CHAPTER IV

THE NEW DRESS


An influence vaguely felt by all the Procter family lingered for days
after father's Saturday afternoon at home. And then ordinary hours
intruded and filled the small lives with their duties and their
pleasures. Still shadowy, deeply hidden, the influence of the visionary
father lay. Even small Maizie awoke to tiny dreams, her literalness for
moments drowned out.

At school, Maizie and Suzanna were perhaps the least extravagantly
dressed little girls. Exquisitely clean, often quaintly adorned with
ribbons placed according to Suzanna's fancies, it still could be seen
that they came from an humble home.

Still, in their attitude there was toward their companions an
unconscious patronage, felt but hardly resented by the others, since
Suzanna and Maizie gave love and warmth besides.

And this unconscious feeling of superiority sprang from "belonging" to a
father who worked in his free hours that others out in the big world
might some day be glad he had lived! This idealism lent luster even to
his calling of weighing nails and selling washboards to the town of
Anchorville.

Jenny Bryson, in Suzanna's class, bragged of her father's financial
condition, and indeed she was a resplendent advertisement of his