retta allowed no prying, and her niece had
been trained to ask permission always before entering her apartment, and
to refrain from touching anything, unless asked to do so while there.
Now the poverty-stricken little hostess carried the relics carefully
across to her own room, and, locking the door, attired herself, and
anxiously surveyed the effect. The old-fashioned gown left her
shoulders and arms bare, the broad belt could not lengthen the short
waist, and the skirt hardly covered her ankles. "I can wear my old
muslin cape, but my arms will have to show, and my feet too," she
thought, with nervous distress. The creased blue kid slippers were full
of little holes and somewhat mildewed, but the girl mended them bravely;
she said to herself that she need only walk down to the dining-room and
back; and, besides, the rooms would not be brightly lighted. If she had
had anything to work with, even so much as one yard of material, she
would have made over the old gown; but she had absolutely nothing, and
so she determined to overcome her necessities by sheer force of will.

"How do I look, cousin?" she said, appearing at the study-door on the
afternoon of the fatal day. She spoke nervously, and yet proudly, as
though defying criticism. But Cousin Copeland had no thought of
criticism.

"My child," he said, with pleased surprise, "you look charming. I am
very glad you have a new gown, dear, very glad."

"Men are all alike," thought Gardis exultingly. "The others will think
it is new also."

Cousin Copeland possessed but one suit of clothes; consequently he had
not been able to honor the occasion by a change of costume; but he wore
a ruffled shirt and a flower in his buttonhole, and his countenance was
sedately illumined by the thought of the festal board below. He was not
at work, but merely dabbling a little on the outer edges--making
flourishes at the ends of the chapters, numbering pages, and so forth.
Gardis had gone to the drawing-room; she longed to see herself from head
to foot, but, with the exception of the glasses in two old pier-tables,
there was no large mirror save the gauze-veiled one in the drawing-room.
Should she do it? Eve listened to the tempter, and fell. Likewise
Gardis. A scissors, a chair, a snip, and lo! it was done. There she was,
a little figure in a quaint blue gown, the thick muslin cape hiding the
neck, but the dimpled arms bare almost to the shoulder, since the sleeve
was but a narrow puff;