| Show suck DRESS what it cost actor of theres annio baldon said aunt looking up from her knitting as she tho of footsteps on the plank walk which lay along the front fence toor I 1 never beoo her that I 1 dont think of that vano in tho biblo which says hat from him that not shall bo taken even that ho hath ami tho sighed deeply I 1 looked from the window just in timo to andio baldon before sho turned the corner of the next street sho was a faded careworn looking woman a past middle ago with dark brown hair thickly sprinkled with gray her dros was a rusty black cro her black shawl was decidedly shabby nud glicr crapo bonnet was shabbier still she looked neither attractive nor interesting and I 1 turned from tho window and took up my crocheting again remarking only thai sho looked as if sho had had her abaro 0 sorrow sometime I 1 think she lias had a good deal more than her share said aunt jane 1 I know dozens of women would leavo sunk into the grave under only bialt as much and tho best of it is sho dont never complain soul that ever breathed docs she livo near here I 1 asked more out of politeness than from any real interest in tho subject xo but sho was my next door neighbor for twenty five years when this was a farmhouse farm house tho town lay wo miles ou then and wo never looked to it grow up right to our very doors annio wouldn t bo such shabby clothes if tharo been a mortgage on their place sho could havo sold every aero at a good profit if it had been arce tell mo about her aunt jane I 1 said as the old lady paused have plenty of time before supper dear me child there isn t much to tell n tho little tharo is provo very to you I 1 know annio looks shabby n old n gray now n not much like sho did thirty years ago wo was girls together n she was tho prettiest an liveliest little thing I 1 ever saw her eyes was black as coals n her hair hung in long curls to her waist sho biad n laugh n a good word for everybody n more befits than she could tend to tharo was only two of cm though that she favored at all one was tom layton the owner of alie layton mills I 1 interrupted yes but ho own tho mills then ho was only superintendent there u though lie was a savin industrious dust rious young man no one looked to sec him got to bo a millionaire but he had a good salary n his father was well to do n lio was reckoned n good match for annie for awhile folks thought shed marry him but ho a professor n annie set a by her church sho allowed that if she married a man who never went inside of one shed be false to her principles for the bible says the righteous shall not bo joked yoked to tho unrighteous ou know tom took it real hird at arst but lie bear annio DO ill will n when she married luther baldon lio sent her a handsome present luther he was a real steady young man but somehow or other lie have luck ho had a good farm but work as lie might he never mado off it moran a bare livin n annio had to pinch n screw to keep clothes to their backs sho wai a master hand at hanagin ma nagin n she worked like a horse but year after year went by n they get no belter oft drouth n early frost n too much rain kap cm allers behindhand n jest when they was chinkin th inkin they was coin to do belter therod como something that would put cm back again Luth urho bu tAnnIc the never lost heart leastways she never seemed to when como over hero n luther hed get to tellin how crossways things alters went for him shed alters have something cheer tul to say shed tell about it was a long lane that had no curnin n it was aliens darket jest before tho day n tharo was fillers a silver to every cloud till luther hod get again n ready to laugh with her over their troubles aint 1 got a treasure in my wife hed say long aa frosts n mildew n bloods dont tako her away from me I 1 I 1 cau gut along was to take dinner abo day I 1 was thirty I 1 was for tho first timo a now black silk dress which john had given mo for a birthday pi cs it was thick n soft n mighty handsome n luther ho seem ablo to keen liis eyes oil it 1 I wonder when ill ho able to give you a black silk annie lio said nutting his arm round her as sho stood by bis chair bovo been married seven years n I 1 aint been ablo to get you calico 1 I dont says annie ave got all tho dresses I 1 can use now luther looked at her real steady a minute then bo says sorter slow n quiet for all that I 1 mean to get you ono annio I 1 want to how look in it no I 1 look now in my bloo delaine pays annie wo 11 ll tec bout that saya luther 1 dont caro how hard times aro I 1 mean to live till I 1 get you a black silk 1 1 sho laughed n told him hod make a peacock of her if ho could but for all her brave words I 1 knew she was downright fond of things n it really hurt her to havo to wear old faded crosses dr n bonneta five years behind the nut ho never said so n ehod walk into church sunday after sunday in her old bauo n yc loy anny bonnet lookia as n happy a it ahod boon dressed liko J queen well luther ho never camo over hero after that without ho had some remark to miko bout my black silk n ho stuck to it that ho would give annio one liko it before ho died but year after year went by n mj silk was all wore out n id got another n still annies best dress was a cheap delaine n it often sho could accord to buy oven a pair of cotton glorch to co or her hands gadut gono bettor with luther n they had other things to borrow for than losing their beat horses na cattle n crops aboy lost their six children one after tho