The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-20
EVENING STORY
The White Satin Gown.
(By Hilda Morris.)

satin to Barbara'S mother years be- |
fore, when Barbara was only child. |
Its shining white lengths carefully
folded in a sheet, had been laid away
in the top drawer of the old mahog-
any highboy ever since Barbara could
remember. Sometimes when she was
very good. as a little girl, her mother
would get the satin out to show to
her. and when she grew older her
mother promised that it should be
hers for a wedding dress. When Bar
bara was in her teens, slim, shy girl
with smooth brown hair and bright
cheeks she used to steal to the high
boy and look at the satin, stroking its
folds and seeing visions. once she
even took it out and draped it about
her shoulders before the mirror, but
she never told anyone OF that.
Aunt Roberta, who had sent this
rich gift to the little gray farmhouse
had been a very beautiful and won
derful person. She had not stayed at
home and married one of the village
boys a neighboring farmer, but she
had gone away to the city. There she
had worked at something until her
prince came along, and after that,
rumor had it, that she kept six ser
wants and her carriage. But Aunt
Roberta was dead now that Barbara
was grown, and the white satin was her
ElOSt
Barbara never looked at it without
being reminded of her aunt'5 romance,
and wondering whether she, TOO,
would one day meet a primo but
the years went on until she was 20
and the white satin still lay in its
place of honor.
barbara don't seem to get much
notice from the boys. does she?" re-
marked Aunt Amelia to Barbara's
mother during the course of an AFTER
noon visit
remarks put mothers Oh the defensive.
"Oh I don't know she said. Bar
bara's mighty particular. She hasn't
cared for anyone since Morgan Burns
went away. 1 guess she could nave
had him, if she'd chosen"
We'll. he's a fine young fellow
met Mrs. Burns only yesterday and
she said that Morgan was coming
home for the Centennial 1 didn't
ask if he was married, but suppose
he is Morgan must be thirty-one or
two by now"
Barbara was in the next room,
sewing She had not meant to listen,
but she could not help hearing Nor
gan Burns name. Morgan Burns!
She had tried not to think of him for
such a long, long time! To hear her
mother speak of him in such way
sent a swift wave of color to the girls
cheeks; she laid down her work and
stole out to the shady orchard to be
alone Five years before she had
meant to marry Morgan Burns, but
there had been a misunderstanding
between them and he had gone to
the city shortly after. 1t was Morgan
she had been thinking of the day
she draped the white satin about her
SholderS; she had dreamed of him
the times when she reverently stroked
it's folds. But that was all over now
she would never wear that dress
for any prince She suddenly resent
ed the fact that it should lie there.
waiting. for something that would
never come.
Il believe" she resolved, as she sat
alone in the orchard. that I'll make
that dress up to wear at the Centen-
NAL"
The celebration at Milford's cen
tennial was to be an elaborate one. All
the wanderers who could do so were
to come home, and there were to be
pageant, an evening with a program,
and a dance in the town hall. Bar
bara was to sing at the program. She
was generally accounted the best
soprano in the village, and had sung
in the church choir for years. 1t was
necessary that she should have some
sort of new gown for the occasion, and
she had very little money Why not
use the white satin? That would end
the matter, once and for all.
| Having decided, Barbara proceeded
| to put her plan into action. Her
mother and Mortified Aunt Amelia
| found her pinning a pattern on the
satin an hour or so later. Indeed, she
had even cut into it.
/ You're not going to use it," Aunt
Amelia exclaimed. mot to wear
! Why Barbara. 1 always thought If you
didn't marry it would be a family
heirloom for Marguerite. I didn't
suppose you meant to make it up,
ever
| Barbara was not impressed by this
protest from Marguerite's mother. She
shipped calmly into the next length.
IT'S mine" she said, land need
new gown 1 can't afford to keep this
any longer
Barbara's mother sighed
| well" she said, Il always thought
you at least had one nice thing to be
be all out of style for that if you make
it up now"
| ing
| The gown was a great success. Even
Aunt Amelia admitted that Barbara
| looked pretty in it. and ten years
younger" 1t was no more glossy than
1 the girls brown hair and her bright
! cheeks glowed more richly than ever
above it When she appeared on the
| platform to sing, little buzz of ad-
miration went over the audience. All
/ of them had known Barbara ever
since she was a child. but they had
never seen her lock so pretty.
There was one young man who felt
] something more than admiration as he
looked at Barbara. He was a very
tall young man, brown and lean, we'll
poised and well-tailored. typical of the
/ big city from which he had come He
| had met a great many girls in the
years since he left Milford. but not one
of them had stirred him as the slender
Whitehead girl Wose clear voice rang
out so sweetly in an old-fas hioned
song-a song he had heard her sing in
] those years before they had ended
everything He had thought that
/ Barbara would be married by this
time; IL was strange that a girl so at
tractive should remain spinster She
was so attractive-his eyes followed
her as she took her place back in the