Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-05
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
JULIA'S COMMENCEMENT
GOWN
By Charlotte Tratton Smith

II ny CNdFtOHe lTdJtOH OWHn
TT WAS in her Junior year at high
j school that the question of her com.
mencement gown first began to trouble
Julia King.
Fine. gowns were not plentiful in the
king family. Possibly the fact that
may explain why her clothing had al.
ways been of inferior quality. Otter
MIS- King sat up late at night finishing
OH some garment; while the best clothes
Julia herself.
On the juniors developed the task OF
oecoratIns oecerinns the town hall for the great
ments at the reception.
Then. too, who but the Ijuniors were
70 be escort for the graduates! And
THIS meant much talk Of gowns, shoes
Julia knew very well there could be
no costly fnery for her and sometimes
she went to sleep with wet handker-
chief under her pillow, after spending
lin.
1t was during one Of these evenings
wnen Julia had been telling her mother
wistfully:
| DO you suppose ] can have a silk
dress when I graduate. mother?"
''Dearie. said Mrs. King sharply, as
though something had hurt her-in fact,
Julia though she must have pricked
her fnger-."I only wish might promise
1t to you. but ] can't"
steadily for a little while, then threw
her work aside and impulsively drew
the girls dark head to her shoulder.
DO you think ! don't realize how
dream of my foolish old head for years
blue. taffeta. You didn't know your
mother was such a goose, did you?
Ihere. run along to bed"
Her mother always wore something
neat, but dark and cheap, and Julia, II
was merely indifference.
However, as the days went by and
me girl heard over and over the fool
she forgot the blue taffeta and a great
longing for a. truly beautiful dress for
her own graduation became an obses-
sion she was not naturally envious,
put came near committing that trans.
gression when she heard some one saw
at the reception:
'I think Olive Marstons dress is the
loreliest thing l ever saw. That geor-
cite crepe over satin and so exquisiteiy
embroidered In pearls'
Julia's white teeth came together
with click. She went on sereneIy
passing refreshment trays. but in her
nrain single thought predominated:
81 ~, , nave one decent dress II I have
10 work my fingers off TO get it."
A few days later she went into the
kitchen where Mrs. King, her tired face
1ushed with heat, was busily canning
rInubarb. A sudden thought popped into
"Mother!" she exclaimed. "You know
Aunt Bee said yesterday we might have
az the Wild berries we were willing TO
PICK. There are Strawberries, biueber-
rles and blackberries in those old pas
could spare me part of the time to 20
out there to. pick some to sell? Seems
10 70 me ! might get enough to buy-that
is, to have.oh.. I do want to have a
nice dress when I graduatev
Mrs King snapped cover onto an
she said briefly. "And julia ma i heard aan:
Doci2r Dustin's wife say yesterday She
cSiIdrepp TIiq pay van, girl well to stay with the
Win the DOCTOR. Her maid has left and
tney need some one occasionally to an
swer the telephone and take care OF
an me children, who are in bed at 8
That vry afternoon Julia saw Mrs.
dustin and made arrangements to he
ner helper four evenings a week through
July and August. Ne"
Then began a busy time for the cir,
d,t,as AZ cary 10 hsip with the household
PICK berries in the hot sun. It was
not, an easy task she had set herself
and many good time did she miss
curing the summer.
But the little hoard hidden in tho TN
nox IN her dresser drawer was stead
liy growing. Even after the berry sea-
son was over and school had reopened
ha,n uS Dust,n frequently needed Jula's
quiet after O'Clock she had excellent
opportunity for study. Mrs, Dustin had
told her friends of the girls reiinhiltv
ahS 60 fftehauentiy req they, too, employed her
90 tne months sped by until IL was
really time to purchase the materia, TO-
the dreamed-of gown. ai ior
wish you We're going to have a new
oress; marmee.' said Julia impuIsively
i,tt, uaN, as Mrs. King was mending n |
gray dress 'po'iess
"Oh. well dear" responded her
mno.her n brightly this old gown with a
trfsn H coiiar VIII do very nicely"
But to Julia's horror as she na ssed bsr
mother.s door quietly a thalf-haur later.
she saw Mrs. King hold the old gr.v
dress at arms length for second, then
nlng II on the bed and wipe the running
tears from her face.
Two hours later Julia bounced int,
the house laden with several mysterio,,S
bundles and ran lightly up to her roonn
Mother" she called in a queer voice
:! wish you would come up minute
I've just bought my dress and never
was wa, SO happy over anything in my
a rather displeased lady walked nm
stairs at this bidding. 1'
Julia she demonstrated. you ought
Q. nave had an older person with you"
nut stopped suddenly when she saw the
material Julia was unrolling.
Just white voile, sheer and dainty. |
to be sure, but plain white voile.
isn't 1t pretty" cooed Julia, her dark
eyes beaming with mischief.
- don't understand" began Mrs. !
King in a dazed way.
do you understand this?" yelled her
daughter suddenly as she threw a per- |
feet swirl of lustrous dark blue taffeta !
round the slender figure before her
e"Do you know, you marmee, tina, you
are going to have commencement gown
for your own sweet self, and that
you are going to graduate from sacri- |
fcing everything to a selfish daughter?
raced on recklessly, "and sewing silk
and hooks and eyes, and white kid
gloves. And my dress is to be a dream, !
for / am going to embroder it until it |
will stand alone for very pride. And
oh, you blessed woman" to the dazed
mother. who had sunk weakly onto the
he'd, stay here and gloat while l go
down and get supper for this starving
family. But don't you dare let me f1nd
a single salt drop on that 'lustrous dark
blue taffeta' commencement gown"
The next complete novelette--A Sure
Cure.