wo
silk stockings, and three yards of silver ribbon; or, one simple
country maiden into a fashionable miss of entrancing beauty."

"Nancy, you're the most angelic person!" squealed Alma. "But aren't
you going to get yourself something, too? It makes me feel awfully
mean to get new things when you have to wear that dowdy old yellow
thing."

"Dowdy, indeed. It's grand. 'Miss Nancy Prescott was charming in a
simple gown of mousseline-de-soie, which hung in the straight lines now
so much in vogue. Her only ornaments were a bouquet of rare flowers,
contrasting exquisitely with the shade of her frock,--a toilette of
unusual chic. Miss Alma Prescott, Melbrook's noted beauty, was superb
in a lavish creation'--You're going to be awfully lavish, and quite the
belle of the ball."

"You ought to have some new slippers, Nancy--a pair of gold ones would
absolutely _make_ your dress."

"My black ones are all right. I'll put fresh bows on them," said
Nancy, firm as a Trojan outwardly, though within her resolution
wavered. Dared she take another seven dollars? She began to feel
reckless.

"Are you waited on, madam?" The smooth voice of a saleswoman roused
her from her calculations.

"We want to see some blue taffeta--not awfully expensive."

"Step this way. We have something exquisite--five dollars a yard."

"Oh, haven't you anything less than that?" stammered Nancy in dismay.
Alma glanced at her reprovingly.

"For heaven's sake, don't sound as if you hadn't a dollar to your name,
or she'll just right-about-face and walk off," she whispered. "We'll
_look_ at the expensive silk, and then work around to the
cheaper--explain that it's more what we want, and so on."

"Yes, and the cheaper silk will look so impossible after we've seen the
other that we'll be taking it," returned Nancy. "_I_ know their wiles."

"Here is a beautiful material--quite new," lured the saleswoman. "A
wonderful shade. It will be impossible to duplicate. See how it
falls--as softly and gracefully as satin, but with more body to it.
The other is much stiffer."

"How--how much is it?" asked Nancy feebly.

"Five-ninety-eight. It's special, of course. Later on the regular
price will be six-fifty."

"Isn't it _lovely_?" breathed Alma, touching the gleaming stuff with
careful fingers.

"Have--have you anything for about three dollars a yard?" asked Nancy,
wishing that Alma would do the haggling sometimes.

The saleswoman listlessly u