Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-11
CHAPTER ".

~ RlElI nau WORKED all the 2ttef-
IA noon over her mothers wed
! Y ding gown, and two hours
a n were required by her toilet for
! the dance, She curlcd her hair frizzily.
! burning it here and there, with a slate
| pencil heated over lamp chimney, and
she placed above one ear three or four
| large artificial roses taken from IN obi
| hat Of her mothers, which she had
| found in a trunk in the storeroom.
| Possessing no slippers, she carefully
! BACKED and polished her shoes, which
had been clumsily resOled. and fasten-
| ed into the strings OF each small
rosettes Of red ribbon, after which she
practiced swinging the train Of her
skirt until she was proud Of her ma
! nIpulation Of It, She had no powder
but found in her grandfather's room a
| lump of magpesia that he was IN the
habit OF taking for heartburn and pass
ed It over and over her brown face and
hands. Then lingering gaze into her
small mirror gave her Joy at last. She
| yearned so hard to see herself charm
| ing that she did see herself SO. Adj
miration came. and she told herself
that she was more attractive to look at
than she had ever been in her life and
that perhaps AZ last she might begin to
ba sought for like other girls.
1t was III the Pike dressing room tina
the change began to come. There was
a big cheyal glass at one end of the
room, and she faced it when her turn
came--for the mirror was popular
with O sinking spirit. There was the
contrast, like picture painted and
framed. The other girls all wore their
hair after the fashion introduced TO
Canaan by Mamie Pike the week he
fore On her return from 4 visit to Chi
caCO None OF them had "CrimpCd'
and none had bedecked their tresseS
with artificial flowers Her alterations
of the wedding dress had not been sue
cessful: the skirt was too short in front
and higher on one side than on the 9th
er, showing too plainly the heavy soled
shoes, which bad lost their polish in the
walk through the snow. The ribbon ro-
settles were fully revealed, and as she
. glanced at their reflection she heard
, the words. Loo. at that train and
those rosettes,' whispered behind her
and saw in the mirror two pretty
young women turn away with their
handkerchiefs over their mouths and
retreat hurrieGly TO an alcoye. All tho
feet in the room except ArielS were Il
, dainty kid or satin slippers Of the colol
of the dresses from which they glim
mered out, aud only Ariel wore a train
la. IA M "A IA,
pretended to be busy with a hangins
: thread in her sleeve,
! Ariel sat in one of the chairs agains
5 the wall and watched the DANGERS witt
E a smile of eager and benevolent inter
Q est. In Canaan no parents, no guard
e ianS. no aunts We're hailed forth q
A nights to duenna the juukeungs o
Q youth. Ariel sat conspicuously alone
o There was nothing else for her to dc
v II was not an easy matter.
r Once or twice between the dance
3 she saw Miss Pike speak appealingl
a to one of the superhuous, CHANGING a
r the same time in her own direction
n and Ariel could see, too that the appes
proved unsuccessful, until at last Ma
Z inie approached her leading Norber
a Flltcroft partly by the hand, partly b
a Will power. Norbert was an eXcessivel
q fat boy and at the present momen
a looked as patient as the blind. But h
o asked Ariel if she was engaged TO
a the next dance" and, Mamie havin
e fitted away, stood dsconsolately be
side her waiting for the music to beglr
A Ariel was grateful for him.
9 The orchestra nourlshed into 81
PaiOma;" he put bis arm mournfull
y about her and, taking her right han
=, with his left, carried her arm out to
h rigid right angle, beginning to pHIn
a and balance for time. They mad
a three false starts and then got ava,
q Ariel danced badly; she hoped an
v lost the step, but they perseveret
- humping against other couples contiI
y. ually.
q She caught her partner making
a burlesQue face OF suffering over he
4. shoulder and, turning her head Quicl
> ly, saw for whose benefit he had cor
n structed it. Eugene Bantry, flying el
"a pertly by with Mamie, was bestowin
"a upon Mr.. Flitcroft a cOndescendingl
o commemorative wink. The next IL
"a slant she tripped in her train and fe
N to the door at Eugene's feet, carryin
"a her partner with her.
a There was shout of laughter. Th
young hostess stopped Eugene, VIII
"A would have gone ON, and he had u
/ IN ID. 20 rfA