Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-27
Euening Story
THE AYDRANoEA PINK DRESS.
Hy Anne Morehouse.
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Snydicate.) H..

Copyright, 1916. by the McClur.
Newspaper Snydicate.)
| 1t was during the first figure Of the
cotillion that Dick Harper noticed the
girl. Even at the disadvantage OF haV-
ing his first view Of her under the try
ing rays of calcium light, he saw thai
she was unusually pretty and instant
ly asked his partner who she was.
81 never saw her before" said Mary
Brown. Mrs. Payne can tell you.
perhaps" As the figure progressed,
Dick passed and repassed the pretty
girl dozen times, determined to make
| sure of an introduction when the thing
! was over. But. as 1t happened, he
was destined not to wait, for In the
i, intricacies of the dance when fours
were formed he found the girl beside
him at his left She looked unusually
piquant and pretty under the tiny par
sol which the girls had received rs
favors while the men flourished slen-
der walking sticks tied with ribbons.
! At the end of the ball room fours
separated again into twos and here
something happened. The curved head
of Dicks cane caught in the flimy lace
of the fair strangers bodice and held
| fast. He felt the jerk and instructive
lly let go. but he would gladly have
| followed his favor. At the next meet
ing the girl held out the stick with
smile. "This belongs to you, | be-
lieve." she said.
] Eyes, thank you, am sorry II tore
your gown" was all he had time for
, as they passed.
His heart was hammering fast. What
was there about this girl that upset
him so?
Clever little rnse of yours?" laugh
| ed Mary Brown. "You can't teach an
old dog new tricks, can you Dick?
| Much better than regular how-do-yOu
do introduction! Only that girl will
bless you forever for spelling her
dress It's the most stunning thing
here
Dick grumbled softly She'll think
me a clumsy fool. Really, Mary, ]
don't know how it happened" ~
1T doesn't matter. don't suppose
she will mind lot. Why didn't Laura
come tonight? It's pretty party"
Her new dress didn't come. Too
blamed bad. call it, but she wouldn't
wear an old one"
what a shame! But everybody Is
busy. My dress did not come home
until 8 o'clock. I was at the smell
Ing salt stage when 1t walked In. How
do you like it?"
"Peachy! What color is it?'
"Thanks!" ..''..
well. with these CHASTITY colored
lights over everything one can't tell.
| cts mauve. And the dress you
tore was hydrangea pink. I saw it
before the electric light went on.
Watch there, Dickie. You nearly tore
Mrs. Wimple's hair net of with that
stick. Better give it to me or you'll
land in JAIL" -....,
4 At last the two figures OF the cotil-
lion were over and Dick went to hunt
the girl. He found her in the balcony
and, as luck would have it, for the in
slant alone.
did ruin your gown" he asked
rather abruptly, for when she turned
her eyes up to his speech was shut
of almost entirely.
MOT" she answered sweetly, In.
tending to set him at his ease, but
only causing more havoc in his brain.
"You see. It can be mended." She
held up the flounce that lay close
| to a. snowy shoulder. And 1t doesn't
show much the way it's folded, but
she stopped
But" he insisted anxiously.
That's all l can tell you." she said
hastily. But 1t really wasn't any
ones fault, so please don't think Of it
again. Won't you sit down? My
partner went for some punch, but he's
been sidetracked somewhere EVIL
IDENTIFY"
Mary Brown in an interval in.
quired, "Have you found out whose
dress you tore?''
! Eyes. Her name is Susanna Ra-
leigh. don't know where she
lives-she won't tell me that--but I
know enough to make up for that
Barring you, Mary. she's the dearest,
sweetest, loveliest creature ever
| knew"
"Dick, don't lie just for me. You
mean without any exception she's the
most adorable thing you ever saw"
laughed Mary. ~. h.
| The next evening. Dick came home
early from his Office for an hours
sleep before dinner. It had been day
light. almost, before he had got to bed.
He had not seen his sister at break