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hearing over and over the words lie
had said, and seeing the humorous
sparkle fn his eyes.
Blake Wendell had asked her if he
might call, and in the intoxicating
dream of the night before she had
told him he might It did seem now
like a dream, as she stood behind the
stationery and paper flowers, and
she felt she must never let him come
to the cheap boarding house in the
poor street where she lived. She
could only see him in the "parlor,"
which was tawdry and vulgar, and
it was liable to be filled with young
men and girls quite in -keeping with
the surroundings, who talked slang,
laughed loudly, or played ragtime on
a strident piano and sang with a
more strident voice. This was not
Blake Wendell's world. And lest he
should think it was hers, she could
not let him see her there. The death
of her parents and poverty had put
her there. She felt no shame in hon
estly earning her living the only way
that had offered, but her natural in
stincts, mind and training gave her
the little real enjoyment in the com
pany in which it brought her in con
tact. There were kind hearts and
honest souls among those young
people; she did not hold herself aloof,
and was well liked by them; but
when she found herself among the
refinement and culture of many of
those at Mrs. Bagden'sit seemed to
her that she had come into her own.
Violet felt she could not stand the
humiliation of Wendell's surprise or
covert amusement at' the boarding
house parlor or the boarders. It was
such a long way from his world. He
must see that it was, and doubtless
he would feel that she could never
get there. No, it was all very hope
less. What was she to do? She re
membered now that some one had
come up and interrupted and she had
'not given him her address. Oh, well,
perhaps he would not lake the trou
ble to "find out, and she was worry
ing for nothing. Even Mrs. Bagden,
an old friend of her mother's, did not 1
know where she lived, but addressed
her at the store.
As the days and weeks went on
and she saw no more of Blake Wen
dell, Violet wondered if Cinderella
kept on thinking about the prince
after that last ball, or whether she
had the strength of mind to forget
aim. She took herself severely to
task for not being able to forget,
when clearly she ought to.
One day there came a letter to Vio
let at the store. She knew the in
stant she saw the envelope it was
from Mrs. Bagden. Yes, it was an
invitation to a Christmas eve party.
Her heart gave a great bound. Would
she see him again? Oh, who that
has been just where this girl was can
know what that meant? He lived in
New York, where there were so
many places to go on Christmas eve,
perhaps he would not come. Besides,
there loomed up the awful problem
of what to wear. Her simple little
summer gown had done for the
warm evening of the musicale, but
for this affair she had nothing. How
ever, -with small expense, and sewing
evenings, she decided she might
make over an old frock to be pre
sentable. Before she had finished the dress,
Mabel Hard, the girl next at Violet's
counter, was taken ill and had to go
home. Violet knew the condition of
things at Mabel's home. Her mother
was out working during the day and
only a younger sister of about 10
years of age was able' to be of any
service. As soon as she could get
away she went around to see her.
Mabel was so ill that she had to get
a physician. He declared she must
remain quiet for several days and not
think of going to work. This wor
ried the por girl into a heightened
fever. It lacked only a few days of
Christmas, and the holiday trade
made the loss of one hand a serious
matter. Besides she had promised
to work Christmas eve and the night
before that, as Miss Manning had ar
ranged to have those evenings off.
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