The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1919-01-30
The Blue Dress

By MILDRED WHITE

her. She continued humming in JOY
Gus thrill, as the elevator swung down
to the ground floor. The elevator boy
grinned into the girls glowing face.
Gee! you look happy" he said.
II am, happy" Mary told him as
she smiled.
Out on the busy street crowded with
it's home-going throng. Mary looked up
to where early stars shone above the
tallest skyscraper.
"Even moon," she rejoiced, "as If
everything was not perfectly perfect,
without moon.'
She could hardly wait as she climb
ed the stair of the boarding house, to
fit the key in the lock of her small
room door, to gloat again over her new
treasure. The treasure was lying
spread out upon her bed, as she had
left it in the morning.
Mary bent over the gown touching
it with caressing fingers, it's coming
had seemed to be the climax to her
happiness. And so long had sadness
been little Mary's portion! All things
beautiful-like this glorious fur-trim-
med frock-had vanished at the time
of her fathers death; when Devil
dered by the changing Of her life-plan,
Mary had gone forth to the strange
city, to earn her livelihood.
From the black dress, to the forbid
ding boarding house, through the in
different city crowd became dull
and accepted routine. Then all at
once hope called to Mary again, and
smiled, and beckoned. Hope, in the
form of a letter addressed in an al
most boyish scrawl.
Dear Mary" said the letter. mo
doubt you have forgotten me among
your city friends, but I shall never
forget you. Ida Warren came back
to Lynden yesterday, and said that she
had seen you in an office building
where you were working. And l
thought now, that I might presume to
call upon you; MARY smiled at the
prim word) if agreeable to you, when
I come to the city. That will be next
Thursday; may I take you to the the
alter in the EVENING""
The lonely girl had sent a prompt
reply:
"She would be glad to go to the
theater with her old friend.'
After her letter was dispatched
Mary sat staring across the city roofs
Lawrence Barr had been her girlish
ideal of all that man should be, but
Larry had never understood. To him
in his simple cottage home, Mary, in
her fathers great house, was crea-
ture to be admired and approached
with diffidence. Only now when the
apparent greatness of her future had
crumbled, did Larry dare to seek out
the one woman he desired to make his
wife.
Then, as though tickle fortune in her
sudden changing wished to leave moth
Larry's expected visit-the box from
cousin Lucia. This cousin of Mary's
had been pleased to send to her occa-
siOnally, certain discarded articles of
her own apparel. These garments
Mary was usually obliged to cast aside
as hopeless. But today's box bore "a
love Of a Dress" as Mary mentally
called it, and blue, of a color to match
Mary's blue-bell eyes.
Mary's heart quickened as she
glanced Wistfully 1T her companion
during the performance at the theater
If he could only know how good it was
to see some one from home again.
how very, very good it was, to see
him.
But apparently Larry did not know,
or if he did, he seemed disinterested
in the knowledge. .....~..
"Good-by,'' he said briefly at the
boarding house door, good night Mary
and-good-by." -.-'.
Through rush of disappointed
tears Mary in her little room sought
out the fastenings of the beautiful
blue gown. An envelope upon the
dresser drew her attention. It was
telegram.
Hastily she tore it open. 1.-THE
wrong gown was forwarded to you
from the cleaners, where left two to
be renovated;" Mary read. please
return blue fur trimmed dress to
Lucia"
Little Mary Smith laughed shakily
as she brushed aside her tears.
"Everything-goes back" she MUIR
INJURED confusedly.
The boarding house maid tapped,
and thrust second note beneath the
door, Mary recognized Larry's familiar
scrawl.
Dearest" she read again. Il can't
go away without saying what came
to say, even though it is of no use.
have always loved you, Mary, and
hoped that now perhaps, it might not
seem such an undesirable charge, from
your present mode Of life to my sim
pie home. Maybe it was the costly
gown you wore tonight which discour-
aged me; realize that it's far cry
from that sort Of dress to Lynden;
and Mary, my heart is for your happi-
ness more than for its own-so I'm
leaving on the ten o'clock tomorrow
morning."
Rraath1psS1v Mary raachod fn,. non