The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-02-07


once.
And yet even Mrs. Kip admitted that
the whole array was far beyond the
reach of her husbands means. Still
she insisted that he could provide a
partial trousseau at least. She herself
would Ego without things" for ten
years if necessary.
Daphne, however, was haunted by
the vision of her fathers narrowed,
money-hungry face. When her mother
reminded her that 1t was his last
chance to do anything for her, she re-
torted, eyes, and it's my last chance
to do anything for him."
Her pride was wrung by her plight.
She must either go shabby or cause
acute distress to one or both Of the
men that were dearest of all in the
world to her. She must leave behind
her a burden of debt as farewell
tribute to her father, or she must
bring with her burden of debt as her
dot.
"No!" she cried, with sudden inn
patient slash at the Gordian knot.
"Clay will have to take me just as /
am or take back his diamond ring he
wished on me-"
Her defiance was not convincing.
Her mother protested:
Its not Clay that you have to con-
slider. He'll never know what you
have on. It's the guests at the we'd
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 OF cheap, do you?"
Daphne flared back, sIt 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 yourself!"
Leila, with the magnanimity of ma
tive spendthrift, tried to soothe the
fever of the rebel: Lets go prowling
around, anyway. may see something
7 want for myself. Bayard dragged me
away from Paris before had finished
shopping. There are several things ]
need desperately"
The three wise women set forth:
they Joined the petticoated army pour
ing from all the homes like levee en-
masse, a foray of pretty Huns.
They reached the alluring place
where the famous Dutilh, like an amia-
BILE Mephistopheles, offered to buy
souls in exchange for robes of angelic
charm.
In the window, on dummy, with no
head, no feet, and white satin bust,
hung gown that seemed to cry aloud
to Daphne:
81 belong to you and you belong to
me! Fill me with your flesh and will
cover you with an aureole."
The three forlorn women understood
the message instantly. They looked at
one another, then, without word, en-
tered the shop, doomed in advance.
Leila was known to Dutilh and he
greeted her with an extravagant i'm
pudence that terrified Mrs. Kip:
'You little devil!' he Kissed. sect
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 model, and sighed:
sob, what a narrow escaped"
Daphne jumped and gasped, "From
what?'
''That gown in the window, that Lam
vim 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 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 it, please?"
"Don't talk of money" Dutilh
stormed. ~ hate it! Let's see the
gown on you" He called one of his
tawny manikins. "Help Miss Kip into
this gown, Maryla."
A mournful-eyed beauty led Daphne
into a dressing room and acted as
maid. Daphne stepped out of her street
suit into the Partisan 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 mere daughter and received
back seraphic changeling. Daphne
was no longer a pretty girl; she was
something ethereal, bewitched and be-
witching. If she could own that gown
her mother would be repaid for all her
pangs 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