Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-30

Il REL had worked all the after
u noon over her mothers we'd
ding gown, and two hours
4 = were required by her toilet for
the dance. She curled her hair frizzlly.
burning 1t here and there. with slate
pencil heated over lamp chimney, and
she placed .bove one ear three or four
large ARTIFICIAL roses, taken from an old
hat Of her mothers, which she had
found in q trunk In the storerOom.
Possessing no slippers, she carefully
blacked 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
nlpulation OF it. She had no powder,
but found in her grandfnther's room a
lump Of magnesia that he was In the
habit OF taking for heartburn and pass
ed it over and over her brown face and
hands. Then a 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 aud
that perhaps at last she might begin to
be sought for like other girls.
1t was In the Pike dressing room that
the change began to come. There was
big cheval glass at one end OF the
room, and she faced 1t when her turn
came-for the mirror was popular
with a sinking spirit. There was the
contrast, like a picture painted and
framed. The other girls all wore their
hair after the fashion introduced to
Canaan by Mamie Pike the week be
fore on her return from visit to Chi
cago. None of them had ''crimped'
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 had lost their polish in the
walk through the snow. The ribbon ro-
settes were fully revealed, and as she
glanced at their reflection she heard
the words, Look ut that train and
those rosettesr' whispered behind her
and saw in the mirror two pretty
young women turn away with their
handkerchiefs over their mouths and
retreat hurriedly to an alc0ve. All the
feet in the room except Ariers were In
dainty kid or satin slippers Of the color
Of the dresses from which they glim-
mered out, and only Ariel wore train.
She went away from the mirror and
pretended to be busy with a hanging
thread in her sleeve.
Ariel sat in one of the chairs against
the wall and watched the dancers with
smile Of eager and benevolent inter-
est In Canaan no parents, no guard.
fans, no aunts were hailed forth o
nights to duenna the junketings OF
youth. Ariel sat conspicuously alone.
There was nothing else for her to do.
It was not an easy matter.
Once or twice between the dances
she saw Miss Pike speak appealingly
to one Of the superfluous, glancing at
the same time in her own direction,
and Ariel could see, too, that the appeal
proved unsuccessful, until at last Ma
,nie approached her leading Norbert
Flitcroft partly by the hand, partly by
will power. Norbert was an excessively
fat boy and at the present moment
looked as patient as the blind. But he
asked Ariel If she was engaged for
the next dance and, Mamie having
fitted away, stood disconsolately be-
side her waiting for the music to begin.
Ariel was grateful for him.
The orchestra flourished into LA
Paloma;" he put his arm mournfully
about her and, taking her right hand
with his left, carried her arm out to a