Norwich bulletin., 1915-10-08
AMABEL's DESIRE

My greatest desireT' repeated Mis-. Amabel Walton. 'sWhy. my dears. am such very contented old person that I'm afraid all of my wishes have been gratif1ed."
 'Old?'' scoffed Stella Mayse. "As if you could ever grow old"
 Tt is because you look so content ed, Miss Walton, that Stella and wondered if you really suffered from smiled at her instructress with lus- trous gray-green eyes. | Miss Walton looked dreamily at tho gray old college buildings wearing their ivy green mantles with digni- fled submission to the passing years, and a tender smile touched her soft
 "Thsre is one unfuIflled wish that haunts my hours" she admitted at last
 T knew it." triumpt1ed Stella. Do you mind telling me about it?'' Tt is such a simple wish that you will wonder why I have not gratified it--I am dying to wear pink--a soft rosy pink gown-theres am I not per- fectly idoitic?'
 The little teacher of music at Fen sympathetic girlish faces of her fav- orite pupils. Why don't you wear 1t. then7"
 narveled Stella.
 Miss Walton touched her beautiful snowy hair. Because it would be sc absurd--at my age. But how I longed to wear it when was child! lived with maiden aunt who was severely plain in her beliefs. I was permitted to wear gray or brown or bIue-b1t pink was looked upon as a frivolous color and so it was banned | from my wardrobe
 | Aunt Matilda had a maid who once | told me that pink was most unbecom- | ing to me-it made me look yellow; SC I cast aside her pink sunbonnet which I had worn to the meadow, and with
 it I threw away my last hope of wear. ing the beautiful color of hope ana
 youth. As the years, passed on and
 became self-supporting and could choose eolors, I never bought a pinl | frock, though 1 longed to-I believed it to be unbecoming; and the year
 have gone by and I've worn black ant white and blue and brown and laven der, but never bit of pink-and ther'
 is my ungratified wishI" Miss Walton's soft brown eyes wer, very bright when she finished ant
 there were two pink spots in he unwrink1ed cheeks. With her snow lhair which might have added weigh to her years, also lent a freshness am
 bloom of a youth which was not yer, distant.
 But that is no reason why yo
 should not wear pink now, dear Mis-
 Walton" insisted Marion. Do ''Please!" added Stella.
 My dears-I am forty -eight!" pro
 tested Amabel tragfcally. "A woman is as young as sh looks!"
 And you look very, very young in deed. Won't you wear a pink froc to the October reception?" Miss Walton hesitated. T mus have a new frock," she admitted.
 Do let us go to town with you an
 select it." urged the girls, and
 last Amabe1 Walton consented.
 The night of the October recptio
 Amabel regarded Nher reflection in tf ) mirror with mingled distrust and d r light.
 Il Could that charming being daintil . gowned Tn rose pink crepe de chine l ? Miss Amabel Walton, Instructor 5 music ?as What had she worn at oth' ' receptions? Black charmeuse = so ? white frocks-once a dainty viol
 crepe lin all these gowns she he n looked charming but mature : In this delicate pink creation sl i. looked a slender girlish figure--lil one of those Dresden china bits ( her mantlepiece.