The Era-leader. [volume] (Franklinton, La.) 1910-current, 1916-08-31
THE PINK DRESS
Bv ANNE MOREHOUSE.

of an Introduction Nllei IiAo 'ii''e |
over, But, as it happened, he was oes-
tined not to wait, for in the lntrlcacles
of the dance when tours were 1orlheu
no found the girl beside him at his lett
She looked unusually piQuant ana pref
tv under the tiny parasol which the
Girls had received as favors, while the
men f]ourished slender walking sticks
tied with ribbons.
At the end of the ballroom tours sep
orated again into twos and mere some.
thing happened. The curved he"o VI
Dicks cane caught in the filmy lace OIL
the fair strangers bodice and held 1ast.
He felt the jerk and instinctlvely let
90. At the next meeting the girl helo
ont the stick with a smile. "Ihis be-
longs to you, I believe" she said.
"Yes, thank you. l am sorry If tore
vour gown" was all he had time FOR US
they passed. =,
"Clever little ruse Of yours" laughed
Mary Brown. "Why dlont Aaui"
come tonight? It's pretty party
"Her new dress didn't come. roo
blamed bad, call it, but she wouldn't
wear an old one."
"Wbat a shame. But everybody is
busy. My dress did not come un'''
eight o'clock How do you like lt'
"Peachy! What color is it?'
"Its mauve. And the dress you tore
was hydrangea pink. l saw 1t before
the electric light went off"
At last the two figures of the cotlllloh
were over and Dick went to hunt the
yirl He found her in the balcony and'
. as luck would have it, for the instant
T. alone.
did I ruin your gown7" he asked
rather abruptly.
mo" she answered sweetly, intend
inc to set him at his ease, but onl!
? causing more havoc in his brain. "1ot
- see, it can be mended.' She held W
. the flounce that lay close to snow!
< shoulder.
Mary Brown in an interval inquired
"Have you found out whose dress yo'
tore?"
Eyes. Her name is Susanna Ia
leigh. l don't know where she lives
she won't tell me that-but / know
enough to make up for that
q The next evening Dick came HON
early from his Office for an hours slice
j. before dinner. He had not seen his SIT
h ter at breakfast, so he raped on ne
y door now before turning in.
=, "Come in, Dickie," she called. "Whs
- kind of time did you have? Tell m
), all about it. That's the last time L
2e 20 to Price for a gown. 1t never cam
home until this Afternoon, and isn't
a dream, too?' She ruefully indicate
ia q creation of silk and lace on the be-
&c "A peach!" Dick answered laconica
of ". Only one dress interested him Ju
now and the thought of the wear
was crowding all other ideas out OF h
he head. He looked back quickly, ho'
.o eyer-the color had caught his eye.
Dick came close to the bed az
~ touched sleeve. It looked like Il
in same dress Susanna Raleigh had wo
it ut the ball.
; "What kind Of lace Is this?' He pr
tended interest and bent low, turni
back bit as he spoke. His sister, I'll
tered, described the whole thing "
ubly, but Dick heard not word. f
~ there was the place where his cane h
- caught, skillfully mended, it was tr
We so skillfully his sister would new
see it, most likely-but 1t was the
m nevertheless to condemn the girl
I'VE whom he had lost his head and hea
= A week later, Dick and his sis
were waiting for the elevator at t
apartment hotel where they lived VIII
girl and an elderly man approach
All were in evening dress and Laur
cloak was open. Suddenly the
came over and impulsively touch
Laura's gown. Dick wheeled and fa(
Susanna,
$50 it was your dress wore to
cotillion and tore!' she exclaim
ooh, I've worried so about it!' II
X. suddenly: Father, this is Mrs. Nor
and her brother, Mr.. Harper. They
run, neighbors of ours! You see, we HI
ucl only lived here month";" she
planned.
"But I don't understand about
dress" puzzled Laura. "Are you S
you wore it? I'm sure it is not tor
perhaps Price fixed it then! 1t
this way: My own new dress dit
come, and when telephoned at Sc
they said it couldn't possibly be
ished, but that they would send m
model to wear instead. So wher
! came put it on and departed, and
> afterward they phoped that they
sent the wrong box and that I had
ceived one intended for custor
Father didn't know what to do at
it and when I came home and hear
was frantic. sent it back and
Price it was torn, but she said
would make it all right. I'm so so