Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-01
THE EVENING STORY.
DARK BROWN.
Copyright, 1914. by W. Werner

All day Lima Lee had been happy and
hopeful, yet there had been thousand
untoward happenings. The heating plant
at the store had suddenly gone on strike
and the whole building was as cold as a
barn. But Lima buttoned herself into
her sweater and smiled into the faces of
capricious and chilly customers. Midway
of the afternoon a damp. STICKY snow
storm as drenching as rain started in
and the girls who had not worn their
rubbers began to grumble. Lima had
worn her rubbers, but she loaned them
to little Eva Allen. who had cold and
went home through the siush. with no
other covering for her feet than her well
worn brown shoes
1t was a long distance between the
store and Mrs. Cables boarding house.
But Lima thought less of her wet feet
than of her spoiled shoes. Shoes were
a serious item of expense when one earned
only 50 week. but even if she did ruin
her shoes getting home she was reason
ably sure to find JOY awaiting her. Her
rich Aunt Beatrice had written to say
that she was sending her a new gown
and some other things
Just now Lima wanted a new gown
there was to be a dance, and Clayton
Branch had asked her to go with him.
Clayton Branch was the auburn-halred
red-cheeked cousin of the manager and
he had come from some place In the
country to work in the store-to work
there was no doubt of his possessing
All the girls adored him. And Lima had
accepted the invitation eagerly, for.
though she had not a rag to wear, mad
hot CHI ma @
going to send her a gown? Long ago
Aunt Beatrice had promised her pale
blue satin dancing frock, and doubtless
this was what had arrived.
She lightly skipped up the front steps
Mrs. Cable sat in the parlor. talking to
a caller. and cried out to Lima, A box
arrived for you by parcel post. my dear,
and took it up to your room.
"Oh. thank YOU chirped Lima, and
flew upward as if on wings.
Her own room. the cheapest in the
house. was a small one which ordinarily
appeared very ugly But as Lima entered
it and turned on the light and saw the
big parcel on the bed it looked beautiful
to her-the very palace of her young
dreams.
Mindless of everything save the mystery
Of that parcel. Lima cut the cords with
fingers that trembled. Within was the
gown folded under dainty layers of white
tissue paper. "Oh, l hope it's got a
pink satin rose on the girdle"' she whis-
pered to herself.
Then she snatched away the paper
She did not cry out at what she saw,
but she went whittier than anything in
the room. Where she had expected to
find shimmery blue satin with perhaps a
pink rose, was only dark brown serge
made in the plainest possible way, most
Enthusiastically an everyday gown to be
worn at her work in the store.
Lima, was sensible. and she had the
most grateful heart in the world. She
was only twenty-one, but she had been
earning her own living for three years
ever since her father died. and things
generally went to smash-and she had
learned some things. One of these things
was to look a disagreeable fact in the
eve and see how much that was not dis
agreeable could be got out of it.
Here was the dress that doubtless Aunt
Beatrice had considered more suitable
for her than a blue satin. which she
might never have more than one oppor-
tunity to wear She needed a dress-any
kind of a dress. And Aunt Beatrice
meant to be very kind. She took the