The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-23
Euening Story
After the Dance.

Minnie's round face wore an eX-
preston of vast disa appointment as she
dressed the morning after the dance
at Resale hall. She had been going
with Tom Miller for three years and
the girls were beginning to ask her
when she was going to wear an en-
gagement ring
1T seems queer" she unused as she
eyed distastefully the worn out gray
Bingham house-apron, that he doesn I
propose. He never goes with any
other girl, that is, steady, but he never
speaks of settling down any more and
all the cottages in Acacia row are
going so fast. I thought once" here
the soft, red mouth dropped until the
happy curves We're almost gone, that
1 would have one of those dear little
houses with the sunshiny south kitch-
ems and"
Hurry, Minnie, there is an east
wind and grandma feels badly and"
the rest of the speech was lost as an
outside door slammed noisily shut.
Minnie >hurried1y- buttoned the ugly
gray garment about her and ran down
stairs. Grandma was apt to be dit
ficult WREN an east wind blew and her
brother Sam was home with bad
cold.
say" greeted Sam GROSSLY, you
take your ease letting ma get up and
get breakfast. Where did you dig up
that dress?"
Minnie went to the dance last
night excused Mrs. Friedly placidly,
'she got up the minute 1 called her.
If all my children were as helpful as
Min I'd have no cause for complaint"
Sam flushed and drifted out to the
woodshed to return presently with an
armful of short kindling cut the way
his mother preferred. Guess the
east wind bothered me, too" be
grinned, and sat down to the fluffy
griddle cakes that Mrs. Friedly had
just baked.
Minnie ate her breakfast thought
fully. Sans criticism of her frock
had put into words what she had been
thinking about. For two years past
she had stinted on everyday clothes so
that she would be able to afford elab-
crate party gowns. She worked after
moons in the dry goods store and
bought all her own clothing She
could have had all-day work, bat she
was needed to help at home.
After the children had been sent to
school and grandma, now somewhat
appsaSeG by good breakfast, had
settled down in the south window,
where she had good View of the
street, Minnie began the baking, no
small task for such a large family.
Mother" said the girl as her mother
sat down to--Jhe sewing machine, II
am going to get some everyday clothes.
Sam was right; I've been going around
in horrid things"
The whirr of the machine paused
Tor moment eS, said the other,
you have. I felt sorry when Tom
caught you the other morning in that
ragged apron. Your slippers are torn
and you look really shiftless."
oh Minnie's cheeks grew pink
I've been spending too much on party
frocks and satin slippers, and I'm
going to stop it. Money is too hard
to earn to fool away on such things
Even buying materials at wholesale at
the store counts up too much. I'm
i IT,
cretonnes this afternoon and some pat
terms, and we are going to have some
dainty house dresses. The dances will
have to go for a time. i she
paused suddenly and the older woman,
looking at the brilliant cheeks and wet
that her girl had had a disappoint-
ment at the party and she thought it
wiser to let it blow over without her
interference unless Minnie asked def
nitely for advice.
Don't you think it is better to look
fairly nice right along than to save
everything for a grand, display for an
EVENING"" asked Minnie as she cut out
cookies.
Decidedly" her mothers gray head
nodded decisively, Ito my mind it
lessons ones self-respect o go about
in ragged aprons even if no one else
sees them. But I don't want you to
get anything for me because my
housedresses are all whole and
Faded and of ugly gray colors,'
cut in Minnie, wondering why she had
not thought of all these things sooner.
Now that she really surveyed her par
cnt she saw how patched and faded
was her neat frock.
Tom did not call up after the dance
as he sometimes cid. 1t was the fol-
lowing Saturday morning when he
stopped on his way to work at the
Friedly home and asked for Sam.
Sam has gone" said Rita, but
Minnie is in the kintchen."
Never mind" began Tom as the
seven-year-oId girl flung open the
kitchen door. He had a lively remem-
brance> of Minnie's untidy appearance
on the last occasion when he had sur
prised her so early in the day ard he
did not desire to catch her again.
The morning sun flooded the big