The Lady of His Dreams

The Lady of his Dreams By Amy W Evans .

"Oh, girls, look at Claire! She's beginning her trousseau." Ten pairs of bright eyes instantly turned in Claire's direc« tion, and every needle in the sewing club was held suspended. Claire, one of the most dashing in appearance of the club members, was embroidering a yellow satin camisole. She laughed gaily and held it up for inspection. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, girls," she said. "I'm not engaged yet. This is only for my new dress, the one I shall wear at our dance." "Are you going to have another new dress?" chorused the girls. "You extravagant girl!" "But, girls, I've great news for you," she defended herself, with an air of revealing a great secret. "Max Hillard's cousin, who has just finished his course in medicine, is coming to Red- — ford to practice. I've seen him once, and he's great so dis- tinguished-looking! Mother says his people are well-to-do and move in high society. And Max says that the Doctor's very am- bitious and sure to climb to the top of his profession. I told — Max to bring him to our dance you don't mind, do you?" Mind? No, indeed, they did not mind! "I've heard of him," volunteered Elsie. "He was on a mis- sion with my brother Ned. Ned says the girl that gets Dr. Hil- lard will be lucky." "Who knows," ventured Alice, "but what the trousseau will — follow soon, after all Claire is so charming?" Alice Tiffany might have applied the epithet to her own sweet-faced, graceful self. And Mary Hill added: "If the Doctor succumbs to your charms, Claire, we'll help you with your trousseau, won't we girls?" To which they all agreed. "I suppose his arrival's the reason for the new dress," sug- gested Elsie. "How are you going to have it made?" queried another of the club. "And what kind is it? Tell us all about it, so we'll know how to doll up, too. Who knows but vou mav have a rival in the field, Miss Claire?" "It's gold-colored taffeta, veiled in headed tulle, with beaded bands over the shoulders. I'm going to have gilt slippers and silk hose to match."

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"Oh, how lovely!" exclaimed several voices. "Dr. Hillard will never be able to resist that," Alice put in. But Claire turned aside the compliment with: "You your- self are the most charming girl in our town, Alice, for all your quiet ways." And although Claire said this jestingly, the other girls quite agreed with her. In their hearts they recognized in Alice something fine and superior. "Thank you," laughed Alice; "but, Claire, aren't you going to have any sleeves at all in your new dress?" "No; and I'm going to have it right low in the neck, too. I suppose some prudes will be shocked, but I don't care. That's the proper dress for evening. I'm sure that's what Dr. Hillard's accustomed to seeing at all the big dances in the city. Why, May Hill told me that at the University dances no one would think of wearing sleeves or high necks." She paused for breath, and then she went on with animation: "I say, girls, let's make an extra effort to have our dance this year a thing to be re- membered. All you girls who are going to have new dresses have them made low, and don't have sleeves, unless it is just a little puff of lace or crepe. It's all the style to have them quite short for dancing, too. I don't want to be the only one in regular evening dress." The girls gazed silently at Claire, each busy with her own thoughts. "I don't think mother would like me to have mine made that way," Alice broke the silence, rather hesitatingly. "You coax her to, and she will," Claire argued. "My mother didn't want me to have mine made that way, either, but I in- sisted. I told her I wouldn't wear a dress that wasn't that way. And she gave in." "Do you think men really like to see girls dressed like that?" Alice inquired. "Of course they do," Claire said. "Fellows like to take a girl out if she's a good dresser." "My brother says," added Elsie, "that he doesn't like to see girls with such low dresses. He says it makes him feel horribly embarrassed, and he thinks girls should have more sense than to dress that way." "That's because he's old-fashioned," snapped Claire, "and doesn'tknow what style is." "But my brother says the same thing," Mary Hill added. "He's always getting after me if my waist or middy is too low. He says he doesn't want the fellows to tell each other what they see when his sister bends over." "Oh, well," Claire protested, "boys always want to bully their sisters. I'm not going to be an old maid. And I've noticed

