Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-10
MONDAY.

4.
After dinner Sunday, Helen aud her
father had talked long and earnestly
about the new dress that he had i'm
pulsively bought and brought home to
his little daughter because she had ex
pressed a desire for a bright, red, fur
trimmed frock like the one Alice Briggs
was wearing. A love for pretty clothes
was one of Helen's strongest traits, and
while her mother always kept her well
and becomingly dressed and the women
of Mayfield were agreed that she was
the best grOomed child in town, irrespec
tive of how much they spent on the
clothes of their own small daughters,
she always had a longing-very seldom
expressed-tOr q dress that had been
bought, ready made in a store, and which
would have about it some of the bright,
fashy style that always marked the
clothes OF the two little Briggs girls.
And, left TO his own resources, her father
was not able TO resist the temptation
to crafty her when she had told him
about Alice Briggs new winter dress and
how much she wanted one like it. So
after leaving the office on Saturday he
had gone to the store in the city where
Helen had said Mrs. Briggs had bought
the dress, and, extracting $12 from his
weekly pay envelope, he had purchased
1t, and carried it home to his delighted
little daughter.
AS soon as Helen had put 1t on and
looked at herself in the glass she knew
instinctively that it wasn't at all the kind
ot dress that her mother would have
chosen for her. She knew that it didn't
look right, but in spite Of this fact, she
still liked the brilliant color and the
s1h Il . g.. -.
When she returned to the porch to
show it to her father Roger and her
grandmother had come from the base
n.ent where they had all been busy
making the ounce jelly, to see what
the excitement was about
"Oh, my dear, don't like at ALL" was
her grandmother's discouraging COM
ment. 1T is a dreadful color and looks
horrjd with your hair and eyes
We'll, of all the oId-cOpy cats" ex-
claimed Roger in disgust. Its exactly
like Alice Briggs dress. And / bet
Mother won't let you wear it,"
Helen looked at her rather in distress.
Don't you think it's pretty, Dad?" she
asked doubtfully. Its just exactly
what l wanted
''WeI, 1 don't know" answered Nj
Hooper with a puzzled note in his voice.
Il don't like it as well on you, Helen, as
I did when 1 saw 1t in the shop. 1t
certainly isn't so pretty as the dress
you wear 10 church on Sunday. There
is something wrong about it, but l don't
know what it is.
''Oh, aren't you going to let me keep
it2'' asked Helen with tears in her eyes,
II like it so much, and you'u all get
used to it after while"
all haf
it," answered her father wen have
to consider what your mother might
think about it. After all we may have
been too hasty about buying it,
And when he and Helen had talked il
over later, Mr.. Hooper had concluded by
saying, You take until Monday morn
ing to decide whether you really want
to keep it or not. We are all agreed that
it doesn't become you a bit. Your grand
mother says that the color is too bright
and fiashy, and Roger thinks it's a great
mistake for you TO wear a dress that is
exactly like Alice Briggs! / know now
that paid a great deal more for it than
your mother would have spent for a dress
for you; and l have probably upset her
budget much worse than you and your
grandmother did when you went over
your food allowance. But I am going to
let you decide yourself what you want
to do about 1t under the circumstances.
Can you return 1t and get your money
backf" Helen asked.
''Oh, yes" replied her father, "that
was understood when I bought It."
''Then I think you'd better take it back,
Dad" said Helen gloomiIy. 81 know that