othor three of cm died in bac week of scarlet foter n tho other was sickly ott in slow consumption if it been that sho had tc keep up I 1 believe hav giu dav many a time but for his sake sho show one half she felt an lio never lol faith in tho lord said his ways seemed hard but that ho know what WAS best for her well time wont on n about fir years ago seemed to tako a turn lor tho better with luther his waca crop turned out well nho sold it to good profit n lie got his corn oft the bottom lands before alio llio river rose na that was to him cheerful n told john that ho was just beginning begin nin to enjoy life n if things went well soon haa the mortgage cleared oty alio lann tho weather set set in cold n stormy just after u ono afternoon I 1 was out in tho chicken yard shallin corn to tho n all up to my eyes when I 1 heard a wagon stop it tho gate othere nt here wm luther a book anin to me I 1 down to tho gate to speak to him n buforo id got lio wa roo how hod sold tom layton n colt hed been raisin n was on his way at last to buy anni eliat silk dress he asked mo bout ali number of yards bo ought get n whir beat go to buy unsaid lio could ni hardly wait to got it now ho was ready iio was goin to giro aunio a surprise lio said alio know what ho wa goin after well the tears was in my cacs as 1 him drive off as 3 child at tho idea of surp annie hut I 1 never guessed what tho black silk dress was to col hor poor soul it began to rain soon after d gone n down for upward 0 four hours I 1 was at alio winder when lie wont by on his way homo n I 1 noticed ho havo his overcoat on n I 1 wondered what ho il done with it for I 1 was suro hod had it on when lie stopped at tho gate annio told mt afterward eliat ho d taken tho coat his back n hollod the black silk up in it to keep it from gollin wet it even damp when ho unrolled it n showed it to hor but ho was wot to the skin himself n a few days later there was a doctors buggy at tho gale john ho went over to sec what waa abc mattor n found luther walkin tho bloor n groaning gro anin with pain tho cold had settled in his side n tho docton civo him no relief but be said ho guessed hed pull through all right n tharo no need to worry miss parsons was makin the flick ap luther satisfied till annio had gone to tho village n got some ono to work on it n she thought beat to humor him iio belter when tho camo home n tho doctor was still tending him but no one lowed ho was anyway dangerous it was john alio brought tho dress homo from miss parsons n ho said luthor was just too pleased for anything to soo the bundle im goin to have annio drcha right up in it ho says n you n jano roust como over after supper n ECO how sho looks well as I 1 heard afterward john had hardly gono when luther began to tease annio to put tho drosa on sho wanted to get supper first but he hear to st ITO been baitin nearly twenty years to seo you in that dressy ho says n I 1 wont wait oven an hour longer well annio sho mado him lio down for been walkin the bloor constant nearly all day n sho went into her bedroom to p nt tho dress on shoil got the skirt on n was listena liste nm the wa when sho aicard a queer sound from the spare room whore luther was alyin sho stopped a to listen n then called to him to know if ho wanted anything tharo no answer n she crowed tho hall a hurried into tho room well child alio found him dead his faco turned toward tho door as it hed been batchin wat chin for her n the sound ahod was the rattle in ills throat when john n I 1 got there hed been dead only a few minutes u I 1 tell you child it was a sad sight to sou her down by that low bed in her new black silk her arms round that dead man na n over him n baggin him to speak to her iio dead I 1 she gays to me as 1 come in lie has only fainted 0 jano do something for him get hot water nyo ull had camphore camph cre in tho pantry on the lowest shelf to alio llio right but I 1 saw that liot water n cam phero bo no uso n I 1 told her so as as I 1 could n begged her to come away sho listen to ruo at first but after the doctor had como n hod told her it was all over n poor luthard died froni apoplexy of tho stomach sho let me take her to her own room As wo was crossin alio hall she beard the dress rustle n she stopped short u looked at mo pitiful iio never saw me in it after all n sho broke down and cried as it her heart would break after poor luther was buried n there was a stone nut up over him n his debts was all paid there gasn wasn t left for annie n acho was glad to take a place in alie mills we wanted her to camu here but slie was too proud to cat bread she earned she said about a week ago I 1 was out with miss sniper gellin subscriptions for tho church carpet n wo met annio on the street miss sniper she aint over sen n she dont give no ono else credit for being so n she up n aska annie if alio ever wish shed said yc accad of no to young tom layton never says annie had I 1 w lifo to begin again I 1 would not alter it aa far as tom layton is concerned but its pretty hard to have to work for liviu it asked miss sniper n I 1 felt it in heart to hato her for asking such a thing but annie only smiled 1 I consider myself fortunate to bo able to earn such good wage she says n then eho walked away still 1 I was glad miss sniper know about that black silk dress if shed aard anything about that annio would a broke down ashes got it packed away at the bottom of her trunk poor soul n sho never speaks about it florence jf t u monthly |