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that the girls who are up to date in dress are the ones to get the most attention, and dance the most." No one spoke for some time after this remark. But each wondered how much truth there was in it. When the club adjourned, each girl who was heart-free felt anxious for the advent of a new and very eligible young man into the community. • • • • •

The seeds sown in the club bore quick and abundant fruit. Girls laid siege to their mothers for new dresses. What aston- ished the mothers more was that they wanted them made in extreme stvle — sleeveless, neckless, shoulderless, short. And they wondered how and why the fashion perm had made such pro- gress in Bedford. For hitherto anything more extreme than elbow sleeves and a moderate neck had been looked at askance in the town. Most of the mothers resisted the innovation, but coaxing and tears and the thought in the mind of each that — perhaps her daughter would be out of stvle a suggestion slyly — insinuated bv the daughter herself prevailed. — Mrs. Tiffany, however, was an exception the sole excep- tion. But this was not because of her insistence, but rather because Alice had not consulted her mother on the point at all. She merelv told Mrs. Tiffany how the girls were going to dress. "Do vou think," she had asked, "that the girls will think me prudish and imagine I feel mvself better than they, if I don't have my dress made after the fashion of theirs? I really don't want to. I feel as if I couldn't bare my arms and shoulders that way." "I think you are perfectly right, dear," her mother had answered, "though may be some of them will not like it." — Alice wished to be attractive and popular as what girl does not? So she thought a great deal about the matter, before mak- ing up her mind. "Do men really like to see their wives and sweethearts dressed that wav?" she had asked herself over and over again. And always had been her answer: "I don't really believe they do." This was the answer of both her heart and her reason. So she had decided in favor of sleeves and covered shoulders ; for while she wanted admiration, she wanted respect, too. How much she longed for the admiration and respect of the much-talked-of Dr. Hillard she did not confess even to her- self. — She had met him once a fact she had not mentioned at — the club and she bad dreamed of him ever since. She remembered the event. He was walking down the street with his cousin Max. and Max had presented him. And then the three had walked along together to her home, where thev had parted, he and Max going to the station.

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He had talked of the town and how he liked it. And her answers had always seemed so commonplace and dull. Why could she not have thought of something striking or witty, so that he would have remembered her? Claire would have been free and jolly, and acquainted with him at once. Her heart beat more quickly at the thought of meeting him again. The night of the ball arrived. The girls had hired the best ball in town for their party, and had decorated it beautifully, sparing themselves neither time nor effort to make it as at- tractive as possible. Many of the mothers came as chaperones to their daughters, and, it must be confessed, they felt consid- erable misgivings as to the result of the license they had allowed their daughters in the matters of dress. They were anxious also as to the impression these would be likely to make on the eligible young physician who had come to live in Bedford. "I'll be the ugly duckling to-night," Alice had said to her mother as she finished dressing for the ball. "Well, never mind, dear, so long as you turn out the beauti- ful swan," her mother had answered, pleased that Alice was not conscious of her beauty. For very beautiful indeed did Alice Tiffany appear in her simple pink dress, the lines of which were graceful and becom- ing. Alice had excellent taste. Her dark hair, although ar- ranged in the prevailing fashion, gave her an individuality and distinction that at once struck attention in the most unobserv- ant. Her whole appearance expressed a certain fitness and har- mony, from the pink rose in her hair to the toes of her dainty pink slippers. Entering the ballroom, the first person she saw was Dr. Hil- lard in animated conversation with Claire. Claire turned to Alice and presented the Doctor. It was as Alice had thought he did not recognize her at all, although he looked at her very closely, which she attributed to her difference in dress. He was about to speak to her, when Claire said excitedly: "Do come with me, Dr. Hillard Mrs. Watkins wishes to meet ;

you." He bowed to Alice, and turned away without asking her for a dance. She was soon dancing with Max. "Alice," he said to her, "T'm glad there's one girl here with some sense. What's struck all the girls, anvway? They never dressed this way before. I'll venture there'll be some work for the new doctor to-morrow or next day. By the way, have you met him yet? He's my cousin" —and so he went on. Alice tried to be gav, but the fact that Dr. Hillard had not come near her the rest of the evening caused her a feeling that — belied her looks which made her angry with herself, too.

