Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-12-09
THE STORY

an attack OF olphther1a, leaving
lost and her small world has collapsed.
She hnds comfort in the loving kind
ness .s OF John Levine: Lydia learns that
held by Marshall, Is due and cannot be
met. The child pleads with Marshall,
And for her sake he agrees to renew
Continued from last weekly
Christmas came and went, sadly and
holidays were over and she was back
In school again. On her desk that first
morning lay tiny envelope, addressed
to her. She opened 1t. In 1t was an
invitation from Miss Towne to attend
q reception she was rendering to the
members Of her algebra and geometry
classes, freshmen and seniors.
For q moment Lydia was in heaven.
It was her first formal invitation Of
any kind. Then she came rapidly to
earth. She had nothing to wear! 1t
was an evening party and she had no
way to 60 or come She put the pre-
cious card in her blouse pocket and
soberly opened her "Civil Govern
ment"
At recess, she sat alone as she was
rather prone to do, in the window of
the cloak room, when she heard
group Of girls chattering.
'WhO wants to go to grouchy old
Towne's reception when you can go to
dance? I've got two bids to the Phi
Pts party" said fourteen-year-old
miss.
To 11oS1l Arrvn h
us in algebra" said another girl. "I'll
wear my pink silk organdie. Whatll
you wear?"
''My red silk. Maybe she'll let us
dance. I suppose Charlie and Kentll
both want to take me-"
Terrible thing to be popular
Hasn't Kent the sweetest eyes! Do
you know what he said to me the 9TH
er night at the Evans partyP
The girls drifted out of the cloak
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
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
mother's," she said. "It's awful fad
ed. And there's a piece Of light
blue serge waist she had, Lydia, let's
get 'em dyed red. Smitzky's will do it in
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
school was running after you,
wouldn't let one of 'em beau you
round before you was eighteen. So
put that kind Of 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.
T,bora bod hoop n,iputoS ~ dacpofr 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 yoke of
black silk, which had for years been
Lizzie's Sunday neck scarf, a 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 a 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
chattering group of girls.
After a 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
ngure ilesitating In the doorway, saw
the, cobbIed 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
Dobly set on straight shoulders and
the wonderful dusty gold Of the curly
hair, and the puzzled, bashful blue
eyes.
"0h, Lydiat" cried the grouchy Miss