Annie Wright School - Shield Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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6 HTAK fast was over the next morning they hurried to the corner drug-store and eagerly studied the dye color-card. “There is one that would do,” said Martha, “if it were not so dark.” “Darker or lighter, according to the quantity of water you use, the clerk reassured her; “dye any shade.” Returning with the magic package, the twins sought Louise, but she had gone out with a party in quest of greens to decorate the gym- nasium for the ball. So they read the directions on the package care- fully, and bravely set to work, mixing and stirring and testing, adding more water and testing again, sacrificing half-worn handkerchiefs and lingerie recklessly, in their anxiety to see whether the dye had reachew the right shade. Finally they decided that it would do, and the two pairs of stockings were carefully dipped and hung on the towel rack to dry. Martha went to throw away the remains of the dye, and returned to find her sister almost in tears. “0, Martha,” she whimpered, “the dye won’t wash off my hands. I’ve tried clear water, and I’ve tried soapy water and I can’t stir it.” “We’ll have to use peroxide or pummice stone, or something,” said Martha, calmly. “When Sue comes up I’ll get her peroxide.” “But it’s almost lunch time, Martha. We never can make our selves presentable in time.” “Run and ask Miss Brown to excuse us from coming down. Tell her that we are tired and have headaches — yours does ache, doesn’t it t Mine does, fit to split— and want to rest for this evening. Tell her that we have oranges and crackers and won’t need anything else. I’m sure she will excuse us this once. And keep your hands under your apron, the girls will tease us to death if they see us like this.’ And Martha proceeded to pin a big “Engaged” sign on the door. After their light lunch the twins threw themselves upon their cots, for a brief rest before the arduous task of bleaching their hands. Martha awoke first, after half an hour or so of troubled sleep, and her first thought was for the stockings. Her startled exclamation brought her twin from slumberland with a rush. “They’re streaky!” wailed Martha, “and they’re three shades too light. I never thought of their drying lighter.” “Nor I,” murmured Margaret. “What shall we dot” “It’s lucky that we didn’t use the whole package of dyet” answered Martha. “We’ll just dye them over again a deeper shade.” It was done as speedily as possible. Incidentally the hands of the twins also took on a depcer hue. Then they started in, in good earnest, to remove the stains. Martha donned hat and coat, to justify a pair of gloves, and went to collect all the bleaching agent she could. She

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H Y A K 5 The Twins Predicament Twins were old enough to know better, and, as someone M remarked, “They should have had more sense.” But it was very near the end of their first year at boarding school and such excitement can only be imagined. The June Ball was just three days off! Some people always seem to leave everything until the last minute and then expect some special interposition of Providence to bring them out all right. So it was with the Twins. Their dresses for the ball had been sent to them from home two weeks ago, and they had tried them on over and over again for their admiring friends. Friday evening Martha left the dance in the gym. early, and a freshman admirer followed her up to her room. At her earnest request Martha slipped off her white muslin and donned the pretty old rose messaline. When Margaret came up. she found her sister in a brown study. See here, Peggy,” she said, when her sister had made her aware of her presence, “do you like white shoes and stockings with this dress t Because I don’t, at all. I think they ought to match.” Well, answered Margaret, “we’ll have to wear them, anvwav, because they are all we’ve got, and there isn’t time to get any more. We’d have to have the slippers made to order, and we haven’t money enough, anyway.” “We could gild our slippers,” Martha suggested. “Those gilt ones that Miss Post had on this evening were darlings. And we’ve money enough for new stockings.” Margaret was delighted with this brilliant idea, and the twins went to bed with the happiest anticipations. Saturday morning, Miss Ellis, armed with a sample, ransacked an the stores in Taooma, but, alas, the right shade could not be found. “Never mind, girls,” she said, reassuringly. “I’m going to Seattle Monday, and I’ll surely be able to find something there.” Meanwhile the twins used the gilding, Miss Ellis had bought them, with great success, and looked forward to Miss Ellis’s return from Seattle with happy confidence. But their faces lengthened piteously when they heard Miss Ellis’s report. No hose of any description — silk, lisle or cotton — that could be imagined to harmonize could be found. Then Louise, always brimful of ideas, suggested. “Why don’t you dye some to match T It’s easy. My mother often does it.” The twins were desperate enough for anything. As soon as break-

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H Y A K 7 returned in triumph with Sue’s peroxide, May’s ammonia, a can of Dutch cleanser from one of the bathrooms, and an extra washbowl borrowed from Kate. They set to work with stern determination and in silence. After some time Margaret asked timidly: “Are you gel- ting it off, Martha ?” “I’m getting the skin off, I believe,” answered Martha, griml . “I suppose the dye will come with it, but I doubt if our hands will look much better with the skin off.” “Mine smart awfully,” sighed Margaret, “and I can’t see that they are a bit whiter. Oh, we can’t go to the ball!” and her voice broke with a sob. “Don’t cry, Peggy, for goodness sake. Do you want to make your eyes as red as your hands?” Margaret giggled in spite of herself. “I’m going down to see if Miss Patterson is in.” Martha continued, “if there is any way out of this , she’ll know it and she’ll help us.” In ten minutes she returned, radiant. “Miss Patterson says that she will ask Miss Edmonds if we mayn’t wear gloves to the ball. Those long white ones that we had for the Junior Prom, aren’t much soiled. There ’8 one thing, though,” and her face fell a little, “we’ll have to let the girls know why we wear them. You know Miss Edmonds told the girls expressly not to wear gloves, because it is an informal affair and she doesn’t want the girls to think they must dress elaborately.” “I don’t mind their knowing, really, if it weren’t for Madge Jen- kins,” said Margaret, resignedly, “but she has been too hateful for anything lately, and I know she is just waiting for a chance to be mean.” “You know why, don’t you? Miss Everett selected five of your drawings for the studio exhibition and only one of hers. Oh, well, don’t you care. Cold cream your hands good and thick and lie down for a while. I’m going to take down this ‘Engaged’ sign. The sooner people know now the better.” It was not ten minutes before there came a loud rap at the door and Louise burst in. “Goodness! I’m glad you’re awake at last! Lend me your curling iron, Pat? For mercy’s sake, child, what have you done to your hands? Oh, look at Peggy, too! Edna! Lorna! Come in here, will you, and look at this!” A babel of laughing questions followed, as the others came running in. Martha explained, still dabbing nervously at her knuckles with cold cream. “Ah! What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands,” began Lorna. “It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her