The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-08-19
THE PINK DRESS
hSs
BY ANNE MOREHOUSE.

ing MS nrSt view or her unQef Jle liy-
ing rays of calcium light, he saw that |
she was unusually pretty and instantly |
asked his partner who she was.
'T never saw her before" said Mary |
Brown. 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 it happened, he was deS- !
tined not to wait, for in the intricacies !
of the dance when fOurs were formed
he found the girl beside him at his left. !
She looked unusually piquant and pref
ty under the tiny parasol which the
girls had received as favors, while the
men flourished slender walking sticks
tied with ribbons.
At the end of the ballroom tours sep i
arated again into twos and here some
thing happened. The curved head of
Dicks cane caught in the filmy lace of
the fair strangers bodice and held fast
He felt the jerk and instinctively let
go. At the next meeting the girl held
out the stick with smile "This be-
longs to you, believe" she said.
yes, thank you. am sorry if I tore
your gown" was all he had time for as
they passed.
Clever little ruse of yours ~ laughed
Mary Brown. "Why didn't Laura
come tonight? It's a pretty party"
Her new dress didn't come. Too
blamed bad, l call it, but she wouldn't
wear an old one"
What a shame. But everybody is
busy. My dress did not come until
eight O'Clock. How do you like it,"
"Peachy! What color is it?"
ITS mauve. And the dress you tore
was hydrangea pink. l saw it before
the electric light went off"
At last the two figures of the cotiIlion
were over and Dick went to hunt the
girl. He found her in the balcony and,
as luck would have it, for the instant
/ alone.
Did I ruin your gown?" he asked
/ rather abruptly.
/ mo-" she answered sweetly, intend
| ing to set him ut 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.
Mary Brown in an interval inquired ::
"Have you found out whose dress you
| torcF"
Yes. Her name is Susanna Ra-
! leigh. l don't know where she lives
she won't tell me that-but l know
/ enough tomake up for that
The next evening Dick came homo
early from his office for an hours sleep
before dinner. He had not seen his sis
ter at breakfast, so he raped on her
door now before turning in.
Come in, Dickie," she called WHAT
kind of a time did you have? Tell me
all about it. That's the last time I'll
go to Price for a gown. 1t never came
home until this Afternoon, and isn't it
dream. toO?" She ruefully indicated
u creation of silk and lace on the bed
"a peach" Dick answered laconical-
ly. Only one dress interested him just
now and the thought of the wearel
was crowding all other ideas out of his
head. He looked back quickly, how
evcr-the color had caught his eye.
, Dick came close to the bed anG
touched a sleeve. 1t looked like the
same dress Susanna Raleigh had worn
at the ball.
''What kind of lace is this?" He pre-
tended interest and bent low, turning
back a bit as he spoke. His sister, fiat
tered, described the whole thing vol
, ubly, but Dick heard not Il word FoI
r there was the place where his cane ha(
2 caught, skiIlfuily mended, it was true
SO skillfully his sister would neve1
= see it, most likely-but it was Their,
> nevertheless to condemn the girl t
: whom he had lost his head and heart
: \ week later, Dick and his siSte
were waiting for the elevator at til,
, apartment hotel where they lived Whel
I Il girl and an elderly man approached
5 All were in evening dress and Laura
;, cloak was open. Suddenly the cir
: came over and impulsively touche,
u Laura's gown. Dick wheeled and face
: Susanna!
: $50 it was your dress I wore to tn
5 cOtillion and tore!" she exclaimed
y "Oh, I've worried so about it," The
suddenly: Father, this is Mrs. Morto
- and her brother, Mr.. Harper. They ar
neighbors of ours! You see we hay
~ only lived here a MONTH" she e1
- planned.
Q But I don't understand about til
t drcss!' puzzled Laura. Are you sur
e you wore it? I'm sure it is not torn !
= Perhaps Price fixed it then! 1t wa
4 this way: My own new dress didn
it come, and when l telephoned at seve
Is they said it couldn't possibly be fiji
) ished, but that they would send me
II model to wear instead. SO when
came put it on and departed, and jus
o. afterward they phoned that they ha
sent the wrong box and that | had r,
ceived one intended for a cuStome
Father didn't know what to do aboI
il and when / came home and hoard