New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-06-27

am or take back his diamond ring he
wished on me-"
Her defiance was not convincing. |
Her mother protested:
Its o Clay that you have to o n
slider. He'll never know what you
have on. It's the guests at the wed
ding-and your old friends and the
neighbOrs. You don't want them to
think we're poor and that your father
is marrying you off cheap, do your
Daphne fiared back, ut seems
mighty foolish to 60 and make yourself
really poor in order to keep from SEEM
ing poor. especially when you never
fool anybody except yourself"
Leila, with the magnanimity OF a ma
tive spendthrift, tried to soothe the
fever of the rebel: Lets go prowling
around, anyway. | may e something
l want for myself. Bayard dragged me
away from Paris before l had finished
shopping. There are several things |
need desperately"
The three wise women set forth:
llIts Jolllth N Dtttieohttu aAhhJ t
ing from all the homes like a levee en-
masse. a fOray of pretty Huns.
They reached the alluring place
where the famous Dutilh. like an anna
BILE Mephistopheles. offered to buy
souls in exchange for robes of angelic
charm.
In the window, on a dummy. with no
head, no feet, and a white satin bust,
hung a gown that seemed to cry aloud
to Daphne:
81 belong to you and yeu belong to
me! FIJI me with your flesh and l Will
cover you with an aureole."
The three fOrlorn women understood
the message instantly. They looked al
one another, then, without a word, en-
tered the shop, doomed in advance.
Leila was known to Dutilh aud he
greeted her with an e~xtravagant In
pudence that terrified Mrs. Kip:
"You little devil !" he Kissed. "Get
right out of my theater. How dare you
come here after letting somebody else
build your trousseau?"
Leila apologized and explained and
he pretended to be Modified as he pre-
tended to have been insulted. Having
thus made the field his own. he turned
to Daphne, studied her frankly with
narrowed eyes as If she were asking
to be a model, and sighed:
"Oh, what Il narrow escape"
Daphne jumped and gasped, From
what?"
THAT gown In the window, that Ian
win that was born for you. You must
have seen 1.-THE afternoon one In
aforementioned taffeta and tulle."
The astOunded by his intui-
ton, nodded and breathed hard, like
terrified converts at n seance. He vas
referring to the one that belonged to
Daphne, and he ordered her to get into
1t at once.
She demurred: I'm afraid OF the
price. How much is it. pleaseT"
"Don't talk of money!" Dutilh
stormed. 81 hate II. Let's see the
gown on you" He called one of his
tawny manikins. Help Miss Kip into
this gown, Maryla."
A m~0urnful-eyed beauty led Daphne
into a dressing roo and acted as
maid. Daphne stepped out of her street
suit into the Partisan froth as II she
were going from chrysalis to butterfly.
Maryla was with homage
as she fastened 1t together and led
Daphne forth.
Mrs. Kip felt as If she had surren-
dered n mere daughter and received
back a seraphic chhngellng. Daphne
was no longer a pretty girl; she was
something ethereal, bewitched and be-
witching. If she could W that gown
her mother would be repaid for all her
pangs from travail IN. She would ac-
cept the gown as advance royalty on
any future hardships.
Daphne looked about for Leila. but
Leila was gone. She %reappeared a
moment later In a costume almost
more delicious than Daphne's-a tunic
of ~peach-blow tulle caught up with
pink rosebuds and hanging from a
drnped bodice of peach-blow satin that
formed a yoke low on the hips. And
there was a narrow petticoat Of peach
pink satin. 1t was as If peaches had
a soul, as perhaps they have.
Perfect happiness is said to need a
bit of horror to make IL complete. The
! happiness of the two girls did not lack
that element. The price of their glory
furnished it. They asked the cost
with anxiousness.
Said Dutilh: 'To Miss Kip I'll let II
go dirt cheap for three hundred and
twenty-five. The m Miss-er-Mrs
Kip has on I'll give away for-ummh
well-say the same price"
Daphne and her mother were sick
ened. But Daphne was suffering one
of those gusts of mania that ruin peo
pie. Her soul of souls clamored tc
wear that very gown that very after
moon. Even TO take Ii OFF would hurt
like faying.
Leila had the same feeling. Her ap
petite for ~resplendent gowns hat
grown with exercise.
Dutllh took pity on them: "Lool
here" he said, "Ill make the price two
hundred and seventy-five. It's givinl
them away, but you r such visions In
themr"
II was a big reduction. but IL left thu
price still mountain high.
81 want something TO wear tomor
row afternoon" Leila said. "Tye go
to 20 to a tea and my sister has to g
with me-"
Daphne had o heard of the tea
but she wanted somewhere to go IL
that gown.