The herald., 1912-09-19
That Silk
Gown

He was a son of the house. But he
found her most alluring enough in her
stiff gowns of cotton, the badge of serv-
itude pinned neatly in her hair.
Home for a long vacation, 1t pleased
him to have some one close at hand
fair enough to make pleasant love to.
Stray half hours passed quickly so.
The girls he met in his mothers draw
ingroom seemed to him strangely dull
and colorless after cheeks as round
| and red as hers.
Now and again the folly Of such a
filtration passed before his mind like
a cloud before the sun. He had no IN
tention of ever letting it become more
than a filtration. Sometimes he took
himself to task for breaking a 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 head
buzzed busily as the bees among the
wall flowers, but they had no connec-
ton with the holiday making son OF
the house.
Pretty red brown girls In subordi-
nate positions are so used to being
kissed that they may be forgiven for
growing cold and Indifferent to the CIV
ers of the kisses.
When, on her afternoons out, she
! - rrrfTh a II -hOY
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 a
careless arm about her, she made bold
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 fall
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 a lot about
clothes. And there wasn't a girl in
the village who owned silk dress.
He listened frowningly to her quick
words. The pretty red-brown girl, 1t
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 a sense Of
desire at the thought of losing her. He
bent forward suddenly and touched
her wrist.
'T'll give you all the silk gowns you
want child" he said, "and anything
else besides, if''-he looked into her
eyes-"you'l give up jim"
The hot color rose to her cheeks.
She looked at him, then away. ooh!
but l couldn't, / 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. In
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 OF
the city.
She looked at him steadily, seeing,
perhaps. in imagination all the splen-
did things man like him could give.
She was only housemaid with love
for pretty clothes. For a moment she
saw herself gorgeously as a fashion
plate in her favorite pattern book.
For moment she hesitated. Perhaps
she saw instead a cottage and a child
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 and
looked around.
you shall have your silk gown, my
DEAR" he called to her.
She wore 1t at her wedding three
months afterwards.