South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-17
The Purple Dress
By o. Henry
CONTINUED FROM PAGE lSJ

/ b. essed morrow. Her thoughts were
of purple. but they were white them
/ seives-the joyous enthusiasm OF the
young for the pleasures that youth
must have or wither. She knew pur-
pie would become her, and-for the
/ thousandth time she tried 70 assure
herself that il was purple Mr.. Ram
/ say said he liked, and not red. She
was going home first to get the 81
wrapped In a piece OF tissue paper
in the bottom drawer of her dress
or. and then she was going 20 pay
Schlegel and take the dress home
herself.
Grace lived in the same house.
She occupied the hall room above
Maida's.
At home Mazda found clafor and
confusion. The landlady's tongue
Gathering sourly in the halls like a
churn dasher dabbing in buttermilk.
And then Grace came down TO her
room crying with eyes as red as any
, dress.
she says I've got to get out"
said Grace. The old beast. Because
/ owe her 81. She's put my trunk
in the hall and locked the door.
can't go anywhere else. l haven't
got a cent of money.
You had some yesterday" said
MAZDA.
Il paid it on my dress" said
Grace. Il thought she'd wait till
next week for the rent"
Sniftle. sriffle, sob, sniffle.
out came-out it had TO come
You blessed darling" cried
! Grace, now a rainbow instead of a
sunset. iii pay the mean old thing
and then I'm going TO try on my
dress. / think it's heavenly. Come
! up and look at il. I'll pay the mon
ey back, a dollar a week-honest /
will"
Thanksgiving.
The dinner was to be at noon. At
! a quarter TO twelve Grace switched
j into Maidas room. Use, she looked
/ charming. Red was her color.
] MAZDA sat by the window in her old
/ cheviot skirt and blue wiast darning
/ n St. Oh, doiro fancy work.
why, goodness me! amt you
dressed YETI" shrilled the red one.
/ How does it fit in the back? Don't
YOU think these velvet tabs look aw-
ful swell Why amt you dressed,
: MAZDA? ?"
MY dress didn't get finished in
time" said Mazda. I'm not going
TO the dinner"
That's too bad. Why. I'm aw-
| fully sorry, Mazda. Why don't you
put on anything and come along
it's just the store folks, you know,
and they wont mind
Il was set on my purple" said
Mazda. IF I can't have il / won't
go at all. Don't bother about me.
Run along or you'll be late. You
At her window Mazda sat through
the long morning and past the time
of the dinner at the store. In her
mind she could hear the girls shrek
ing over the pullbone, could hear
old Bachman's roar over his own
deeply concealed jokes, could see
the diamonds of fat Mrs. Bachman,
who came TO the store only on
THANKSGIVING days, could see Mr..
ramsay moving about, alert kind
IL. IooHing TO the comfort OF all.
At four in the afternoon. with an
expressionless face and a lifeless air
she slowly made her way 10 Schleg-
els shop and told him she could
not pay the 81 due on the dress.
"GottW cried Schlegel, angrily.
For what do you look so glum
Take him away. He is ready. Pay
me some time. Haf I not seen you
pass mine shop every day in two
years? If I makes clothes is 1t that
| do not know how TO read peoples
bee ause? You will pay me some time
WREN YOU can. Take him away. He
is made goot; and If you look
bretty in him all right. SO. Pay
me when you can"
Mazda breathed n millionth part
of the thanks in her heart, and hur-
ried away with her dress. AS she
left the shop a dash of rain struck
upon her face. She smiled and did
net feel It.
Ladies who shop in carriages, you
DO not understand. Girls whose
vardrobes are charged TO the old
mans account you CanOnt begin tC
comprehension could not under
stand why Mazda did not feel the
cold dash Of the Thanksgiving rain
At > O'Clock she went out urOn the
street wearing her purple dress. The
rain had increased, and il bea'
down upon her IN a steady. wind
blown pour. People were scurryine
home and 10 cars with close-held
umbrellas and tight buttOned rain
coats Many of them turned their
heads to marvel at this beautiful
serene, happy girl in the pur-
! pie dress walking through the storm
as though she were strOlling in q
garden under summer skies.
I say you do not understand 1t
ladies Of the full purse and varied
wardrobe. You do not know what il
is TO live with a perpetual longing
for pretty things-to starve eight
months in order TO bring a purple
dress and a holiday together. What
difference If it rained, hailed, blew
showed, cyclOned?
MAZDA had no umbrella nor over
shoes. She had her purple dress and
she walked abroad. Let the elements
do their worst A starved heart must
have one crumb during a year. The
rain ran down and dripped from her
fingers.
Some one turned a corner and
blocked her way. She looked up into
Mr. Ramsay's eyes, SPARKLING with
admiration and interest.
WHY, Miss Mazda" said he. you
look simply magnificent in your new
dress. I was greatly disappointed no.
10 see you at our dinner. And OF al
the girls 1 ever knew, you show the