The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-07-05
! sLEEAsDA.IA!lY, !
ne Dolly Warden Gown.
D. SUSAN CLA0ETI,F
(coDyFi1ht 1918, BY the Mcclure

IN TIE attic Eleanor UtooAo. dlyo1 IN
to'tha old horse-hair trunk ~ y I'D
: oneo' bolouged 10 the great eant q.
tsrS hom she was named. SIC was
l161''ng for e1d hoping 10 find, some.
tl|i5 She could shape,iHto a. dress for
a. dS6eO on the fouEIh. Whenever
0DSil{s 1t . loes for finery Asnt Fl.
1ii6Fo trunk had been q VerlloAle
0l|61o tFove. but so often lad the
= 96ie through the contents abe had
i1 hGDe q finding, aagthtng that
V6l,1 be 0uiabie for the party toward
g|th sic W. booking forward with
Ht5oltRsa usual anticipation.
Ant. ElsaaoTG gowns were all Of
oSfk1r l2neiake frequently was, and
~ shoaki6St Drocades. velvets and
eIla 20 stiff they would stand alone.
SsNaA never aeen stinted IN money,
~ dresses. WITH here and there .
tine stkih. that had come from Lon
don and were Of . bygone style. had
lain for long in The hoyse-hair trunk
under the caves until young Eleanor
eno morning pulled II into the light.
WIth little EXPLANATIONS Of pleasure
ne opened the carefully wrapped
packaaos and found herself heir 10
mnsh that was totally unsuited 10 her
ninth and petite figure, even In day
Whsn maids were gowned in costly
SIilL
) But when one loves dances and has
uot the whereWlthall 10 buy vanities.
ne iact that material Is unsuitable
les little weight. and she always car
iisd the day against her mothers more
certain Judgment Of things tit and IN
90. But II her gowns we're not always
whGt she should have worn. that fact
NiD lost In The pleasure one found in
looking ct the animated face and the
oDsolute joyousness Of the girl herself.
II6r this little story Is OF time when
giflG, young girls were not so sophis-
ticn1od - at the present day and their
pleasures coming far apart, made them
~ the more desirable. simple though
thSy usually we're.
This dance had been heralded for
weeks. General washington had sig.
pifIo1 his intention to be present
paneing for a few hours in Upper
Marlborough Oh lie way to Annapolis
Naturally everyone was on the qui
vito. and Eleanor Brooke forthwith
vent into the attic to search for a
gown brave enough to do honor to the
oceooion.
She knew VIVA. she wanted and low.
lngly fingered The heavy brocades COW
oFod with pink roses and the under.
eklrt Of pink satin that had long been
Ter utmost desire. And more daring
olIII vas the wish 10 wear the gown
Inst - Il was, quaint in its looped.up
cvordTess and watteau plat.
She shook ont the folds of satin AMI
nd 4 against ker height. Il was
llng very long. for Great Aunt Flea.
cor had been q tall woman But she
lad also been slight. ana when later
0or namesalSe stood in her own room
and twisted and turned before the mir
y4p . ct . glimpse Of her back. che
decI1ea The only change needed was in
length.
II was . lovely gown and she would
have been q very indifferent girl IL she
had not been thrilled by the vision
That peered half snyly at her from the
silt framed glass. II was the first
J time her face had impressed her and
the daintIly.eolored oval with its shin.
ing eyes, framed In waving hair. made
her wonder n II really was herself
Hef. color famed al a deeper thought
which she tried TO hide from her con.
sciousness. but Il would Obtrude, and
At last she faced n. Would he like
IT. Even to herself she hesitated tc
.call hls name.
For before ell others SIZE wished 70
appear fair n his sight. She gave no
thought 10 the other guests who would
come nom Georgetown. Alexandri.
Baltimore and Annapolis on horsebac.,
ana IN great coaches, drawn BY four
rEorBos. Four horses were always used
upon state occasions. and what more
important event could there be than
this ball, the first after the Declare.
ton Of Independence? There had been
much rain and the roads were deep.
and the maids IN ard about Mari.
borough watched the clouds and pray.
20 Tor south wind that would dry tho
mud while the young men OF the
country made the assembly room
brave with flags and greenery.
Even with greatest interest Eleanor
Brooke watched the clouds, for she
uved . long way from Upper Mari.
borough and was 10 stay with her
grandmother st "Croomeh over the
fourth. and for . little visit thereafter
There was the chance her father
would think the mud too deep TO drive
from near Mattapony Landing, and
whenever the thought occurred there
vas . sinking at her heart for fear she
night lose the long looked-for pleasure
But the day OF her expected visit
rose clear and bright. and with her
horBo-hair trunk strapped tight on the
rumble and Uncle Glen and Jake in
nout. she set cut with her mother Tor
roIoome."
y Wee . weary say through the mud
ena uiBbt had fallen before the car. |
sIage o1elIeled the drive 81 her grand |
nothers but WEAKNESS was forgotten |
- she Uazed out a the brightly. !
lighted windows and recognized voices |
l1o Ilces 90 the house door was