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"Why should he?" she asked herself more than once. "Was- n't Claire much more attractive? I must look old-fashioned and countrified to him, compared with the other girls here." Thus she tried to justify him. As for Claire, she, the belle of the evening, danced with him several times. She claimed his attention most of the evening. It went without saying that she had made a conquest. * * * * *

The rest of the week seemed quiet and dull to Alice. She went to her work at school. Assistant in domestic science in the local high school, she went about her tasks with less spirit than usual. On Sunday she accompanied her mother to church. As they passed the Doctor's office, who should come out but the Doctor himself. He walked toward the church with the two ladies, and as he walked "I'm so glad I met you." They had not gone far, however, before they heard a voice calling out "Oh, Dr. Hillard, wait a moment." It was Claire. "Old Mrs. Jones is not so well to-day," she explained as she came up, "and she wants you to come and see her at once. I was just going to your office for you." He turned to Alice with, "I suppose I shall have to leave you. I shall see you again." "I'm not going to church, Alice," said Claire. "I'll go back with the Doctor to see if there's anything I can do for Mrs. Jones." On the way home from church Alice met them riding in the Doctor's new runabout. So absorbed were they in conversa- tion that they did not see her. "Was Claire right, after all, about men liking the girls best who were extreme in dress?" Alice wondered. The following weeks were full of social events. The little town fairly outdid itself. Alice was, of course, invited, but her mother not being well, she stayed at home, really glad of an excuse. For she had heard several remarks about "prudish- ness," "overniceness in dress," and other things to the same effect, which hurt her deeply. "You're a mighty nice girl, Alice," had been Claire's com- ment, "but it doesn't pay to be too nice. You never get noticed." And this hurt more than anything else. But she reserved the obvious comment, which came to her mind just then, that he hadn't had an opportunity to "notice" anyone while Claire was around.

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A few weeks after the club ball, Alice was walking to school, when Dr. Hillard drove along. in his machine. "Miss Tiffany," he called out, "please let me take you to school." Her heart gave a bound, and her cheeks reddened, but she answered with calmness that she would be glad to have him do so. He alighted from his car, helped her in, and then took his seat beside her. Alice was buoyant and happy. "Have you deliberately avoided me all this time?" he in- quired. Do you know, I've tried ever since I've been here to get a chance to talk to you." Alice's mind went like a flash to Claire. "No, indeed," she answered quite truthfully, "I had no idea that you wanted to talk with me." "Well, I have, and fate in the shape of one person and an- other seemed always to prevent it. I've wanted to tell you, for one thing, how sorry I felt that you came so late to the party that I had my program filled, and therefore I could not ask the pleasure of a dance with you. You know that you are my oldest acquaintance here, too. I met you a year before, though perhaps you do not remember. It was one day when Max and I were walking to the station." "Oh, yes, now that you mention it, I think I do remember." "We'll have time for a little spin before school begins," he said. "Where shall we go?" As they turned toward the country road, one person stood unnoticed by either. It was Claire. Looking after the car with an expression first of astonishment and then of chagrin, she gave her feelings vent in "Well, of all things!" • # * • * This was one of many drives into the country by the Doc- tor and Alice, which brought about such a perfect understand- ing between them, as to call forth a letter from Dr. Hillard to his mother: "I have very important news for you," it read. "The lady of my dreams has promised to be my wife. She is Alice Tiffany, as you no doubt have guessed from what I have already said of her to you. I know you will love her, Mother dear, she is so modest and refined. "I think it was these qualities in her which first attracted me. When I first came here I attended a ball given by the sew- ing club to which she belongs. There were many charming girls — there, but their dresses were so extreme in style bare shoulders — and arms, and short you know how it goes. When Alice en- tered the room with her arms and shoulders covered with pink, gauzy stuff, lined so that you could not see through it, she