The Monticellonian., 1919-03-07

Her defiance was not convincing. Her mother protested:
 Its not Clay that you have to con sider. He'll never know what you have on. It's the guests at the we'd ding-and your old friends and the neighhors. You don't want them to think we're poor and that your father ts marrying you off cheap, do you2"
 Daphne tiared back. "It seems mighty foolish to go and make yourself really poor in order to Keep from Seem- ing poor, especially when you never fool anybody except y0urSelfi :" ! Leila, with the maenanimity of na- 1 tive spendthrift tried to soothe the fever of the rebel: Lets go prowling around. anyway may see something l want for myself Bayard dragged me away from Paris before l had finished shopping. There are several things I need desperately"
 The three wise women set forth: they joined the petticoated army pour ing from all the homes like levee en masse, foray of pretty Huns.
 They reashed the aluring place where the famous Dutilh, like an ama- 1 ble 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 q gown that seemed to cry aloud to Daphne
 T belong to you and you belong to me- Fill me with your flesh and 1 will cover you with an aureole."
 The three forlorn women understood the message instantly. They looked It one another, then. without a word. en- tered the shop, doomed in advance.
 Leila was known to Dutilh and he greeted her with an eXtravagant in- pudence that terrified Mrs Kip:
 You little devil '" he hissed "Get right out of my theater How dare you come here sitter letting somebody else build yeur trousseau?"
 Leila apologized and explained and he pretended to be notified as he pre- tended to have been inSuIted. 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 narrow escape"
 Daphne jumped and gasped. Prom what?"
 That gown in the window, that Lan- yin that was born for you. You must have seen 1.-the afternoon one in parchment-toned taffeta and tulle"
 The women, astounded by his intui- ton, nodded and breathed hard, like terrified converts at q seance. He WAS referring to the one that belonged to Daphne, and he ordered her to get into it at once.
 She demurred: I'm afraid of the price. How much is if, please?"
 Don't talk of money% Dutilh stormed. Il hate it Let's see the gown on you.s He called one of his tawny manikins. Help Miss Kip into this gown, Maryla.a
 A mournful-eyed beauty led Daphne i into dressing room and acted as maid. Daphne stepped out of her street suit into the Parisian froth as if she were going from chrysalis to butterfly. Maryla was murmurous with homage as she fastened it together and led Daphne forth.
 Mrs. Kip felt as if she had surren- dered q mere daughter and received back q seraphic changeling. Daphne was no longer a pretty girl; she was something ethereal, bewitched and be- Witching. If she could own that gown bangs from travail on. 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 draped bodice of peaeh-blow satin that formed yoke low on the hips And there was narrow petticoat of peach. pink satin. It was as if peaches had soul, as perhaps they have.
 Perfect happiness is said to need q bit of horror to make it 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 it go dirt cheap for three hundred and twenty-five. The one Miss-er-AIrs. 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 to wear that very gown that very after noon. Even to take it off would hurt like flayins.
 Leila had the same feeling. Her ap- petite for resplendent gowns had grown with exercise
 Dutilh took pity on them: Look here. he said. I'll make the price two hundred and seventy-five. It's giving them away, but you are such visions in them .'
 II was q big reduction, but it left the price still mountain high.
 "I want something to wear tomor- TOW afternoon,n Leila said I've got to go to tea and my sister has to 90 With me"
 Daphne had not heard of the ten. but she wanted somewhere to go in thai gown.