The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-03-20

Az she looked up she saw the won.
an beckon to her. Lucy went miser.
ably toward her; she hsd not known
that Mrs. Cramer was a patron.
Young woman, | know you and
know that gown you are wearingl'
snapped Mrs. CTamer.
Lucy hung her head. She did not
know what to say.
I've heard of such things happen
Ing" continued Mrs. Cramer, growing
more and more indignant as she
thought over tie insult. 'But-upon
my word. | never dreamed that such a
thing could be possible with Worth's.
Do you know what | am going to do,
young woman"
mo, ma'am," stammered Lucy.
You will tomorrow" said Mrs. era
mer, now red as he wattles of a turkey
gobbler. I'm going to have you dis
charged. And now you'll go straight
home and take off that gown or you
shall be arrested"
Shamed as she was, Lucy felt a
spark of resentment within her breast.
Did Mrs. Cramer guess, she who spent
her money so lavishly upon her
clothes, what such a gown as that
meant to a working-girl? Could she
picture the thrill, the happiness, the
brief hours wearing Of it had given
her?
Before she could answer, however,
Tom was at her side, and Lucy was
conscious that the band had begun to
play again. Tom offered her his arm
and the two glided away. And Lucy
tried to forget everything in that short
dance, to live her heaven until the
denouement. That must come soon,
for the look on Mrs. Cramer's face
BODIED no good; even now she seemed
to be speaking with the rector.
The dance over, Tom led Lucy to a
seat beneath an oyerhanging palm.
Dear" he said, taking her hand,
my salary is going to be raised to
twenty-five beginning with the New
Year. And, Lucy"
There was no possibility of misinter-
preting the look in her s~weetheart's
eyes. Only an instant the girl hesi-
tated; then she let her head fall upon
her lovers shoulder, and the happy
tears blinded her. And Mrs. Cramer
was clean forgotten.
Until Lucy, aroused by Toms hur-
riedly withdrawing the arm that was
around her waist, started up to see
Mrs. Cramer and the rector passing
them. The look on the rector's face
was a mixture of amusement and at
tention; it was easy to see that
Reverend Mr., Harris at least under
stood something of the tr~ibulations Of
a working girls life.
AS they passed, the rector turned
and spoke 20 Lucy.
Miss Enroll" he said, 81 believe
Mrs. Cramer would like to speak to
you in a few moments"
Yes, l will go tC her" murmured
the girl, mechanically. And after Tom
had led her back to the ballroom Lucy
went over again to where Mrs. Cramer
was seated majestically upon the dais
again.
Perhaps Lucy, OIL her part, erred in
Interpretation of a rich woman's
heart, for into Mrs. Cramer's there had
come a sudden radiation of the af-
fair. She had had her ON romance
once upon a time; she had seer Tom
wit his arm Ground Lucy's aist, and
the few kindly words of the rector,
when she told him of the affront, had
driven away her iE.humor like mists
before a breeze.
MY dear" she said, extending her
hand to the Girl, Il am sorry for what
| said to you. l didn't know. And now
want you to accept that gown as a
little weddi-g present from me,
won't you?"
Lucy looked up and tried to answer.
But her eyes were so blinded with
tears that she did not see Mrs. Cramer
until that lady stopped and kissed
her.
Copyright. 1915, by W G.. Chapman.)