The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-08
HUNT FOR THE WEDDING GOWN
RESCUED FROM THE CITY DUMP
TO SAVE THE CEREMONY.
a Mixing OF Boxes That Almost Caused
q Domestic Tragedy onsieur's Trip
on q Tug TO Save the Dress and Then
q Hurried Trip in the Bride'y Motor,

q Domestic NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Trim
on q Tug TO Save the Dress and Then
q Hurried Trip i'm the Bride Motor.
The wedding might have been postponed
but for the arrival of the wedding dress
half an hour before the carriage stood in
front of the house to carry the bride tn tie
church. Wedding drSsses are likely to DO
slow in arriving, but they are rarely sub
jeoted to the experiences through which
this one passed.
1t was ordered at the establishment OF q
woman with a French name, a great vogue
and a reputation for asking prices that
are almost the highest In New York.
Ivory satin, range blossoms, old lace and
the skill of this Partisan graduate were to
produce a gown worthy Of such a beauti-
full girl. The manufacture Of this master
piece progressed in the most satisssn:-~
fashion. It improved with a fitting,
At the last trying on the brido-bo-hA 80
mother and the maker congratulated one
! another with such enthusiasm that there
were tears in their eyes.
This was the day before the wedding,
That night the gown was to be sent home.
It arrived shortly before dinner. There
was no time to inspect it then.
Don't take It out of the box, Victorine,'
the future wearer said TO her maid. I'VE
will come up to see it after dinner
Two of the bridesmaids who we're stop
ping at the house, mother and father gath.
cred in the brides room to see the gown.
The long white box, somewhat battered,
lay on the floor.
THAT French woman might have given
you a brand new box" was the comment Of
father, who had made his own fortune,
seeing how much she charged for the
dress"
Nobody listened TO him, for Victorine
had begun to unite the white cords. The
wo men were leaning forward to catch a
glimpse of the lace AM satin when the
maid took the cover off.
Inside were a few pieces OF rumpled white
tissue paper. Otherwise the box was
empty.
Madame was dining in the back parlor
with Monsieur with he satisfied feeling
that her largest job OF the winter was fin
! ished when there was a fearful ringing OF
| the telephone. Monsieur sprang to his feet,
sCan we not have the time TO eat without
being disturbed"
Madame was at the telephone, and there
was tragedy in every feature Of her face
| as she heard from the other end Of the wire
the terrible tale of the empty box. She
dropped into a chair before she had the
| strength to tell her husband what had
happened.
All the working girls had left the house,
1t would have taken all night to reassemble
them. So there was nothing to be done In
that direction until morning Madame went
up to look at the empty box and wonder
tearfully with the family what could have
become OF the gown. Monsieur had gone
over the house from top to bottom without
finding a trace Of the missing garment.
There was not much sleep that night for
either of the family. Perhaps this was for
the best, for when daylight came Madame
remembered to what sewing girl she had
given the box to. hand over to the mes
senger. She recalled also the women who
had helped her pack the dress. 1t was
only necessary now to wait until morning
to confront them.
1t was $50 A. NJ. the day Of the wedding.
Madame had been dressed two hours walt
ing for the sewing women to arrive,
The bride had been up almost as long.
It seemed to Madame that the girls had
never been SO late. 1t seemed TO the bride
elect that the dressmaker would never
telephone IDe results Oh HeT hedICu.
How both Monsieur and his wife corralled
the girls implicated and put them through
their own vociferous penetrating third de-
gree need not be told. In the end there was
but one person to be Intercepted. The
other girls had cleared themselves oom-
pletely.
The one who could tell where the gown
had gone was a newcomer. She had been
employed in the place only three days.
You got the box them" Madame said In
=, AGAA. m aIpNtsntNr from thu al
YES
And what did you do with it, you daugb.
ter Of sin?' Kissed Monsieur. Tel me, or
you will ruin me and yourself. Tell the
truth If you can"
The tears rolled down the girls face.
Il took the two boxes that the forewoman
gave me-" she whimpered. ."One | gave to
the messenger as l was told. The other
I put outside for the ashman. On my word
Explanations from Madame and oaths
from Monsieur. The ashman got it then
Of for the ashman, or, better still for me
place he went last night. Let him tell II
Several girls ran for the gendarme, He
was found at last. simultaneously there
arrived the maid and mother of the bride
elect. What was the news of the wedding
dress?
The cop took no stock in the story anyhow.
There were too many women, and most OF
them foreigners at hat They might find
out something about the matter at the
Street Cleaning Department. That got them
off his hands anyway, Motor containing
mother and Madame, followed by the maid
and Monsieur, started of to search for the
missing box.
From the Office of the Street Cleaning
Department the procession MOVED on, 70
the river front. The boss thought that
the load Of the night before had gone away
at 5 O'Clock that morning, He would So"
The party waited in suspense. There was
almost a general collapse when he came
back to tell the worst. The rubbish had
sailed away that morning, 1t was now 10
o'clock.
A tug was leaving, to return immediateIIr.
He placed his portly person on board. Inc
tug was to be back in three hours.
Its useless" another cried out. It's
useless We had better postpone II now
while there is time"
The %sorrowful face OF Monsieur diSaT'
peared. The party started homewari 70
be back at ! for the last report of Monsieur
The wedding was at 4, Madame was hoEe'
full.
She was on the dock at 1 awaiting the re-
turn. Mother was in the motor. suddenly
Madame began to jump up and do"h'
wave her hands in the air, cry and laugh
pltnrpat alp onI ehn,,f IN Eranpl ms