Evening star., 1928-02-18
Miss Ellen's Wedding Dress.

as her caller, a newcomer IN the nelgn-
borhood, rose to take leave. I'm getting
me wedding dress and want your
opinion of these samples"
"A wedding dress?" gasped Mrs. Harris
in blank astonishment as Miss Ellen, a
for inspection handful OF price-taggcd
dabs of satin, silk and chiffon.
Yes, for Mary Roses Wedding"
"O-o-Ohi" Mrs. Harris brcathed relief.
"She's the pretty niece in the Middle
ton bank that you were telling me
about?"
yes" beamed Miss Ellen. "One Of
my brother Jim's girls But If she was
my own child / couldn't have more
motherly feeling toward her. You sec"
she explained. laying out the samples
on the fat arm of the crimson velour
chair. when Mary Rose was little she
vas very delicate. and the doctor told
her parents IL they wanted to raise her
they must take her into the country and
keep her there until her health was
established. as the sayin' Is. But jim
had just gone into the grocery business
and couldn't pick up and leave town
and Hattie hated to take the Older chill
dren away from good schools. SO, to
make long story short. rented my
fiOuSc llFlc Ill ScllIeIS anu kUb IiS a
little place with COW and chickens
out at Applegate and had Mary Rose
live with me. We were together seven
years. The happiest years OF nly life.
And oh how I missed her when Mary
Rose went back to her folks. There.
I've spread them out Which Is your
choice? Mines divided between the
heliotrope and pearl gray"
But since your brother and sister
in-law had other children and you we're
so attached to Mary Rose. why couldn't
they let her stay with you for keeps"
asked Mrs Harris. after she had ex
pressed preference for wistaria
sample.
They would il Id asked EN-" re-
piled Miss Ellen. being so grateful
for what Id done. But Jim vas mor-
| ing his family to Middleton that
Autumn. and knew Mary Rose would
| have advantages there that I couldnt
give her if she stayed behind az Cen
ters. And it's all turned out for the
best" she smiled through mist Of
tears According 10 accounts, George
| Ship!ey. Mary Roses young man, is as
| fine fellow as they make EN-. AID
| ne belongs TO an elegant family" she
| proudly announced. His fathers the
| leading ieweler in Middleton. But is
10 IlUEc t4lAIi Moi IsOSc GtSc4 scS.
rad;antly concluded Miss Ellen. She 5
sch a dear girl! So loving she writes
! me regular every week and on her
| Summer vacation trips. either coming 2
or going. always stops over al Centers
| 10 see me-
| Usually when Miss Ellen vas re-
| p,enish!ng her wardrobe. she had L!
| Clement.na Spinks But the Wedding
dress was no. TO be lnsrIS.ed 10 any
home dressmaking. And after due con-
| sultation and recommendation i: vas
| put in the expert hands Of Lucille" II
| the Monarch Building.
| The finished product, boxed and
;issue-paper wrapped Ike rare flowers
from a florists. vas sent home three
weeks before the wedding day. Bu,
none TOO soon. For the Wedding dress
! had 10 be exhibited 20 all the neigh
bors. and Miss Ellen found that she
got the most pieasu-able reactions b.:
| giving private view 10 two o. three
a: q time.
| Then after this prolonged eXc;.emen:
| over the wedding dress-.ts purchase,
| It's making. its proud cispiay-canle a
shock TO the neighoorhood Ike 4 blow
| II the face
| The day before she was 20 leave .o-
Middleton Miss Ellen announced tia;
sne had changed her mind and vas
not going TO Mary Roses wedding
after all.
But. Miss Ellen. you'll have 10 GO
gasped Mrs. Harris, brea,hless t-o-, as
Constituent. There's your wedding
| dresss"
| Miss Ellen had attempted a playful
role O. face.ious excuses for her changed
plans. but Mrs. Harris reference 70 the
wedding dress touched TOO sore spot
III her aching heart and her eyes or:I-
| med With tears.
Il didn't intend living soul should
] ever know the real reason for MY
changing my mind said Miss Ellen II
] srievinS voice" Bpt I don't mind
telling YOU. i: you went ls: i: 50 any
further"
Il give you my solemn word. IS
pledged Mrs. Harris.
You see. 1t WAS one 81 these ccin-
| cidences Q! fate" began Mss Ellen
dramatically My eomins Aos,s from
down town IN the car with he S!r!
, Rose and overnesving her ;a,S socur
! the upSetsing letter that S.,e's received.
/ The letter VAS from ner Aunt Mamie
| living In little Western town ard was
| 10 tell her that her aunt was coEr!gi cG
| 70 her wedding-tor the girls sos;1' Ia
/. Be married same as Mary Rose,
~ hadn't the regioteSs Idea thar
| she'd think cf coming" the gsr. mourn
ed ~ her lady friend, I love .Aunt
! Mamie dearly and always have been
as nice 10 her as ] knew hos. 81,
that's entirely different from .n,roi,.c-
ing her as relative. Aunt Mamie be-
longs 20 another world from taa; ..
DICKS and his family She's always
lived in q small town and size hasa,
any education 10 SPEAK o. ard on
dear I'm Just sick over ig!'"
Miss Ellen paused 10 wipe away her
tears,
suddenly I saw II all as clear as
crystal. as The Sayin' IS" she cc0:.cueS,
Mary Rose ho0eSt-,o- -IcoG0eSs feel
| inss II. she had 10 introduce r.e 70
JACK as he relative. Eor lac :Ae sty.
III the cars young n.aa and her Auu;
Mamie. him and ME 6oat as,onS ~
the same world I'm a sms..-:oa,, yx.-
son. to<>~and I'm not educated tr.y
sood Not gc:ns 10 Mary RAss'S We'd
c'nS Is a terrible Disappointment !
Won't deny Il isn't Sut after o,s--
hear,nE what tha; girl said Wild acc$cs
Couldn't drag me- as the Ssy:n' IS"
one woman IN a thousand. Mrs Es~-
RS kept her wVr1 sne Mss Sl.eoS rN,r.
noence inylolate
SN the neighbours coQ,a unlv talk ard
wonder why Miss Ellen had Sa suddenly
changed her mind
Manr and various sad often Mid
we're The ecnlectlrcS. bur the c<,nsr,,-
>us os opinion MAS that somehow Miss
El'en mad found cut ;AS; because Mary
Nose WAS marrying her "hisAec-up
HounE man. she WAS ashamed q. her
aunt.
Well, Mt least admire Miss E!.cnx
Spunk." declared Mrs. FaisrhGd u Jane
ArrowSsnith as she TWO ne,shsN>r< were
discussing the !aNer,te tcpic the e,cgn.
ink of The day that Mary Rlwe MAS ~
oe married al high noen Shes kepG
her mouth >ln, and neE les ON she