with Virginia's dress."

Thus, between working and studying, the days passed pleasantly enough.
The little shop prospered, and all three were happy, each in her own
way, Fanny in looking after the customers, Virginia in doing her
lessons, Mrs. Blaine in working on her beloved graduation dress.

It was about this time that a romance came into Fanny's heretofore
prosaic existence. So far the poor girl had not enjoyed much of life.
Her time spent between four walls, there was a very narrow horizon to
her outlook on things. She rarely went out, took no part in the
pleasures and gaieties of other young women of her age. When not
waiting on customers, she was cooking. Yet she was always good-natured
about it. Laughingly she called herself Cinderella, because, while her
more favored sister might be dressing up to go to recitals, lectures
or concerts, she would be in the kitchen washing up the dishes. She
took it amiably, yet there were times when she had a quiet cry all to
herself, when she thought that her mother, instead of being so much
engrossed in making a fine graduation dress for sister, might remember
that she, too, needed something pretty to wear.

When, therefore, one evening at a neighbor's party, she happened to
meet a young man who went considerably out of his way to pay her
attention, she was greatly flattered and gratified. The very novelty
of it startled her. Until now none of the eligible young men had so
much as looked at her. Virginia, quite innocently, of course, had
always monopolized their society. But this particular young man, whose
name was James Gillie, seemed not in the least attracted to Virginia.
In fact, he rather avoided her, appearing to be somewhat intimidated
by her well-bred manners and cultured conversation. He made no secret