Texas Presbyterian College for Girls - Larkspur Yearbook (Milford, TX)

Page 98 text:

f4 l -'ss A X! AYGX I X X if if t ISKS?g?, -l That Party at SnoWdome's ANDY, for pity's sake do get up off that Hoor and dry them dishes. The girl turned her head slowly and looked up with a bright smile. I'Ier black locks hung disorderly around her thin, elhsh face and her eyes, large and dark, held at once an expression of mischief and pathos. She lay at full length on the kitchen Hoor, her skimpy calico print disclosing a pair of trim little ankles and small feet, although encased in cowhide shoes, several sizes too large for herg a fashion book, dating back in the nineties, lay open before her. The pages crimped and torn, bore evidence of rough usage. In several places heads and arms had been supplied to the old style dresses by some skillful little artist. Here and there a pencil point marked the height of Mandy's enthusiasm. It was indeed an ancient book. The girl fingered it lovingly, regretful to leave her old companion. The dishes can wait, Aunt E.m', she said saucily. Aunt Em' dropped her rolling pin on the table with a clatter and turned fiercely upon her niece. ' None of your sass, Mandy Hephzilah Simpson. I won't have it. Them dishes have been standin' in that there sink a solid hour, a-waitin' to git dried, and now you can git right up from off that floor an' dry 'em. My old hickory aint worn out yet, let me tell you! I-Ier sharp little eyes penetrated Mandy's very soul and her still sharper tongue brought a sober expression to Mandy's sun-burned face. She closed the book with a deep lingering sigh and rose unwillingly to her feet. Scowling at the rows of innocent plates in the sink, she grabbed a towel from the rack and clutched a dish with fierce determination. When the stack of dishes grew less, she turned hesitatingly to her aunt. Presently she said: The Snowdome's is goin' to give a party next Tuesday night, Aunt Em'. Well, what of it? snapped the little woman. Nothin',-'cept-only I'm asked. Well, why shouldn't you be? The girl did not answer. She evidently had something on her mind. Once sheistarted to speak, but on a second thought refrained. Finally her aunt spoke again. Don't you want to go? Oh! Aunt Em', you know I do, and hesitatingly, but I ain't got nothin' to wear. Ain't got nothin' to wear! exclaimed the old lady, throwing up her hands. Saints preserve us! Where's that pretty pink alpacy I made you last spring? She demanded. , Why-why-it's-. I can't wear that Aunt Em'. The sleeves are so big an' baggy, an' the skirt's all warpy, she complained with a pitiful contraction of her lower lip. Besides it's so hot an prickly, I'd smoother in it. Aunt Em' listened to the catalogue of defects of the pink alpacy in horri- Hed surprise. When her niece had finished she fell back in the low kitchen chair and folded her hands decisively. Now, look-a-here, Mandy Hephzilah Simpson, you needn't begin to get any o' them new fangled ideas into your silly head. I spent a solid month a-trimmin' that dress with yaller beads an' a whole week a-sewin' lace on that there skirt an' here you go a-turnin' up your nose an a-sayin' it aint good enough- I didn't say 'twasn't good enough, Aunt Em'! said Mandy with a proud lift of her head. Now, you shut up! I ain't goin' to take no more back talk. If you go, you'll wear that pink alpacy. - l Then I'lI stay at home, cried Mandy, indignantly, I won't wear that horrid old thing. She dropped the dish-towel, ran forward and knelt before her aunt, winding a pair of strong young arms around her ample waist. Oh! Aunt E.m', you ddn't know how I want a new dress, one like Anna Mae Brown's, with tight sleeves an' low neck. Please, Aunt Em', may'nt I have one? she pleaded. Aunt Em' rose indignantly and unclasped the arms from around her waist. You heard what I said, didn't you? I ain't got money to spend on no such foolishness. Mandy sobbed aloud in her disappointment. ' U 'fShut up right this minute, Mandy. I won't have any of your carryings-on in my house. I says no, an' I mean no! and turning, she marched indignantly from the room. , 99

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V fl as N fq 1 ' W S . el' C After supper the same evening, which occurred about five o'clock, as Miss Simpson went to bed early in order to save the extra expense of oil, Mandy was putting away the cups and saucers when her aunt came into the kitchen with a small pail of milk. i . l'll finish puttin' up the china, she announced, while you put on your bonnet an' run over to Miss Reynolds with this here pail of milk. Glad for a chance to escape the monotony of pots and kettles, Mandy hur- ried away for her sun-bonnet, resolving to drop it in a convenient bush out of sight of the house. When she returned, Miss Simpson put the pail into her hands with this precaution. An' don't you forgit to ask her to pay you a dime for it. Mandy had reached the lane behind the house when her aunt' called after her. Oh! Mandy, you might ask her how her turnips air gittin' along an' tell her mine's bigger'n hern. ' All right, shouted Mandy, and turning a corner in the lane she was lost to view. Free at last from ever hateful restriction, she dropped her bonnet, swung her pail merrily and started for the stile at the end of the lane. Suddenly she was arrested by the sound of footsteps and turning she found herself face to face with with joe Durfee. She stopped when she saw him. Her eyes dropped and a dusky flame of red crept up into her cheeks. He stood awkwardly before her, a tall and stalwart son of toil. His honest sun-burned face glowed with pleasant anticipation and his hands fumbled nervously with the gun he held. Finally he lifted his head and a pair of dark blue eyes looked steadily into two startled brown ones. He smiled. Where are you goin', Mandy? Oh! Why-er-over to Miss Renolds with a pail of milk, she answered timidly. He stepped gallantly forward and took the pail from her and they went over the stile together. On the way back, Joe, noting her silence, asked anxiously: ' What's the matter, Mandy? Nothin'. Tell me, Mandy, he begged. 1 Nothin'. He glanced down at her quicly and asked: C-oin' to Snowdome's party, aint you? I can't, I ain't got nothin' to wear. Why-why- he stammered. ' I ain't got nothin' to wear 'cept my old pink alpaca, burst out Mandy, no longer able to control her feelings, Han' l'll stay at home before l'll wear it. l look horrid in pink anyway. Tears dimmed her eyes and a lump in her throat choked her. She raised her hand to it vaguely. But you're just as pretty to me, no matter what you wear. Please go, won't you? It won't be a bit jolly without you. l can't, sobbed Mandy, I ain't got nothin' to wear. Little girl, his arm stole around her quivering shoulders, little girl, listen here. He raised her flushed tear-stained face in his great brown hand. Their eyes met- Mandy! you, Mandy! where be you? The spell slipped from her and she broke away from him, laughing teasingly. Aunt E'.m's callin' me. Good-bye, she said. When she had gone a few steps, she turned ancl looked back. He was stand- ing where she had left him, silent and downcast. Joel she called. He raised his head. Mebby l'll go. l'll try to anyway. And gaily kissing the tips of her fingers to him, she turned the bend in the lane. A few days later when Mandy's courage had risen considerably, she resolved to try again to make her aunt feel the necessity of a new dress to wear to the party at Snowdome's. So one evening as they sat down to supper she said, timidly: Aunt Em', l've two dollars an' five cents an' if you'll give me a dollar an' a half, l'll have enough to buy a dress and some trimmin', too. - h lMiss Simpson did not look up. Thanks for the taters, Mandy, she said s orty. A The disappointment on Mandy's face deepened into despair and when she knelt by her spotless little 'bed that night, she poured out her troubles before One ever ready to listen to our most humble wants. The days flew by and Mandy began to give up hope that something might turn up. Saturday morning, she brought the rug she was braiding down into the living room and sat by the window. The sun came out in all his splendor and crept 100 U