The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-30

4 ~ consulate eye upon the village idHo-
scape before her. By all the canons
OF valley housewifeTy she should have
been canning peaches for the fanlilys
winter consunlotion: but there are conditions OF the
spirit whel one does not care whether ones family
has beaches to cat or rot. and as Mrs. Mirll1's lam
ily-consist;ns OF one Eusband-had just treated her
in a notably u.tceling manner, she was suffering
from one OF those conditions.
The circumstances were these: Mrs. Mirnms
ardeatIy desired a new dress for the Association,
and. realizing the difficulties OF the situation, had,
like a prudent general, planned her campaign with
the greatest care, and made her request after MI.
Milr.ns had just consumed a dinner consisting OF all
the eatables he most liked. But even the most
famous generals are but slaves to small eircutn-
stances. Unfortunately, in the interval after dinner,
in wiic!, Mrs. Minn,s washed the dishes while her
husband took forty winks in his chair on the porch,
a wasp had assaulted Mr.. Mimnls. He was i'll the
act OF extracting the weapon of the vicious but
short-sighted insect from his hand when she halt
irsly made her plea. AS a result, she was not only
told very shortly that the money was not to be
spared-ttat she had been prepared tor-but also
that the dress was not needed, and, moreover, that
she was getting too old and gray to care about such
tomioolery. As her last dress dated back to the
meeting of the same Association four years before,
the injustice as we'll as the disparaging nature of this
ISuIdlh " n q NaAANS 0"0 ~N~Ss SScsNNSS
trary to custom and to her previous intention, had
retired from the field without further ado.
Now she sat and thought it over, and the more
she thought the more it became apparent to her
that Syram didn't love her any more or he would
never have spoken SO cruelty. The disappointment
about the dress was swallowed up in the pain of
that thought.
The sight of a lilac sunbonnet coming along by the
fence, usually a ~harbinger of pleasure, brought no
balm to her soul. She knew that it was Honey
Story bringing the last number of the Female Fire
side Friend, to which they subscribed in common.
and of which Honey, in her capacity OF dressmaker.
had first gleanings. Mrs. Mimms had looked for
ward to saying to her, with open indifference, which
masked hidden pride, "By the way, Honey, I've
decided to buy that gray alpaca down to the store,
an ] want you to come over next week an make it
up for me for the Association" and to receiving
Homey's envious congratulations therefor. Now this
pleasant prospect was ended.
Honey came up the steps, hopping her plump red
face with the strings of her lilac sunbonnet. She
was too hot and hurried to miss the usual enthus-
iasm of her friends greeting.
Here's the Fireside Friend" she said, breath
lessly. II thought Ma was never goin' to be through
with it. 1t looks like the less holt her mind has of
things the more she seems to cling on to 'em. She's
ben goin' over that fashion plate for the best part Of
three days, an I'll lay she couldn't tell a thing that's
in it."
Mrs. Mimms held out a languid hand for the
paper. ut don't make no difference" she said, dis
~piritedly. 81 wasn't specially intrusted in it no.
how"
Honey looked her surprise. Only one thing could
account for such a tone on such a subject. Bent
you a'goin' to get that gray alpaca for the Associa-
tion?" she asked, with interest. The subject had
been under animated discussion between them some
dozen times before.
enc; I've decided that I don't keer for it," said the
loyal Mrs. Mimms. "My blue nun's-veiling is plenty
good enough. People think a heap too much about
clothes an sech triAes, anyhow, an I don't want to
set no example of fine dressin' to the young folks, "
she added, virtuously.
Eyes. your nun's-veiling is good enough, of
course" said Honey, with the transparent dip
Iomacy of one too polite to dissent openly from a
proposition. "Well, / must hurry back an fit
Picnic Stricken. She'll be waitin' when l get
there"
"How's she havin' that dress made?" queried Mrs.
Mimms, with a faint show of interest.
Same old tight way that makes her look jest like
a minner. She's ben havin' her clothes made that
same way ever sence Jake Kite told her it was be-
comm to her, when he was a-waitin' on her, an she
was young an had some bust measure. He's ben
married fifteen years an got eight children, but it
don't seem to make no difference to her. Some wo.
men is sech tools bout men" she added, with the
compassionate scorn of hopeless maidenhood.
Honey hurried away to her waiting patron, and
Mrs. Mimns turned her attention slowly to the
Fireside Friend. Its first page was taken up almos
entirely with the picture of a pompadoured young
woman n a low-necked gown, with a Lady Teazl,
curl over one shoulder, and a piece of black velve
around her throat, engaged, apparently. in inhalins
the perfume OF a large chrysanthemum and wearing
q sI1nperlngly pleased expression. Mrs. Mimm!
gioated over this picture admiringly for a full min
ute. 1t seemed to her to be the incarnation Of all tn,
beauty and style that her soul longed for. After sh,
had thoroughly stepped herself in it she proceeded t.
go through the paper, taking a cursory nip, as j
we're. at each page-pausing appreciably longer owe
The page of wasp-waisted, berufled figures heralde,
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