Show THAT OLD DRESS W what bat it did for its ito self wearer mrs lanigon had sent out cards cf invitation to her dear five hundred fri friends endis for a grand ball at tier her elegant t 0 si dence on oil fifth avenue in honor of vic tie entrance of her twin daughters daug into society they had just been graduate at home h fashionable oil estal and their debut way was iti intended tended to iv w a A cry magnificent aff air mra gregory lius husband jand and daugh 1 rs wirl were e on oil tho the invited lit lut t As tho the former and two latter sat fiat in their parlor looking at the elegant cars with t the lie int interesting cresting subject under duap lee 1 dis die they were broken in upon by the entrance of air gregory who looked harassed and weary I 1 papa cried lena the older daughter we our invitations to mrs airs lang ions s great ecat lall ball win him tho the cardi she fhe held in her hand and chete ih the loveliest silk at Mc Sto warts that I 1 want to wear can I 1 go and order it tomorrow to morrow she pleaded laying her white liand hand flashing with J jewels vels on hi hn arm and looking up into his faco Il haven illavon t you yon any dresses to wear lie he ailed soine hat moodily plenty of old ones which have bave already ill r ady been worn and will not answer lor this part cular event she returned how flow much will ivill it cost I 1 mr gregory asked alced oh perhaps a hundred and fifty said haid lena carelessly with as little idea of the value of muney money as an ung edged bird her Iler father groaned and said raid thin tiling about foolish extravagance vien then drawing out ili his po slowly counted out the required hum bum i atud ad laid it on the table illow how much dodou do you want bertha lie he asic asad 1 I turning towards toward tier her 1 I dont think I 1 want any papa I 1 have a pretty dress dres which will answer very nicely she replied youre a sen sensible girl firl and the man that grets you for a wife will have home one on to help him keep his head above if the preA on the money market lasts maoli longer with anese demands demand i to moe I 1 shall toon boon be dead 1 bald baid mr Or gregory egery w HS lie he loft th room hat is the trouble with papa alit dogs does malce make him talk tio 0 o dolefully when ho he is asked for a little money anyone would think he was a poor man I 1 IJ it t is ia one ot ol h liis is rooney money nervous s spells lid ho is fis always so ho afraid his business at af ont cume out just so straight 1 lien alien it t is economy aud and retrenchment ar r everything will ivill drift to bankruptcy that E i the way business men always talk till it has become quitu quite un old mory me ine said haid Ws mrs gregory araa drawing ina inu breath of relief ill 1 I C alon ont think papa Is trying to brighten u ut at all taid baid bertha rtha 1 I 1 I 1 think hin k liis his business busi does really perplex b hun un pre ive noticed for or a mck eck that lie he irmice I 1 pas palo aul careworn rewo n and lie he huid but jut littie V las an eliat the reason you yon d want it new ball dressi dresse 1 oskel asked lsna 1 na yeii ye id rather wear an old one than f r aluce bluee pupa to the of a cew oni one itow ow while mouty isso Is so hard to implied 11 artha rtha pray inform us how you come boroo to ehnow tm fco much about monetary affairs my daughter bai dAIrs um gregory greg ory gory 1 I hearit heard papa and mr talking in at out bubines buan bu sines i i when lien lie he was here ill iha chur other ercul nd r I 1 a and n he be paid jateff jat ff I 1 ua va 4 alt un an MO ve RE t any lame amey la me y pt itt all now sa well you ore are a little goofy it if you yon will yo go to thu tho gran grandoit dost lall ball of thelea the bea ion lu an old anade madeo over vcr bal dress you tan in floso do so anti and when you hoe hoc the victory which may inay perhaps be won over a crt certain aln gent leinan by your elder gerh MUM moru hoilett toilet y villre pret wt your dac bi ill oah ir va im P e r I 1 i i j aly int 11 cre rit to the I tul sd W or I 1 M of the fashionable orld for there then la is neither heart nor sn er eriv iv in it I 1 ann want no dry goods worshiper worship or fr my future liege lord ho jyoti Py yon oti litt huic ve the fjeld open and vlear clear to youre f hurlbu Url bu what tuross dro haaz you to I 1 wear you any that youve not already worn two or three times at least and I 1 desire my daughter daught erg to moke make as elegant an alpeat appearance ance as any of their friends on this occasion said mrs gregory tm im going to have mine leimeister make over my blue grosgrain gros grain aila and you know she dic is a noted genius for renewing worn bull ball dresses but if alter it is done dolle it looks antediluvian anted an and smells musty ill do pen ancla by stay ing ut at home said baid bertha do just as you prefer but I 1 think your father would give you a new on one if you wished ILI it said her mother lena fona purchased the new dress and had it made up without regard to expense and it was exquisite when lone done and extremely becoming to the young lady who had been congratulating herself on the success the she was determined to achieve Der bertha thas d dress ress en me from the M mantua an tua malters hands as beautiful ws as it could be and none would ever have suspected it had bud already been thrice worn unless the bho had been seen with it on it harmonized admirably with her fair blondo complexion forming a vivid contrast contract to das more I 1 brilliant ant style of personal attractive attractiveness nesa and bright orange colored bobc or oc the day previous to the ball clara ainsley called a 0 sister of hugh e ains ley who