Evening star., 1926-09-22
Old Clothes.

" LILA GARDNER turned the
l. large gray hat round and
round upon her hand. 1t was
IL soiled and a trifie wilted. but
she knew what to do to freshen
Il. Besides the hat there was gray
dress and gray cape, both present
ing a somewhat tousled appearance
Carlotta had worn them all Summer
and now Ella was expected to ar
range a Winter wardrobe out OF tnem'
Carlotta, young. vivid with dark
sparkling eyes and ravens wing halr,
looked charming in gray. and wore IL
TO the exclusion Of all other colors.
Gray did wonderful things to her rosy
loyeliness; she was like a deWy cru
sader rose peeping through the morn
ing mists. But the same clothes upon
Ella produced a far different effect.
Ella being the mother OF Carlotta,
was short. stout and faded. Her eyes
were blue, but gray put out whatever
light they possessed. Her hair was
blondy.gray and she had no color in
her slightly salloW cheeks. She knew
all this. but circumstances compelled
her to wear her daughters discarded
clothes. for while Carlotta earned a
fine salary as Mrs. Fairchild's private
secretary, Ella had to keep up their
home and pay the taxes on the very
small income her husband had left
her. There was nothing left over for
clothes, and even then Carlotta was
never satisfied with her home and was
always complaining of the contrast 1t
presented to Mrs. Fairchild's place on
the hill.
In reality Ella, although she would
not have admitted it even to herself,
was a brave, Woodworking. unselfish
and sweet hearted little woman, who
O0
for Carlotta--lived to make Carlotta
comfortable when she was at home.
For years and years there had been
nothing else.
But now just recently new interest
had entered her life. This was Francis
Ford. Long ago before she had mar
ried Ella had known Francis Ford and
received some attention from him. but
only as the other girls Of her set
had received them. Everybody had
liked Francis, everybody had missed
him when he went adventuring forth
into strange countries. Now he had
returned and was making his home
in Mainville. He was a widower,
schildless, with a great deal of money,
and he was looking around for another
wife. He had met Ella and they had
found much to talk about, but. Of
course, her looks were agains her
Francis was distinctly a well dressed
man who paid much heed to his
clothes, and it was not to be wondered
at that he could not be attracted by
dowdy.
Ella. who had remembered him long,
who had thrilled at sight Of him. real
1zed that she had no chance at all.
And her heart sank within her.
Yet as she stood there studying the
gray hat she wished. girlishly, that she
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over every item of her housekeeping
expenses vainly seeking for fresh
economies. AS for dyes-Carlotta's
clothes didn't take to dye. Had she
not tried it and failed ignominously?
The telephone bell was ringing. 1t
was Mrs. Derrick, she who had been
Agnes Linton, one of the old time set
which had remembered Francis Ford.
Il am going into the city for a bit
of shopping and a matinee" Mrs.
Derrick said. George will driveF'
George was her. grown-up son. II
want you to go. Ella
Ella accepted. telephoned to Car.
lotta, and hastily changed her dress.
When, an hour later, Mrs Derrick's
car arrived, she was waiting, patient
and unobtrusive as little gray moth.
In the city shops she saw things
she wanted-a black tailor made, a
opniSiE pidch uIeSS, rosy little nat.
lnstinctively she knew that these were
things she would look her best in
but they were not for her Every
time she came to mirror, and the
shops were full Of mirrors, she turn.
ed her eyes away with a sigh
She was sitting on a divan waiting
patiently for Mrs. Derrick, who was
buying with the plenitude of her
purse, various lovely things when the
thing occurred which changed her
whole life. Her brooch fell into her
lap.
1t was always getting unpinned but
this was the first time 1t had ever
come loose. She picked 1t up and look
ed at IL. It was old and ugly--and
valuable. An heirloom and one of
the few trinkets she really possessed.
She was seldom without it, 1t had
heen q sort of ha bit With her Nou