Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-02-06

| III GucdpcE quAhlgs AnCcc pdEASOt
were not really necessary. those stock
ings need not be so numerous all a
once.
And yet even Mrs. Kip admitted tina
the whole array was far beyond TIL
reach of her husbands means. Still
she insisted that he could provide |
partial trOusseau at least. She hersel
would "go without things" for ter
years If necessary.
Daphne, however, was haunted b!
the vision of her fathers narrowed
mOney-hungry face. When her mother
reminded her that 1t was his las
chance to do anything for her, she re
torted, "Yes, 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 e farewell
tribute to her father, or she must
bring with her burden of debt as her
dot.
"Nor' she cried, with a sudden i'm
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:
not (tIoU fhof Won hoya IN aOn-
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 off cheap, do you?" =
Daphne fiared back, at 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 a ma
tive spendthrift, tried to soOthe the
fever of the rebel: Lets go prowling
around, anyway. I may see something
1 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:
they joined the petticoated army pour
ing from all the homes like levee en-
masse, 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 dummy, with no
head, no feet, and a white satin bust,
hung a gown that seemed to cry aloud
to Daphne:
II belong to you and you belong to
me! Fill me with your flesh and will
cover you with an aureole."
The three forlorn women understand |
he nSesssse -iaStansfy. sAarcy f5ofSs uN2e /
)ne another, then, without word, en-
erred the shop, doomed in advance.
Leila was known to Dutilh and he
greeted her with an extravagant inn
1udence that terrified Mrs. Kip:
"You little devil !" he Kissed. "Get
light out of my theater. How dare you
,ome here after letting somebody else
'uild your trousseau"
Leila apologized and explained and
lie pretended to be Modified as he pre-
ended to have been inSulted. Having
hus made the field his own, he turned
o Daphne, studied her frankly with
narrowed eyes as If she were asking
o be model, and sighed:
"Oh, what a narrow escapew
Daphne jumped and gasped, 'From
phat?"
"That gown in the window, that Lam
in that was born for you. You must !
ave seen 1.-THE afternoon one in {
aforementioned taffeta and tulle."
The women, astounded by his intui-
ion, nodded and breathed hard, like
certified converts at a seance. He was
eferring to the one that belonged to
Daphne, and he ordered her to get into
at once.
She demurred: "Tm afraid of the /
rice. How much is it, please?"
"Don't talk of money!" Dutilh S
formed. II hate it! Let's see the 4
own on you" He called one of his b
lwny manikins. Help Miss Kip into |
lis gown, Maryla."
A mournful-eyed beauty led Daphne
ito a dressing room and acted as
aid. Daphne stepped out of her street .
lit into the Partisan froth as If she q
ere going from chrysalis to butterfly. u
aryla was murmurOus with homage
she fastened it together and led D
aphne forth. u
Mrs. Kip felt as If she had surren- u
red mere daughter and received II
lex seraphic changeling. Daphne y
rs no longer pretty girl; she was a.
ethereal, bewitched and be W
itching. If she could own that gown II
r mother would be repaid for all her
ngs from travail on. She would ac- M
pit the gown as advance royalty on
" future hardships. III
Daphne looked about for Leila, but
lila was gone. She reappeared IL
oment later in a costume almost
1re delicious than Daphne's-a tunlc u
nan oh hlnu, tulla poupht nm with "