Part 5 (1/2)
”And you paid three hundred dollars for it!” Necia said, aghast The Canadian shrugged
”Only for de good heart of Marie Bourgette I pay wan t'ousan',” said he ”I mak' seven hondred dollar clean profit!”
”It was very nice of both of you, but--I can't wear it I've never seen a dress like it, except in pictures, and I couldn't--” She saw his face fall, and said, impulsively:
”I'll wear it once, anyhow, Poleon, just for you Go away quick, now, and let ood,” he nodded, as he moved away ”I bet you mak' dose dance-hall woirl's feelings as she set about clothing herself in her first fine dress Tiain she had studied pictures fro women arrayed in the newest styles, and had closed her eyes to fancy herself dressed in likethat some day she would leave the North and see the wonderful world of which le with the fine ladies of her picture-books, but she never dreaohile she lived in Alaska And now, even while she recognized the grotesqueness of the situation, she burned to wear it and see herself in the garb of other wohtly into her rooh barbarisarly correct, for it fitted her neatly, save at the waist, which was eventhe fact that she had never worn such a corset as the well-for and hesitated modestly when she saw its low cut, which exposed her neck and shoulders in a totally unaccustoly indecent until she scurried through her ain and saw that its construction, as compared with others, was ht of herself below the line of sunburn, for she was ringed about like a blue-winged teal, the de more pronounced because of the natural whiteness of her skin The year previous Doret had brought her from the coast a Spanish shahich a salt-water sailor had sold hiht it forth now and arranged it about her shoulders, but in spite of this covering the fair flesh beneath peeped through its wide interstices most brazenly She had never paid marked attention to the fairness of her skin till now, and all at once this difference between herself and her little brother and sister struck her She had been a hed when she san their little bodies were, rejoicing in blushi+ng quietude at her ohiteness, but to-day she neither laughed nor felt any joy, rather a dim wonder She sat down, dress and all, in the thick softness of a great brown bear-skin and thought it over
How odd it was, now that she considered it, that she needed no aid with these alien garments, that she knew instinctively their every feature, that there was no intricacy to cause her e must be a piece with the intuitive wit that had been the wonder of Father Barnuave them forth
She was interrupted in her reverie by the passing of a shadow across herand the stamp of a man's feet on the planks at the door Of course, it was Poleon, who had colance at thethe side that distorted her i, perfunctorily called:
”Coht out”
She kicked the train into place behind her, looped the shawl carelessly about her in a way to veil her modesty effectively, and, with an expectant s roo to the eye She crossed proudly to the reading-table to give him a fair view of her splendor, and was into the middle of the room before she looked up Taken aback, she uttered a little strangled cry and made a quick movement of retreat, only to check herself and stand with her chin high in the air, while wave after wave of color swept over her face
”Great lovely dove!” ejaculated Burrell, fervently, staring at her
”Oh, I--I thought you were Poleon He--” In spite of herself she glanced towards her room as if to flee; she writhed at the utter absurdity of her appearance, and knew the Lieutenant ht would onlydrawn back as far as she could, till the table checked her
Burrell, however, was not laughing, nor s even, for his e for your father,” he said, wondering if this glorious thing could be the quaint half-breed girl of yesterday There was nothing of the native about her now, for her lithe young figure was drawn up to its height, and her head, upon which the long, black braids were coiled, was tipped back in a haughty poise She had flung her hands out to grasp the table edge behind her, forgetful of her shahich drooped traitorously and showed such rounded lines as her ordinary dress scarce hinted at This was no Indian maid, the soldier vowed; no blood but the purest could pulse in such veins, no spirit save the highest could flash in such eyes as these A jealous rancor irked hiht of this beauty intended for the Frenchman's eyes
”Can't you show yourself to me as well as to Poleon?” he said
”Certainly not!” she declared ”He bought this dress for ain, for soave her dominance over him ”After he sees it I will take it off, and--”
”Don't--don't take it off--ever,” said Burrell ”I thought you were beautiful before, because of your quaintness and simplicity, but now--”
his chest swelled--”why, this is a breath froirls back in Kentucky, only erly ”Airls? Do I really look as if I'd alorn clothes like these?”
”Born to therave face, assu a child of her on the instant; all her reserve and hauteur vanished Her warmth and unaffected frankness suffused hiown, her brown hands fluttering tremulously as she talked
”It's my first party-dress, you know, and I' in here and too sirl must have had a bad chest; but otherwise it fits me as if it had been made for s? See” She held her skirts back, showing her two feet side by side, her dainty ankles slim and shapely in their silk
”They won't shed water,” he said
”I know; and look at the heels I couldn't walk a et wet”
”But they make me very tall”