
keep the best positions" he said. Try
to he patient Jessie l am doing my
best, dear
And Jessie was silent. She had the
retrospective nature that matches
heavy-ldded eyes, habitually cast
down. And the habits Of silence ana
introSpection were growing.
1t was on the evening of the day that
Jessie said she had thrown away the
old blue dress" that the great change
came.
Jessie heard that theatrical mana
ger was reorganizing company for a
season of comic opera. \ neighbor has
told her he needed girls for the com
pany-"glrlS With looks, and with
voices, if possible, hut looks always"
And Jessie had been to town and been
engaged and had come back and told
Jack
She was Il little frightened by his
strange silence.
Il did it to help You along-because
the money viii help us both" SHE said
IN defense Then She burst out into n
storm against the manner of their life.
II hate the solitude here" she said.
Sometimes | feel afraid of the hills,
1t seems rs though they will fan over
me ard crush me And the silence here
! is awful, | want 10 hear human voices.
| want Ia hear people laugh and sing.
| want color and movement and sound
instead of these walls of green making
a living tomb for us"
Jack had talked with her very gen
lily, and she had answered every argu
ment with bitter protest. He answer
"a her sadly then:
You are Young, dear | might hay,
known that love would not Till your lif,
uaw When you are as old as | an
You will know that it is all that reall,
matters. besides working and dom.
oue'> duty. l will give my consent I,
Your going, for all live for is to max,
YOU happy"
Jessie Joined the company and wa
Iacting small part in pretty, unCul
tNaicd voice she dressed with half
dozen other girls who smoked an,
used slang, and in the guise of friendl
ness made her up" to distort tn