I re-opened the trunk, to see if
I had replaced it; I searched every corner of the room, but all in
vain; nowhere could I discover the thing I sought. What had become
of it? The question was a delicate one, which I did not like to put
to the young ladies of the truly respectable establishment; still,
the loss was great, and at that moment very inconvenient. While I
was deliberating on what course to pursue, Miss S - - entered the
room.
"I guess you missed your dress," she said, with a smile.
"Do you know where it is?"
"Oh, sure. Miss L - -, the dressmaker, came in just after you left.
She is a very particular friend of mine, and I showed her your
dress. She admired it above all things, and borrowed it, to get the
pattern for Miss R - -'s wedding dress. She promised to return it
to-morrow."
"Provoking! I wanted it to-night. Who ever heard of borrowing a
person's dress without the leave of the owner? Truly, this is a
free-and-easy country!"
One very severe winter night, a neighbour borrowed of me a
blanket - it was one of my best - for the use of a stranger who was
passing the night at her house.
