The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-05-22
AN OLD-FAsHIoNED DRESS.
BY zELIA MARGARET WALTERS.

Isn'tit tough that man with plenty
of money can't give cent to the girl
that he'd gladly give his life for.
And that, too, when he knows the
girl needs the money badly.
I'm not bloated plutocrat, by any
means, but I've got the best farm in
Allen county and I've money in the
bank, and altogether I'm what our
folks call well fixed.
When 1 first heard of Alice I was
interested, and that was odd, because
1 heard from that cross old Miss
Donaldson. Alice had lost her mother
about a year before, and had had a
sick spell so that she wasn't able to
work. Her money was all gone, and
she had come to Miss Donaldson
who was her fathers sister-for a
while. Of course she didn't like it
that a weakly, dependent girl was
coming to her. And generally l
don't take to the frail kind of girls
myself. But somehow, behind Miss
Donaldson's grumbling, I seemed to
see this little lady making a brave
fight in the big, cruel city. Some
way the big city makes me think of
wild beasts when I stand on crowd
ed downtown street. And this girl
had been fighting for her mother and
herself. But she lost her mother and
then she got to the end of her strength.
After she came to us she began to
pick UP right away, and she'd have
got along lots faster if she hadn't
known that her aunt grudged her
every mouthful she ate.
went up to Miss Donaldson's the
day after 1 knew she was to come.
And she looked just like I had thought
she would, only lots nicer. I hadn't
counted on that dimple at the corner
of her mouth when she smiled, nor
the shiny look in her hair. And she
was SO friendly, too, when I'd been
thinking she'd be sort Of naughty at
first. But she was just as nice and
pleasant as one Of our own girls.
Before 1 knew it I was telling her all
about what I was going to do with
the new sugar camp, and the ideas I
was carrying out in the young peach
orchard, and she seemed interested.
When I was going home thought
what a duffer I was to talk about
those things to a city girl, but the
next time went she asked me about
them. And she knew what I was
talking about, too.
In our neighborhood it wouldn't be
considered decent for a man to ask a
girl to marry him the first day they
met, like they often do in story-bocks.
Besides, 1 couldn't believe that she
would ever have me. 1 kept wish
ing every day that something would
happen so I could do something won
derful, and then maybe she would
want to have me. But of course
things went on in the old way. Every
time I went to see her it seemed to me
more unlikely that she'd ever have
me. But just the same, counted UP
what would be the shortest possible
time in which people would consider
it respectable for us to be engaged.
1 found cut that the minister had
asked Judge Munson's daughter after
he had been with her five weeks, and
Tom Artly had asked Carrie Andrews
Just seven weeks after the Andrews
moved to the valley. Those two
were the shortest, and thought six
weeks a good compromise. meant
to try anyway. None of the Mathe-
sons would do without what they'd
like to have for want of asking for it
aye, and working and fighting for
it, too, if need be.
1t was just after I'd settled this in
my mind that I heard about the grand
ball that Company F was going to
give in the armory at Allentown. l
asked Alice to go with me. At first
she looked so pleased about it, but
after awhile she said she guessed she
couldn't go. 1t made me feel mighty
uncomfortable. I was sure that She d
rather go with someone else. But il
was mother that told me the real
reason. She had been up there, and
Miss Donaldson had said that Alice
mentioned the ball, but she had no
dress to wear there.
'I suppose she thought I'd offer tc
get her one, but l told her I had
enough to do to feed her," Miss Don
aldson said to her mother. "She
came here with hardly enough to
cover her, and had to send her
money for her railroad ticket. Wher
she wants new clothes she'll go tc
work and earn them"
cts pity" mother said to me
when she told me, "that someone
don't take that girl away from there
It's hard to see how she can be any
kin to such a stingy, grasping crea
ture as Miss Donaldson. They de
say that DR.. Davis is going there
right steady"
DR.. Davis, indeed Of course he.
all right for doctor, but he's not the
man for Alice. I looked at motheI
hard to see if she meant any hint fol
me about taking Alice away. Blu
she looked so innocent that / didn'