Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12
THE TRUTH
Continued from page s

Continued from page s
waiting before the main entrance. A colored
porter was polishing the plate glass door,
and from within one caught glimpses of
clerks uncovering busting, and arranging
their goods.
A gong sounded, and the doors were I'm
locked. Winifred hurried through to the
elevators and up to the costume department
on the third floor.
"A lavender evening gown" she explained
to the saleswoman who came forward,
Something in chiffon or crfbe if you have
it. | want something very soft and sheer
and simply made; nothing elaborate or strik-
ing"
The woman led her to seat, placing two
chairs before her for the display of the gowns,
and then went over to the glass cases. In a
few moments she returned with heavy
lavender silk, embroidered in silver and
trimmed with quantities of lace.
ooh, mono! Something simpler and
softer, nothing so spectacular. Have you
nothing in chiffon or silk mull?'
"I'm afraid not in lavender. III show you
what we have"
But it was hopeless; they were all too
striking, too heavy, and overturned And
Winifred knew that in no way could they
be made possible for her.
One shop after another she tried; but al
ways with the same result By ten o'clock
she had exhausted almost all the better
places, and she knew the futility of trying
the cheaper ones. Then she thought of
small French lingerie shop on Fifth-ave.
where they carried few imported gowns.
And there she found what she had been
searching for,-an exquisitely simple gown
of palest lavender chiffon. An unusually
small size, with slight alterations it would
fit her perfectly. 1t was one hundred and
eighty-five dollars, far more than she should
pay. Her dressmaker could have duplicated
it for eighty. But she took it without pro-
test, her only condition being that the altera-
tons be made and the gown delivered with
out fail by six clock. And this was prom
ised.
1t was just quarter of six when the large
white box was delivered at her apartment.
Nervously she took it from its tissue paper
wrappings and dressed as quickly as she
could. He was to come at seven to take her
to dinner, and she was still fearful that the
gown might not be quite right, that there
might still be some slight alteration she
must make herself. But there was nothing
wrong. Had it been most carefully designed
for her, it could hardly have fitted her better
1t was charmingly soft and graceful and
most becoming.
And yet there was no joy in her heart, no
sense of elation at the success of her scheme
The gown would enable her to get through
this, there would be no question now-that
she knew. But the future-what did that
hold for her? All these weeks she had tried
so hard, with all the earnestness and sim
cerity she possessed, to tell only the truth
and she had failed! What hope could she
now have that she would not fail again and
again? And sooner or later would it not be
in some way that she could not carry
through? And then he would kno7r! She
felt now that she had not averted her fate;
she had only postponed it.
HE came promptly at seven. 1t was one
of his characteristics that he was never
late. He kept his appointments with her as
accurately as he did those of his business
hours. 1t was only another phase of the alb