The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-29
That Silk
Gown

lie &as a son of the house. But he
found her most alluring enough In hel
stiff gowns of cotton, the badge Of sery
ltude pinned neatly In her hair.
Home for long vacation. II pleased
him TO have some one close at hanc
fair enough to make pleasant love TO
Stray half hours passed quickly SO
The girls he met In his mothers draw
ngroom seemed to him strangely dul
and colorless after cheeks as rounc
and red as hers.
Now and again the folly of such 6
Irritation passed before his mind like
cloud before the sun. He had no In
tention of ever letting 1t become more
than a Irritation. Sometimes he tool
himself to task for breaking simple
girls heart He was quite certain with
in himself that sooner or later he
would break her heart. He would have
been surprised had he known how lit
tie did she think of him
True the thoughts in her heaC
buzzed busily as the bees among the
wall flowers, but they had no connec
ton with the holiday making son o.
the house.
Pretty red brown girls In subordi
nate positions are so used to beins
kissed that they may be forgiven foI
growing cold and Indifferent to the Civ
ers of the kisses.
When, on her afternoons out, she
met him walking with a girl whom II
was common gossip he rather wanted
to marry, 1t was shyness that made
her dart suddenly behind the kindly
protection Of a hedge-not, as he
thought, jealousy.
What she did think was that per
haps she might yet attain the long-de
ferred wish of her heart through him
The next time he found her busting
an already dustless room, and flung 3
careless arm about her, she made bolc
to ask him.
He stared at her In establishment
You want a silk gown" he repeat
ed after her. Whatever for?"
She raised her eyes to his. So blue
were they that he thought of warm
June skies. For Sundays" she fal.
tered when Jim takes me out"
And who may Jim be?" inquired the
son of the house, frostily.
1t was her turn to be astonished
jim was her young man, of course, and
she wanted to look nice when she went
out with him. Jim thought lot about
clothes. And there wasn't a girl in
the village who owned a silk dress.
He listened frowningly to her quick
words. The pretty red-brown girl, il
seemed, had no intention of breaking
her heart over him. More, she was en-
gagged to somebody else. A sense OF
annoyance rose suddenly in his breast
more, for the first time n sense OF
desire at the thought of losing her. He
bent forward suddenly and touched
her wrist.
"I'll give you all the silk gowns yot
want child" he said, land anything
else besides, if"-he looked into heI
eyes-"you'll give up Jim"
The hot color rose to her cheeks
She looked at him, then away. "Oh!
but l couldn't, l couldn't" she pro
tested
He laughed annoyedly. BE a sensi
Bile girl" he told her. Better take the
silk gowns, my dear; they Will serve
you better than country clodhopper.'
81 love jim" she said. stolidly.
His will fought to crush hers. II
earnest now, he told her what he
would do for her, how he would take
her to town, of the gay times they
would have, of theaters, all the lures o.
the city.
She looked at him steadily. seeing
perhaps. in imagination all the splen
did things a man Nike him could give
She was only a housemaid with a love
for pretty clothes. For a moment she
saw herself gorgeously as a fashion
plate In her favorite pattern book
For n moment she hesitated. Perhaps
she saw instead a cottage and a chic
and love BE that as 1t may, suddenly
she turned away.
81 love jim" she said again.
The son of the house was a sports
man. He knew when he was beaten
He sauntered carelessly to the door
When he reached it he paused ano
looked around
You shall have your silk gown, my
dear" he called to her.
She wore 1t at her wedding three
months afterwards.