Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-18
Il. GENTLEMAN
AND THE FRILL.
By E. GRAFTON MeCANST
Copyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowlss.l

Copyright 1906, by Joseph B. Bowlosl
The winter was past. the wind was
in the south, the bees were at work,
and an odor of apple blossoms was
abroad in the balmy air. In compli-
ment to the bright spring weather the
windows Of the house at the corner of
the street were open and into those
windows there drifted the sounds of
the outside world-the low hum of
stirring insects, the raucous squab-
blings Of tho many sparrows in the
street. and the musical love-nOtes Of
the pair of cat-birds who were building
a nest in the ounce bushes by the gar
den fence.
At the end window Of the house
the one that faces away from the cross
street ami commands view Of the
diminutive orchard where the fruit
trees on this day seemed lost il bill
Lowry, pink-2nd-white cloud OF BIOS
soms--The Girl sat before her sewing
machine, now working the treacle with
a brief and furious energy, now stop
ping to look at the other girl and to
air her grievances; for she had long
ago shut her eyes to the beauty of the
world and she refused to listen to the
plants of the sparroWs because she
had trouble: of her own.
II just don't care!" she finally re-
marked. with an emphatic nod of her
pretty head. 1T is The Gentleman's
fault anyhow He-he is 50 unreason-
able!"
The other girl raised her eyebrows.
For an hour it had been evident to her
that trouble was in the air, but The
Gentleman was not her gentleman"
so she felt that the quarrel was none
of hers. Still now that the matter
had been approached directly, she
could not withhold a. show of inter-
est.
And SO les going to-day?" she
asked suggestively.
The Girl shrugged her shapely Shout
ders. Yes-and he doesn't need to 60
until Tomorrow afternoon. For my
part, don: see why he should 60 even
then" She clipped her words short
and set the machine whirring again.
Before her, filling the leaf" Of the
machine and overflowing upon the
floor. wee multitudinous folds Of
delicate-nued woven stuff, and on the
table at her side were other breadths
OF the same, together with odds and
ends Of silk and ribbon, and great
yellow pile OF tissue-paper patterns.
While The Girl sped the machine the
other girl came over to the table, took
one of the pieces Of paper, spread it
out on The stuff and pinned it. Then
she stepped back and looked at the
effect, holding her head sidewise and
consideriae To the uninitiated mas
culine the PAPER might have stood for
anything from Russian war map to a
Standard Oil rate sheet, but the eyes
of the other girl saw therein the plans
and specifications of gown.
"Oh. Po'!y!" she exclaimed, little
twinge of delicious envy taking hold
of her soul, cts going to be beauty
and that wide ruffled frill at the bot
tom of the skirt is the darlingest part
of it,"
The Girl stopped tho machine and
rested her chin on her hands. Its
lovely" she admitted. "And to think
that The Gentleman asked me to give
it all up-ihe dress, and the party, and
my week-o!u engagement with Harry
White-just because he is going away
;rh+ oil IN
himself
The othec girl looked properly sur
prised and sympathetically outraged
Then, with the consciousness of superb
or virtue, she raised her eyes heaven
ward.
Thank goodness!" she exclaimed,
self-righteously, "Pm not engaged"
The Girl dropped her eyes. I'm not,
either" she remarked; that is, not
now" Thu NOW" sounded depressed
and tiny bit treumulous.
The other girl looked up-here was
a sensation
WHAT" she Intercepted, sharply
The Gicl's face gathered color.
Eyes," she asserted, recklessly. Il can
be as obstinate as The Gentleman can.
I told him that was going to the
dance tonight and that he must wait
over and see me tomorrow night; that
if his business is of more Importance
than I am, why" She hesitated. HE
has decided not to stay" she added,
decisively.
The other girl looked grave. He
can't stay, Polly" she urged. Il heard
him say that he could not They've
wired for hlm.'
The Girl tipped her chin into the
air. 1T doesn't matter now" she said.
1T is settled once and for ALL" Then
her lofty indignation deserted her and
her voice fell. "He might have" she
began, blu. broke off suddenly, turned
to the machine and set it whirrine
again.
The other girl looked troubled; then,
as step sounded on the front walk,
she went 20 the window and peeped
out.
why" she exclaimed, with some re-
lief in her tones, there's The Gentle.
man himself" After which she gath
cred up snndry of her belongings and
vanished discreetly from the room.
The Girl heard a quick, heavy foot.
fall, but she pretended not to notice
l., L