The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-11-12


room Lydia sat rigid. Pink organ
die! Red silk! Kent's sweetest
eyes,! Then she looked down at the
inevitable sailor suit, and at her
patched and broken shoes. So far she
had had few pangs about her clothes.
But now for the first time she real
lied that for some reason she was an
alien, different from the other girls
and the realization made her heart
ache
Lizzie was as excited as Lydia when
she hard of the invitation.
There's that gray serge of your
mothers" she said. ''It's awful fad
ed. And there's piece of light
blue serge waist she had, Lydia, let's
get 'em dyed red Smitzky's will do it in
a couple of days for US. I'll pay for
it out of the grocery money"
.Do you think we can fix 1t so 1t
won't look made over?" asked Lydia,
torn between hope and doubt.
"Of course we can. You choose
your pattern tomorrow and I'll get in
to town In the morning with the goods,
rheumatic or no rheumatic"
Amos heard of the invitation with
real pleasure. Nor did the clothes
problem trouble him. "Pshaw, wear
that green Sunday dress of yours.
You always look nice, Lydia, whatever
you wear. And I'll take you up there
and call for you. If all the boys in
school was running after you, l
wouldn't let one of 'em beau you
round before you was eighteen. So
put that kind of a bee out Of your
bonnet for good and ALL"
Lydia lived the next two weeks In
the clouds. The new-old dress was
finished the day before the reception.
There had been minutes Of despair In
creating this festive garment. The
dyeing process had developed unsus-
pected moth holes. The blue and the
gray serge did not dye exactly the
same shade, nor were they Of quite
the same texture However, by twist
ing and turning and adding a yoke of
black silk, which had for years been
Lizzie's Sunday neck scarf, result
was produced that completely salts
fed the little dressmaker and old
Lizzie.
Miss Towne was the only daughter
of one of the old New England fam
lilies of Lake City. Teaching was an
avocation with her and not bread
and butter necessity. At eight o'clock
on Saturday evening, Amos left Ly-
dia at the front door of her house, and
in few minutes Lydia was taking Off
her hat and coat In the midst OF a
chattering group Of girls.
After general Hello" Lydia
slipped downstairs to find her hostess
Miss Towne, the grouchy, the strict
and the stern Miss Towne, moving
among her guests. saw the thin little
figure hesitating in the doorway, saw
the cobbled red dress, with skirt that
was too short and sleeves that were
too long and neck that was too tight
saw the carefully BACKED school shoes
saw the intelligent high-bred head
nobly set on straight shoulders and
the. wonderful dusty gold Of the curly
| hair, and the puzzled, bashful blue
| eyes.
"Oh, Lydia !" cried the grouchy Miss
| Towne, weren't you a dear to come
clear into town for my party. Moth
err" this clearly for all the children
to hear, "this is the pupil I've told yor
of, the one of whom we're all so proud
] Come over here, Lydia"
Lydia moved carefully. Her most
moth-eaten breadth was at the back
and / was difficult to cross the room
without unduly exposing that back
But she reached the safe. haven OF
Miss TONNES side before the bevy Of
multi-colored organizes entered the
room.
Kent was there. He had brought
the pink organdie. He waved gay
hand to Lydia, who waved back, gayly
too Her cheeks were beginning t.
burn scarlet, partly because rea
party was wonderful thing and part
ly because of the multi-colored or
/ CANDIES. Charlie Jackson, splendid
swarthy Indian boy of sixteen, wa:
there. He lived with Doctor Fulton
/ as office boy and general helper ant
the doctor was clothing and educating
| him. Charlie was halfback of thu
school football team, famous player
and a great favorite. The girls firt
ed with him. The boys were Jealous
Of his favor. Even in the snob-ridder
high school there was here a hang
over Of the pure democracy Of child
| hood.
Miss Towne had provided game!
and refreshments bountifully. But +
was difficult matter to entertain
these youngsters already accustomed
to a grownup social life. Miss Town'
had declared that there should be M
dancing. But the games were neg
lected and the guests stood about IL
frankly bored groups. SO when bev!
of organizes begged for permission t.
dance, Miss Towne, with obvious re
luctance, gave In. Z
From that moment, the party wal
an assured success. Lydia, who hat
| stuck like q little burr at Mis-
Towne's side all the evening, looked
on with wonder and a growing luml
in her throat.
Don't you dance, my dearT asked
| Mrs. Towne.
"Of course she doesn't, mother" an
swered Miss Towne, she's just ,
child. There's time enough for thos'
things after high school. / don't know
what's going to become of this gen
Grafton"
This was small comfort to Lydia
watching the pretty groups twirl by.
| Kent, hugging the pink organdie
stopped on the far side of the room
from Lydia to get a drink Of lemon
ade.