was the fixed echi central t ral star around which the feminine luminaries had bously beamed for the last ann two 0 seasons season each fondly hoping to bo be the finally favored one but to tl c secret chagrin of each lie he still maintained the same saine quiet courtliness of manner toward them all he scorned quite as indifferent bidd ferent to their heart altaha as lie he would have been to tho the pyramids of egypt this was the gentleman lena was bending all her ener energies gics to cri ensnare snare and bring to her feet before the present season closed clara was an intimate friend of both the girls and eslic was invited upstairs to see sec the dresses which had just been sent kent home their beauty she warmly expatiated on but lena would not allow her to leave until she had her of beathas berthas Ber thas wonderful ut fit of economy the combined entreaties of all the trio could not induce mr gregory to accompany them to mrs airs langgons Lang 0 dons he pleaded a headache and latigue lati 4 guc tic tins this was a cover to tho the real reason ills his business affairs were daily becoming moro more entangled entangle I by mearis means of several heavy failures of parties owing covvin c him to a great extent and all lie ho could see before him was ruin and disgrace but ic could keep his forebodings to himself until after the fete was lovci when if lie he found no means of extricating himself lie would make inake a clean breast of ole whole tiling thing to them hugh ainsley was quito quite attentive to miss lena that night bho vho looked very queenly in the gay throng and his attentions tent ions were received with deep satisfaction iff is action faction to herself nor was the less interested bertha ilc rtha who had laid no siege 0 to him overlooked ile he inquired at once where her father was as he had not seen him there to her reply that he hat resisted a all 11 entreaty to come from great fatigue ho he uttered a prolonged ahl and fell into a re reverie vorie I 1 hugh fugh waa va thinking of the vague report lie had hoard heard on wall street that morning that the commercial house of gregory gre gory co was fast tottering toward bankruptcy the dext akpan early hour W a gregorys gregoras Gre gorys count 1 ing ng hou house e and offered to help i i him through the financial crisis that was upon hin him mr gregory had lone done the same deed azir before for hughs father and he aab hugh kindly pressed tho the favor back upon him which was accepted with teara te ara of gratitude in the tha eyes of the I 1 1 I M pan le 0 gsa I 1 yar v e i ar t I 1 s katat dinner tinner 1 the i altier ih th thrall lall ill dr discussing escuss ing the UNI n C s brought out there she related I 1 what lena had told her of beathas berthas Ber thas of economy 1113 la that so clara clam lie he asked was she aa scalf fi cing as that lint but brutshe she looked as a sweet ns a rosebud in lier her drewa if it had been worn timer then them lie told her in confidence of the state of mr dr gregoras gregorys Gre i orys gorys affairs and tho the ozi chich aich had probably de deterred bertha from the outlay tor lor a new dross she is a noble girl clara and im afraid we number many like her amongst that gay assembly at mrs airs langgons Lang dons surely all is not gold that gl glitters I 1 tte M A week after this the footman at the gregoras gregorys Gre gorys brought up a card to the parlor for miss aliss lk lertha rtha and the gentleman is waiting below in the druwing drawing room bertha glanced at the card and saw i blugh ainsley Ains lcy inscribed thereon did you say bay this wa was i for me john s she lle abod thinking t IV it must have bavo wen been intended for lena yes maam ile he said miss bertha replied the servant lena pouted at this she had thought lie ho had made a mistake and an angry frown clu clouded tided her face as bertha descended to the druwing drawing room aas vas it I 1 you wished to see BC mr ainsley she naked asked after saluting him 1 it was you yourself why permit me to inquire 1 I thought it might be one of johns blut blunders iders and that sister lena was the one douros said bertha no miss I 1 bertha ert lia it is you with whom I 1 have special business lie he said at the same saine ta time me watching the sudden enlargement of her ber blue eyes when he said I 1 business tor several years miss mis bertha pre been be searching arching in the circle of my acquaintance for a noble truehearted true hearted woman to asic to become my wife I 1 have just fortunate enough a to find her and have now come to ask her it if she will bear my name and snare with me roy rny earthly lot iol bertha will answer me yes give me time to think PIC please ase it Is so 0 sudden she stammered covering her fe faco with her hands to conceal her blushes 44 4 VO you U shall have three whole months to consider tho subject then I 1 shall demand an unconditional answer said blugh drawing tho the hands from her lwi fac and pressing 0 them to his lipsin three months their engagement was announce announced I to the gay world another three months and the gay world was invited to their public jud at ay iy nr dug in church A Ate co coaxing aking ae L on dm lawas was akiji be berthas beathas Ber thas t mpr 1 ad but 11 was a bitter disappointment to stand in that place in bread of next to the groom in after years she learned that berthas beathas Ber thas old ball dress had turned the beale in favor of her and won hugh ainsley Ains lcy ile he reasoned that the daughter who would aher e her own desires for the salce sake of lessoning lessening the burden weighing upon the shoulders of lier her father could not fail to make a true wife boston globe |