The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-04-23
MARY'S MAUVE FR0CK



"You have been asked, darling, but l
don't see how you are to 60" Mary
| Gibbons Dent down and touched her
sisters pretty pouting lips. 1--WE sim
ply haven't a penny to spend on ex-
tras, and you don't possess a party
frock of any description!'
Rose Gibbons drew away from the
caressing touch. She was going to be
a great artist some day, and earn
heaps and heaps of money; and she
had been asked by n of the girls at
| the Art School to go to a dance. Now
Mary was throwing cold water on It;
it was too horrid Of her!
Cant we manage one between usY'
she said peevishly; "it's the only bit
of pleasure 1 shall get this Christmas
and it does seem hard that it should
be denied me all on account of a stu
pid frock"
Mary looked out Of the window at
the driving rain. 1t was coming down
In torrents, lashing the pavements as If
determined to cleanse them entirely,
though the process was a dreary, mud
dy one at present. Backwards and
forwards hurried figures in the dim
uncertain light cast by the gas lamps.
Electricity had not penetrated to that
suburb where Mary and her sister had
found cheap lodgings.
IF we are poor" she said at length.
very softly, 1--WE cannot expect dances
to come our way, Rosie. I've enough
work to do for Evans and Miller; I
can't manage to put a stitch to a ball
gown for you-and food and drink are
essentials. Darling'-she slipped her
arm round the younger girls neck
"I'm very sorry, but"
"You're too full Of butts Mary"
broke in Rose ~passionately you but
ted poor Billy Smithson right out of
your life-and he was so jolly, and
meant 81 kindly-and If you'd have
married him he would have worked for
us he said So"
Married Mr.. Smithson?" repeated
Mary, flushing. ga retail grocer!"
Rose shrugged her slender shout
ders.
"He couldn't help that, and he'd
money-plenty Of it, Sis!" she answer
ed. eff ones father goes bankrupt
and dies, leaving n a good old name
and an empty purse, what Is one to
do? 1 must say Billy offered you a
solution to the problem. 1 can't think
why he didn't offer it to me! !"
Il wish he had!" responded the. ell
der girl. you would have spent all
your time picking up his his Rose!"
she added laughingly.
Il would have picked up his money
cheerfully !"~retorted the other quickly:
'but he didn't give me the chance. ex-
cept through you-and, Mary, 1 do be-
lieve you haven't forgotten Jim Tres
sillian yet-you think he'll turn up
again some day or another, when You
know perfectly well that he has for
gotten all about you by this time. Rich
mel do forget bankrupt girls"
"Jim--ioved me, and Loved him! ~
faltered Mary; land 1 don't believe
he's forgotten. He may not have
heard"
II isn't at all likely to find you
out here" Rose spread out her hands
in disgust. working for a shop ut a
sweating wage"
I'D rather work like that than live
on Mr.. Smithson's charity; and I'd
twenty times rather die an old maid
than live as his wife," broke in Mary
decisively.
Rose laughed.
You don't look like dying yet. nv
DEAR" she announced. "Tm afraid
you'll have to live an old maid. which
is a much harder business ="
Il shall have the old days to remem-
ber,' Mary said quietly as she stopped
to pick up the blouse that had slinnod
from her knee, land that will helm ma
through the present."
Rose flung herself out of the room
without waiting to hear more. and
Mary sewed till her fingers ached and
the lamp had to be lit. She slipped
into the little bedroom she shared with
her sister, to find some matches.
Rose was bending over an old trunt
n h turned round as Mary crossed
the room.
Mary" b cried, holding up a yerv
pale mauve gown, tumbled and dirty.
Amayn't | wear your mauve frock? /
didn't know you had 1t stuffed away
In this old trunk
"That,' Mary caught at the rain OF
the bed and her face grew pale. The
! cramped, untidy room faded away and