The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-04-06
WV SJOHN LANES
FL MA : DAUGHTER.
ES@s4HNS - @ ~c~~c~~c~~ g
x~~|~&.J By MARGARET L. SANCSTER

By MARGARET Z. SANCSTER.

would be a bargain; a French gown,
| CYNTHIA
Il would have to write to mother"
said Cynthia.
We'll. I'll tell YOU what TO do. You
let madame take your measure. Then
you may have lining fitted. l am
Just your height, and the skirt can be
| tried on me. The dress can be made
as we'll as not while you are at col
Iege, without you having more than the
first fitting. As soon as You hear from
| your mother you can write TO madame
I and she'll do all the rest. You haven't
an idea how pretty you'll look, Cynthia,
in proper gown
Cynthia drew herself up. At the
back of her mind there was strong
protest Of dissent. but desire had her
by the throat, and she could not shake
off the tightening grip.
I'll give the order now" she said.
decidedly. Mother will want me TO he
pleased and there is no need to wait"
Her resolve taken, sense of elation
possessed her. She felt as if she were
indeed Edith'S cousin rs she stood in
the dreSsmaker's room. where gowns
costing hundreds Of dollars and wraps
of Partisan elegance and fabulous
prices were Strewn careleSsly about. or
hung in carved cabinets behind glass
! doors.
She was for the moment not little
Cynthia Lane, only daughter of John
Lane, farmer, of Ponkaloo. and also
the best writer of composition i'm her
class at Elmore Hall, but fairy prin-
! cess. a girl who had dared and ven
tured. Although how in the wide
world she was ever going to pay seven
ty-fve dollars for a gown she did not
in the least know.
Cynthia has been brought up in an
atmosphere of rectitude and economy.
1t had been great strain on the homo
resources to send her TO college. There
had been planning and saving and
scrimping 10 do it. Her father and
mother would not touch the sum laid
aside for a rainy day. They had man
aged to meet the expenses for the first
year and hoped that their bright little
girl would win 4 scholarship TO make
easier the second. Cynthia knew this.
Nevertheless. she trOd on air after she
had ordered the gown, and when Edith
hugged her and Gertrude congratu-
lated, she bluShed and laughed light.
heartedly. Her aunt was a trihe doubt
ful about the whole transaction.
shouldn't you have consulted your
mother dear? Madame has to be paid
C. o. D. And city prices are high
compared to those at Ponkaloo."
"Oh. that will be all rightr' replied
Cynthia. Don't say word about il,
aunty, when you write. l want to
surprise mamma"
The holidays over, Cynthia went
back to college. Then the girls thought
her changed. She had plenty TO do,
fortunately.
Among other affairs. there was the
annual contest for the Llewellyn prize.
This was prize or one hundred dol
lars in gold, awarded TO the student
whose all-round scholarship was the
best in her year, and who in addition
wrote the most satisfactory thesis on
colonial history.
Il intend to carry off that prize"
said Cynthia TO herself. "Thcn | can
pay madame and have twenty-five dol
lars over. How silly would have been
not to order that gown
How silly you are TO spend all that
money on a gown you can so seldom
wear" retorted common sense. And
you haven't won the prize yet" Gym
thia'S roommate found her silent and
absorbed.
Plump into the middle Of her cogi-
tatiCns came a note from madame's
establishment announcing that the
gown was nearly finished. md would
be shipped to her in two days.
Cynthia's little purse contained pre-.
ciSely three dollars and forty-fom
cents. and there was no more money
coming to her for month.
What 10 do she did not know. but
necessity is the spur OF action. She sat
down and sent a special delivery let
ter to Great-Aunt Millcent. the only
person in the family connection who
was possessed Of great wealth. Gym
thia set forth i'm eloquent terms her i'm.
mediate and pressing need Of seventy
i've dollars. which she promised 10 re-
turn. il Great-Aunt Miliccnt would
consent TO loan the sum. i'm three
months from its receipt. Tears blinded
her as she wrote She felt perfectly
desperate. and when the letter wa
fairly despatched she was absent
minded and wretched till the reply
came.
She opened Il. half-trembling. The-g
was a brief letter in the stiff and pains
taking hand OF an rslerly lady. Two
enclosures accompanied the letter. one
was a check for seventy-fve dollars.
The other a pronissory note for The
amount made out in due form for val
ue received.
Il am happy TO accommodate you
Niece Cynthia" wrote the old lady
Il shall pNupef Won TO sign this note