Catoctin clarion., 1918-09-12
AUNT BESS' TRUNK
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)
BY HERMINE X. TRASK,

"Mother" "r~-sE'7l "
eyes, Laura?"
swell, you know, mother, Roy Ben
ton is coming home for few days
before going over there"
SIS he? That is very nice, indeed"
said Mrs. Nelson.
"Yes, 1t is"
Then, hesitatlngly: "There is 60
ing to be dance given in his honor.
Do you suppose could have new
dance frOck? There are some very
pretty patterns in IS window that
are very reasonable in price"
"Laura, you know I would love to
get you something, but"
"Rut whatY impatiently from Laura.
"Why, there are the rent and the
gas bill due Saturday." said her mother
wearily, "and you know the funds are
low. Perhaps you could find some
thing suitable in the trunk Aunt Bess
left you"
"Oh, that trunk" snapped Laura
angrily. 81 wish Aunt Bess had never
willed It to me-" Then she left her
mother and went to her room.
Laura's father had been carpenter
and had kept his wife and daughter in
comfortable circumstances, but when
Laura was fourteen years old he died
Of pneumonia after q short illness of
four days, Mrs. Nelson was a clever
seamstress, and by careful planning
and strict economy had managed to
support herself and Laura,
Among the many friends was Roy
Benton, the only son Of the village
doctop
In her room Laura cried resentfully
until her eyes We're red and swollen.
Indeed, she did not wish to be seen
by Roy Mt that moment. After she
had calmed down she thought OF how
hard her mother had worked for her.
and decided to take her advice and
look through Aunt Bess' trunk.
There were many dresses which
probably had been very fashionable In
their day, but there was nothing that
was suitable for evening wear. At the
very bottom of the trunk, however,
there was white voile dress.
ut Is pretty" murmured Laura to
herself, "and I am going to try 1t on
About ten minutes later she ran into
the sitting room, where her mother
sat knitting on an olive-drab sweater.
Her cheeks We're aglow with excite
ment, and, dressed in the dress Of the
nineteenth century, she certainly look
ed like picture.
Laura Nelson" !" gasped her mother.
"Isnt 1t pretty, mother dear?"
"Yes, Laura, it is. That dress was
always very dear to Aunt Bess. She
had worn 1t the night before Robert
Kingston, her soldier sweetheart, went
off to toin the boys in blue in 1861.
She was to have married him but he
fell at Gettysburg. That is why she
never married"
"Oh, mother" said Laura, "do you
suppose it would have the same effect
on"
"On Roy Benton?" queried her moth
er.
Laura blushed prettily and said: "At
any rue L all SolhS " iuuhuSi it'
! may wear 1t to the dance, too"
Although the dress was pretty be-
fore 1t was laundered. 1t was much
prettier afterward, and Laura made
up her mind to wear 1t, just to see
what the crowd would say!
Thursday night.
Laura went to the dance hall alone;
and a little later than the other girls,
for she wanted to see what the gen.
eral impression of her old-fashiOned
dress on all who were there would be.
She removed her wraps In the dress
Ing room, brushed her pretty curls
back from her forehead, threw pale
pink scarf over her shoulders, ar
ranged her flowers In her belt, and
went into the dance hall.
The boys and girls were all talk
ing at once, asking this, that, and the
other of Roy Benton, but never wait
ing for a reply.
AS soon as Laura made her appear
ance, the hubbub ceased. All eyes
were upon her, filled with admiration
and surprise.
Roy broke the silence by walking up
to Laura, slipping her hand through
his arm, and turning to his friends
said: "Friends, meet Miss 1861" They
all broke into laugh, and as the or
chestra began to play at that moment,
Laura and Roy had the first dance
together Not only the first, but many
after, including the last waltz, after
which they strolled to her home un-
der the light Of the pale moon.
"Excuse me for asking, Laurie" said
Roy, using the old name he had called
her In days gone by, "but where did
you get that dress"
Laura told him about the trunk
Aunt Bess had left her. and then
asked: "Why?"
"Why / don't know. You look so
different from the rest Of the girls.
Sweeter somehow. Oh, Laurie, I've
got five days more. VIII you?
Couldn't we? Oh, hang 1t all, love
you. Will you marry me before l go
away"
Before Laura went to bed that night
she had little chat with picture
of Aunt Bess. If you had been near,
you would have heard her say: "Im
sorry for what l said about your trunk
that other day. I am really glad you
left 1t to me, instead Of sorry. And
dear Aunt Bess, am sorry too that
your sweetheart was killed. I must
go to bed now, or mother will call me
a sleepy-head and tell me my eyes
look like two holes burned In
llnnlzat Good nluht Aunt Ross and